Name: One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Lemon
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs; To taste salt and black pepper; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 small yellow onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1½ cups long-grain white rice; 2¾ cups chicken broth; 1 lemon, zested and juiced; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 cup frozen peas; To finish chopped parsley

One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Lemon

Chicken thighs seared for color, then the rice finishes cooking in the same skillet in the drippings and stock.

Serves

Prep

10 min

Cook

35 min

Written

July 31, 2026

Method

Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or shallow Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Sear the chicken until deeply browned, about 5 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate (it won’t be cooked through yet).

Add the onion to the drippings and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the rice, toasting until the edges turn translucent, about 1 minute.

Pour in the broth, lemon zest and juice, and thyme, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to a simmer.

Nestle the chicken back into the skillet along with any collected juices.

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes.

Scatter the peas over the top, cover, and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes until they’re warmed through.

Fluff the rice around the chicken, scatter with parsley, and serve straight from the skillet.

Notes

Thighs are the right cut here, not breasts — they can sit in the skillet for the full eighteen minutes the rice needs without drying out, and the fond they leave behind while searing is most of the seasoning in the dish. Don’t skip that sear even though the chicken goes back in undercooked; the crust is where the color and a good deal of the flavor come from.

Swap the peas for a couple of handfuls of baby spinach stirred in at the end if that’s what’s on hand, and add a diced bell pepper with the onion for more vegetable in the pot.