One-Pot Chicken and Rice is part soup, part risotto, and wholly comforting. Your family will ask for this easy yet irresistable gluten free dinner recipe again and again.
We affectionately call this One-Pot Chicken and Rice dish “gruel” at my house.
“KIDS!” I’ll yell at dinnertime, “Come get yer gruel!” and they come running. What can I say, it makes me laugh and it’s the little things.
This easy, gluten free recipe was born from Lincoln’s love of Easy Chicken and Rice Soup and Cam’s deep desire to wear his dinner every night. Part risotto (without all the stirring) and part soup, it’s creamy and made in one pot like porridge or “gruel”, but is absolutely delicious and super comforting. Plus it’s easy to eat – even for 2 year olds. ;)
Sliced carrots are sauteed in butter and homemade seasoned salt then joined by dried minced onions, garlic, parsley, rice, diced chicken, and rich stock until thick and irresistible. THEN it’s finished with a couple pats of butter. Did I mention it’s irresistable? This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd and anything we don’t finish reheats wonderfully, too. It is not an understatement to say that my entire family LOVES this dish!
Now, a couple notes:
- I’ve been making this recipe regularly for the past year or so but have never measured the ingredients until now so I could share it with you. That said, make any adaptations you like – it’s very hard to screw up! Use fresh onions and garlic instead of the dried versions. Add more or less butter to your liking. Throw in some celery or leeks if you please! Point being, this isn’t fancy or fussy cooking – use what you’ve got and follow your heart.
- Use good quality rice or you actually WILL end up with mushy gruel. Please no par-boiled or minute rice. I use Lundberg White Jasmine Rice.
- I have not made this recipe with brown rice though if you do, you might need more chicken stock and of course will need to increase the cooking time.
- Since this dish has just a few simple ingredients, I like using gluten free chicken STOCK vs broth for maximum flavor.
- One-Pot Chicken and Rice (and the soup it’s adapted from) really benefits from being seasoned with my homemade seasoned salt. It’s just 4 ingredients that I can almost guarantee you have in your cupboards right now, and really adds a ton of flavor to each bite.
Oh my gosh, yum. Ok, let’s get this grue-, I mean One-Pot Chicken and Rice on the table!
How to Make One-Pot Chicken and Rice:
Start by adding 1 heaping cup sliced carrots (from 1 cup baby carrots or 2 large carrots) to 2 Tablespoons butter that’s been melted in a soup pot over medium heat. Season with homemade seasoned salt and pepper then place a lid on top and saute until the carrots are tender, 5-6 minutes.
Next add 2 scant cups good quality long grain white rice, 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion, and 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic, then stir to coat the rice in the butter and saute for one minute.
Again, if you don’t use the right rice you’ll end up with mush, so I recommend using good quality rice like Lundberg.
Side note: I use their wild rice for my Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, their short grain brown rice for my Pesto Rice, and their arborio rice for all of my risottos.
Add 2 Tablespoons dried parsley and 8 cups chicken stock to the pot then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low then simmer for 10 minutes. Next, season 2 small chicken breasts that have been chopped into bite-sized pieces with seasoned salt and pepper then add to the soup pot and continue to simmer until the rice is al dente and the chicken is cooked through, 10-15 additional minutes.
Last step is to remove the pot from the heat, place a lid on top, and let sit for 5 minutes. Finally, stir in 2-4 additional Tablespoons butter (follow your heart!) and season with additional seasoned salt and pepper if necessary.
One-Pot Chicken and Rice will thicken a bit as it cools – and tastes best warm vs piping hot – so give it a little rest then scoop into bowls and call in your crew. I hope you love this easy and comforting dish – enjoy!
50+ Freezer Friendly Recipes
Cute Spring Fashion FindsOne-Pot Chicken and Rice
Description
One-Pot Chicken and Rice is part soup, part risotto, and wholly comforting. Your family will ask for this easy yet irresistable gluten free dinner recipe again and again.
