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One Pot Lemon Thyme Chicken and Rice

One Pot Lemon Thyme Chicken and Rice

This 30 minute, one pot lemon thyme chicken and rice is an easy and healthy weeknight meal the whole family will love!

This one pot lemon thyme chicken and rice is fantastic.  It’s full of flavour from the lemon and thyme, and is so quick and easy to make.  

easy one pan chicken and rice with lemon and thyme

It takes only 10 minutes of hands on cooking, and then 20 minutes of just letting it simmer. Just enough time to make a salad or other vegetable side dish to enjoy with this one pot chicken and rice meal.

We often just have a simple steamed vegetable, but if you want something a little more interesting, this Asian Broccoli Stir Fry would go well with it I think.

one pot lemon thyme chicken and rice

A 30 minute meal made all in one pot is always a winner around here.

With school starting up again and those busy nights taking over our schedule, I am looking for quick and easy meals more often than not. I’m sure I’m not the only one!

one pot chicken and rice

Can you cook rice in the same pan after chicken?

The beauty of this one pot chicken and rice recipe is that it’s all made in the same pan. You don’t need to cook the rice separately from the chicken.

I like to brown the chicken first before adding the rice, as there is more flavour that way. It also ensures that the chicken is cooked through when the rice is ready.

You can definitely cook it all together in the same pan though.

one pan lemon thyme chicken and rice

I use long grain white rice for this recipe. I think that you could substitute with a different type of rice with no problem, but make sure to adjust your chicken broth accordingly.

For the rice I use, it needs 2 cups of liquid to 1 cup of rice. If the instructions on your package of rice use a different ratio, you should adjust the amount of chicken broth you use to match.

The cook time may also change a bit if you’re using a different type of rice, just continue simmering until your rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

one pot chicken and rice with lemon and thyme

Can I use water instead of chicken broth for chicken and rice?

If you prefer to use water instead of chicken broth, that’s totally fine. There will be less flavour in the dish though.

Using chicken broth to cook the rice adds a lot of flavour, but if you don’t have any, or prefer to use water, the recipe will still turn out just fine.

easy one pot chicken and rice with lemon and thyme

How to make One Pot Lemon Thyme Chicken and Rice

  • I typically use dried thyme in this recipe, but if you prefer to use fresh, substitute with 3 tablespoons of chopped, fresh thyme.
  • Use fresh lemon juice if you can instead of bottled. The flavour is much better with fresh lemon juice.
  • Leftovers can be reheated and are very good. I do recommend discarding the lemon slices before storing the leftovers so the lemon flavour isn’t too strong.
  • Steamed green peas go very well with this dish. You can even stir in some frozen green peas in the last couple minutes of cook time to make it completely a one dish meal.

Here are some more great one pot meals for you:

one pot lemon thyme chicken and rice
Yield: serves 4-6

One Pot Lemon Thyme Chicken and Rice

one pot lemon thyme chicken and rice

This one pot lemon thyme chicken and rice is ready in 30 minutes and filled with flavour. An easy and healthy weeknight meal the whole family will love!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • chopped, fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet on the stove over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and thyme.
  2. Pour this over the chicken thighs, turning them to coat them completely. Place the chicken thighs in the hot skillet.
  3. Brown them, turning once to brown both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
  4. Remove the chicken to a plate.
  5. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and saute for about 1 minute to soften.
  6. Add the rice and continue cooking, stirring, for one minute.
  7. Add the chicken broth and stir to combine.
  8. Return the chicken to the pot on top of the rice. It will be partially submerged in the liquid but not completely.
  9. Spread the lemon slices on top of everything.
  10. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the skillet.
  11. Cook at a simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  12. Sprinkle with chopped, fresh parsley, if desired, and serve.

Notes

I used long grain white rice for this recipe. I think it would work fine with other types of rice, just adjust the liquid accordingly. For the rice I used, the package calls for 2 cups of liquid for 1 cup of rice. If your rice calls for a different amount of liquid, adjust the amount of chicken broth you use.

If you prefer fresh thyme, you can substitute the dried thyme with 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1/6 recipe

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 402Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 229mgSodium: 851mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 47g

Nutrition Information is estimated based on ingredients used and may not be exact.

Here are some more great 30 meals from around the web:

Andrea Morrison

Saturday 4th of February 2017

Hello Stacey!

I found this recipe while sifting through Pinterest and just have one quick question! Do I put the rice in the skillet raw, and than once the chicken broth is added that will be absorbed into the rice? I am making it as our Sunday dinner and can't wait to try it out - it looks delicious!

stacey

Sunday 5th of February 2017

Hi Andrea - you do put the rice in the skillet raw and it absorbs the chicken broth as it cooks. The dish is ready when the rice is cooked. Hope you enjoy it!

Zandra

Sunday 13th of December 2015

Any thoughts on how to adjust the recipe to use brown rice? I know it takes longer to cook. And I'm afraid if I use "Ready Rice" it might be mushy before the chicken is done. Can't wait to try it though!

stacey

Sunday 13th of December 2015

I think you could make it exactly the same way with brown rice, just adjust the liquid amount to whatever the rice calls for on the package so there's enough for it, and cook until the rice is tender. I determined the amount of chicken broth to use based on what my rice calls for, so you could do the same. Same with the time. My rice takes about 20 minutes to cook according to the package, so depending on how long your brown rice takes to cook, maybe add the chicken back to the pot with about 20 minutes left in the rice cooking time so that it isn't overcooked. If it's not a huge time difference it might not even matter.

Lori

Saturday 5th of December 2015

Made this tonight. The family loved it! Thanks for the recipe.

stacey

Monday 7th of December 2015

I'm so glad you liked it Lori! Thanks for letting me know!

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