Easy Chicken and Rice

By Mark Bittman

Updated Nov. 14, 2023

Easy Chicken and Rice
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(2,724)
Comments
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You can make a big deal out of chicken with rice -- at its zenith, it becomes paella -- but it is a dish that takes well to short cuts. And even at its simplest, it's a crowd-pleaser.

For fast weeknight meals, I strip chicken and rice to its essentials: oil, onion, chicken and rice. Stock makes the best cooking liquid, but water works almost as well, because as it simmers with the chicken they combine to produce a flavorful broth. To reduce greasiness, I remove the skin from the chicken before cooking it. (In a moist dish like this one, the skin is not especially appetizing anyway.)

You can easily vary this dish by using any stock instead of water; by substituting another grain, like pearled barley, for the rice; by sautéing or roasting the chicken separately and combining it with the rice at the last minute; by adding sausage or shellfish, like shrimp, along with the chicken, or, most excitingly, by adding strips of red pepper, pitted olives, capers, chopped tomatoes or shelled peas to the initial onion mix.

Featured in: The Minimalist; Simply Chicken and Rice

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 3tablespoons olive oil
  • 2medium onions, about 8 ounces, peeled and sliced
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1chicken, cut up into serving pieces
  • 1½cups long-grain white rice
  • Pinch of saffron, optional
  • Freshly minced parsley or cilantro for garnish
  • Lemon or lime wedges
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

682 calories; 37 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 694 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Set 3 cups of water to boil. Place olive oil in a large skillet that can be covered, and turn heat to medium-high. Add onions and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and become translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove skin from chicken.

  2. Step 2

    Add rice to onions; stir until each grain glistens; sprinkle with saffron, and stir. Nestle chicken in rice, add a little more salt and pepper and pour in the boiling water. Turn heat to medium-low, and cover.

  3. Step 3

    Cook 20 minutes, until all water is absorbed and chicken is cooked through. (You can keep this warm over a very low flame for another 15 minutes; it will retain its heat for 15 minutes beyond that.) Garnish and serve with lemon or lime.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,724 user ratings
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Comments

Lynda H.

I cooked 12 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced, with the onions. I added 2 cloves garlic, minced, with the rice and used low-sodium chicken broth instead of water. When the dish was done, I turned off the heat, added 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, and covered the skillet for about 5 minutes to cook the peas. Still quick and easy, but a lot more flavor. Next time, like other reviewers, I'll use less rice.

Lilikoi

For moroccan flavor profile:
before adding rice, add spices
1 t coriander
1 t ginger
1 T cumin
before serving, add 1 c shelled pistacios and lots of fresh cilantro. Omit the citrus.
Serve with a salad of cured black olives, blood orange segments, lots of fresh parsley, tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, and aleppo pepper.

ZFMT

I added a bunch of chopped kale to the onions and left out the saffron. Used two boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks, and basmati rice. Delicious! A squeeze of lemon brought it all together.

Elle Kaye

Used boneless skinless chicken thighs & chicken stock, not water. Cook onions in oil, remove them from pan, add rice & 1 tsp. table salt to pan. When rice is coated, add 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. coriander, much black pepper, 3 large chopped cloves of garlic, return onions to pan. Stir in boiling stock. Cover pan, cook 5 min. Push chicken into rice, add more salt & pepper. Put about 2 cups chopped kale on top. Cover, cook about 25 minutes on medium-low heat. Check & adjust seasoning.

Kayandallie

Recipe indeed was very fast and easy and I thought good. I didn't feel like saffron and added a bunch of herbes de provence instead. Rice was mushy but I liked it like that, it absorbed the chicken flavor although I used water as directed. I'll make it again.

Lisa T

Made according to directions. Disappointingly bland and rice (basmati) was too wet at the end and needed extra time on the heat. Would not make again.

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