One-Pot Chicken and Rice

Golden chicken thighs and rice cooked together in one pan so the rice soaks up all the savoury juices. It's comforting, cheap and needs just one pot — a proper family teatime staple.

One-pot dinners are a weeknight lifesaver, and this chicken and rice is one of the best: minimal effort, one pan to wash, and a result that tastes like far more than the sum of its cheap ingredients. Browning the chicken first is the only slightly involved step, and it’s well worth the few minutes for the flavour it adds.

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in or boneless chicken thighs — skin on for flavour
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion — finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic — crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 300g long grain or basmati rice — rinsed
• 600ml hot chicken stock
• 1 handful frozen peas
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. Season the chicken and brown it skin-side down in the oil in a large lidded pan or casserole for 5 minutes until golden, then turn and cook 2 more minutes. Lift out and set aside.
2. In the same pan, soften the onion for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in the rinsed rice to coat, then pour in the hot stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Nestle the chicken back in, skin-side up, cover, and cook gently for 20 minutes.
5. Scatter in the peas, cover again and cook for 5 minutes until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through (75°C, no pink). Rest for 5 minutes, then fluff and serve.

Serve it with

• A crisp green salad
• Steamed greens or broccoli
• A dollop of natural yogurt
• Warm flatbreads

Why this works

Browning the chicken first leaves golden, savoury bits in the pan that the rice then cooks in, so every grain tastes of the whole dish. Cooking it all together also means the chicken juices baste the rice as it steams — that's the one-pot magic.

Common swaps

• Use chicken drumsticks, or boneless thighs for a quicker cook.
• Add a chopped pepper or some sliced mushrooms with the onion.
• Stir in a handful of spinach at the end instead of peas.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Lifting the lid too often — the steam is what cooks the rice.
• Using too much liquid, which makes the rice sticky. Stick to the ratio.
• Not browning the chicken, which is where a lot of the flavour comes from.

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Cool quickly and keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Freezing: Freeze for up to 2 months; cooked rice should be cooled quickly and frozen promptly.

Reheating: Reheat until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of water to loosen the rice. Reheat rice only once.

Allergen notes: contains celery. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.