This One Pot Lemon Chicken Rice is your new secret weapon for busy weeknights. Juicy chicken and fluffy jasmine rice simmer together in a bright, herby lemon broth for a complete meal that’s magically ready in 30 minutes—with just one pot to wash!
Jump to:
Chicken and Rice Dinner
While I do love a long, traditional recipe on weekends, weeknights call for a different kind of magic. This one pot lemon chicken rice is my go to for those stretched thin evenings. Ready in 30 minutes, deeply satisfying, and the kind of wholesome, comforting dinner that makes everyone feel nourished, including me.
Recipe Ingredients
One Pot Lemon Chicken Rice
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced in half horizontally
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1.5 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt , plus more to taste at the end
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 3 Tablespoon unsalted butter divided
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cups Jasmine rice
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (see note for firmer rice)
Instructions
- In a bowl mix together onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, thyme, salt, black pepper, lemon zest and oil. Add chicken breasts and toss to coat.
- In a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium high heat, melt half the butter (1.5 tbsp). Brown the chicken breasts on both sides, 1.5-2 minutes per side, working in batches if needed. Chicken will not be cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, melt the remaining butter. Sauté onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add lemon juice and rice, stirring for 1 minute to coat.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Check seasoning (add more salt or pepper if needed).
- Return the chicken pieces (and any juices) to the pot, nestling them into the rice.
- Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it stand, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Then, fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Notes
- For this recipe I've used the rice without rinsing or soaking. If you are going to rinse your rice then reduce the amount of chicken broth by The rice in this recipe comes out tender as this is how we like it. If you would like a firmer rice reduce the chicken stock to 3 cups plus 2 Tablespoons. If you feel the rice is not cooked add a splash of boiling water and continue to cook until done.
Nutrition
How to Make Lemon Chicken and Rice
Mix the spices, lemon zest, oil and chicken, then coat the chicken from all sides.
Brown the chicken in hot butter for 2 minutes per side just to get color, it will finish cooking later.
Tip: Don’t crowd the pan—sear in batches for the best browning.
In the same pot, cook the onion and garlic until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice and rice to coat everything in the flavorful base.
Pour in the broth, return the chicken to the pot, and bring to a boil. Then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes before letting it rest off the heat.
FAQs
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat only what you need in the microwave until hot throughout. You can also reheat on the stove with a splash of water.
Yes, you can. Let leftovers cool completely then place in a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in fridge overnight then reheat.
More Chicken Recipes
- Dutch Oven Roast Chicken.
- Lemon Chicken Orzo.
- Lemon Dill Chicken.
- Cajun Roasted Chicken.
- Chicken Au Poivre.
- Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken.
You'll also like
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Leave a Reply