1-Pot Aromatic Chicken Thighs And Rice Recipe

This one-pot aromatic chicken thighs and rice recipe offers a flavorful and quick meal that is perfect for weeknights. It combines tender chicken with herb-studded rice in a single dish that will make your house smell terrific. This recipe features the deep savoriness of herbs and enhances it with a blend of aromatic spices and citrus peel for a truly satisfying meal.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, this dish is a great example of how simple ingredients can create a dish that feels layered and complex. With just 15 minutes of hands-on work, this recipe is an ideal choice for busy weeknights when the stomach just yearns for comfort food. You might wind up plenty of leftovers, so this is the kind of meal that feeds you for days.

The combination of seared bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with long-grain white rice that's tinged with a mix of spices, orange juice, and honey results in a dish that's both comforting and unique. This one-pot wonder minimizes cleanup while maximizing flavor, which is what we all want on from a weekday dinner. Serve it alongside a white wine and a springy pea salad recipe for a full, satisfying meal. 

To create this aromatic dish, you'll need a few simple, flavorful ingredients. Start with butter and olive oil for cooking, then gather garlic cloves and onion for the base aromatics. Bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, orange peel, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, and whole cloves help flavor the dish. The star of the meal is bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, which you'll season with salt and pepper. For the rice component, we love long-grain white rice or basmati rice, and you will also need chicken broth. To sweeten the pot, you'll want to have orange juice and honey on hand. Finally, fresh parsley and dill will add a burst of color and freshness to the finished dish.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a large, oven-safe pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil over medium-high heat.

Add the minced garlic, diced onion, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, orange peel, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, and cloves. Saute for 3–4 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the aromatics are fragrant.

Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the chicken to the pot, skin-side down, and brown for 5–6 minutes.

Flip and brown for another 3–4 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the rice to the pot, stirring to coat it with the aromatic oil mixture for 1–2 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth, orange juice, honey, and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

Cover and bring to a boil on medium heat.

Remove the lid and return the chicken thighs to the pot, skin-side up, nestling them into the rice mixture.

Cover the pot tightly and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.

Remove from oven and let rest, covered, for 5–10 minutes to allow the rice to absorb any remaining liquid.

Garnish with the freshly chopped parsley and dill and serve hot. Discard the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, cinnamon stick, and cloves before serving.

For a healthier version with shredded chicken, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs and take them apart with two forks at the end. For a vegetarian adaptation, replace the chicken with firm tofu or chickpeas, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. You can also experiment with different grains by substituting the white rice with brown rice, quinoa, or bulgur wheat, adjusting the cooking time and liquid ratio accordingly — brown rice may need to cook longer, while quinoa and bulgur wheat should be ready in the same time. 

If you want to spice the dish up further, try adding cumin, paprika, or turmeric to the mix, layering them in one teaspoon at a time. For a dairy-free version, replace the butter with olive oil or coconut oil. If you prefer a spicier dish, add red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño. You can also use lemon or lime in place of the orange peel and juice. Finally, add color to the dish with finely diced vegetables, such as bell peppers, carrots, or frozen peas.

This chicken and rice pot can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, making it perfect for meal prepping or batch cooking. To freeze it, allow the cooked dish to cool completely to room temperature, and avoid topping it with the fresh herbs. Then, portion it into airtight, freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. If you're using plastic containers, leave some space at the top to allow for expansion during freezing. For the best quality, consume the chicken and rice within two to three months, although it can safely remain frozen for up to six months.

When you're ready to eat, thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat it, transfer the thawed chicken and rice to an oven-safe dish, cover it with foil, and warm the dish in a 350 F oven for about 20–25 minutes, or until it's heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat individual portions in the microwave. Keep in mind that the rice may become a bit softer after freezing and reheating. To refresh the dish, you can add a sprinkle of fresh herbs before serving.