Humble, rustic, scrumptious weeknight One-Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf, you say? Yes, I’m very much down widdat.
One-Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf is a warm, comforting, fragrant, and humble dinner recipe that features (besides the obvious – chicken and rice) shallots, garlic, carrots and some delicious spices. The building blocks of the whole meal are chicken and rice, as in that’s what’s going to make you feel extremely satisfied and deeply nourished and ready to hunker down for the rest of the winter.
As the rice cooks the flavors and juices from the chicken seep down into the rice and create the most delicious rice pilaf. Then all the broth and juices that are cooking the rice, keep the chicken extra moist. It’s a win, win meal and honestly, it is so good.
Traditional Uzbek Pilaf a.k.a. Plov is a rice dish with meat, carrots, onions and spices. It’s true Russian comfort food, that is absolutely delicious. You can make it ahead of time, which is a big plus. It reheats and freezes very well, which is even better.
Remember how we made pilaf before while out camping in the woods last summer? It was this delicious Open-Fire Pilaf made with beef in a heavy cast iron pot. While that pilaf is one of the best ones I’ve ever had, today I wanted to share with you an easier version that is honestly so good and simple and can me made in the convenience of your own home.
Everything gets started on the stove with a quick browning of the chicken so we get that nice crispy skin and then you add your aromatics in the form of shallots, garlic, carrots and spices. Toast the rice in the leftover juices from the chicken. Cover with broth and simmer for 20 minutes. No fuss, kind of chicken dinner. SCORE. And after this One-Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf simmers up for a short 20 minutes it turns into the best house smells ever!
Ingredients:
2 lb chicken (I used a combo of drumsticks, thighs and wings)
2 cups long-grain rice
1 medium carrot, shredded
3 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups chicken broth or water
couple of dry bay leaves
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Heat a dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot over high heat with oil.
Pat the meat dry using a paper towel and season it with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the meat has a deep golden brown color on all sides.
Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and into the same pot add butter, shallots, garlic and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, until the onions are tender and slightly golden. Season with salt, pepper, dry bay leaf, cumin and coriander.
Return the chicken back to the pot and cover everything with broth or water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Taste for seasonings and adjust.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice in water, until the water runs clear. Drain the water from the rice and spread the rice evenly on top of the chicken. DON’T mix them together.
Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and keep cooking for 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat and mix the whole dish to combine. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
- 2 lb chicken (I used a combo of drumsticks, thighs and wings)
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth or water
- couple of dry bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- Heat a dutch oven or a heavy bottomed pot over high heat with oil.
- Pat the meat dry using a paper towel and season it with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the meat has a deep golden brown color on all sides.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium and into the same pot add butter, shallots, garlic and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes more, until the onions are tender and slightly golden. Season with salt, pepper, dry bay leaf, cumin and coriander.
- Return the chicken back to the pot and cover everything with broth or water. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Taste for seasonings and adjust.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice in water, until the water runs clear. Drain the water from the rice and spread the rice evenly on top of the chicken. DON’T mix them together.
- Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and keep cooking for 20 minutes. Then turn off the heat and mix the whole dish to combine. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
My heart belongs to one-pot meals. I can also just smell the cumin and coriander from the picture – beautifully done!
Thanks Amanda! Appreciate that 🙂
Love this recipe…do you think I could try it with brown rice?
Oops, somehow missed this 🙁 Totaly, Elizabeth! Brown or white rice, quinoa, buckwheat would work as well!
Why don’t you mix the rice in while it’s cooking? Curious.
Hi Allison! The rice remains on top as it’s steams. You don’t want to release the steam while uncovering the pot to stir. Also, stirring activates starch and will make your rice gloppy.
This is a delicious recipe! Family gobbled it up, thank you!