Ingredients
- 4 - 6 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter, divided
- 1 heaping cup chopped carrots (from 1 cup baby carrots or 2 large carrots)
- homemade seasoned salt and pepper (see notes)
- 2 scant cups long grain white rice (I like Lundberg White Jasmine Rice)
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
- 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 8 cups gluten free chicken stock
- 2 small chicken breasts (14oz), cut into bite-sized pieces
Directions
- Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots, season with seasoned salt and pepper, then place a lid on top and cook until carrots are tender, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add rice, dried onions and dried garlic then stir to coat in butter and saute for 1 minute. Add dried parsley and chicken stock then turn heat up to high to bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to ensure rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot as it comes to a boil.
- Turn heat down to medium-low then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season chicken with seasoned salt and pepper then add to the pot, turn heat up slightly to bring back up to a bubble, then turn back down to medium-low and continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice is al dente, 12-15 more minutes, stirring occasionally and more frequently near the end.
- Place a lid on top of the pot then remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 - 4 Tablespoons butter (however much you like!) then season with additional seasoned salt and pepper if necessary. Scoop into bowls then serve. Note: dish will thicken as it cools.
Notes
- To avoid ending up with mush, use good quality rice - no Minute Rice, please! I use Lundberg California White Jasmine Rice.
- Click here for my 4-ingredient homemade seasoned salt recipe >
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Video
More Gluten Free One Pot Recipes:
Cheesy Chicken Burrito Skillet >
Crispy Chicken, Bacon, Pesto Gnocchi Skillet >
The mess a toddler can make while eating is astounding. I must have blocked this phase out with my almost 4 year old. My 19 month old wears everything he eats and I’m so over the mess. Ugh. This looks delicious by the way!
Seriously. ASTOUNDING. Best word to describe it! 😆
Don’t cringe, but I just made this with canned chicken, canned carrots, and vegetable stock because it was all I had on hand. It is so good, I can’t wait to make it again with “real” ingredients as soon as I can get to the store!
Not cringy whatsoever!! Like I said, this is an unfussy, use-what-you-got kind of recipe – so glad you were able to use what you had on hand!
They have canned chicken ?
Costco has really good canned chicken. I usually make chicken salad out of it but I think it will work wonderfully here!
2 questions- could you use pre cooked chicken and sauce dice onions with the carrots?
Yes and yes! I will occasionally use chopped shallots (fresh onions hurt my husband’s stomach) instead of fried onions and just saute them with the carrots like you mentioned. :)
I bet this smells amazing!
*Heavenly*!
This will definitely be added to the regular IGE rotation! Question, what would happen if I used Arborio rice? Also if I am using fresh onion and garlic, do I add it with the carrots or still in the same order as the dried? THANKS!
Hi Joanna! I’ve made risotto using arborio by adding all the broth at once vs one ladleful at a time, but had to stir it the whole time, so if you’re willing to stand and stir it could work!! Also yep, if you want to use fresh onion add that in with the carrots. Once those are softened add the garlic then saute without the lid for 1 more minute before adding the rice. Let me know if you give the arborio a try!
It’s looking very delicious!
Thanks so much!
Did I miss the note about the dried garlic? It says to “see notes” but I am not seeing anything. This looks so good-Thanks!!
Whoops, sorry about that! I had included a note informing when to add fresh onions and garlic if using but deleted as I didn’t want to cause any confusion.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was a hit!! Used breast tenderloins (about 6) and used regular minced garlic(in the jar) instead because it’s what I had. I think I will add celery to this next time. And there will definitely be a next time on a regular basis. Even my picky eater loved this!!
This looks so comforting and hearty! It is perfect for a chilly day like today. Though it is the first of May, today has been cooler than it’s been the past couple days, making it ideal for this type of meal!
Heck yeah! Hope this dish warms you right up, Melissa!
This literally just happened: I was looking for recipes online to save to my Recipes to Try notebook on Evernote and I Googled Chicken and Rice casserole, and saved one. Then I thought, let’s see what Kristin at IGE is cooking up. Your Chicken and Rice dish was the first thing I saw. I clipped it right away. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks Kristin. :)
Oh my gosh – TOO FUNNY!! It’s fate! ;) Hope you love it, Emily!
Par baked rice? Did u mean par boiled…..which of course is what I used…waiting it out to see how it turns out!!!
Okay…my rice turned out great! Was delicious!! Thanks again for another repeater!!
Haha, yes! That’s what I meant! I’m so glad you loved it, Hayley!!
I made this last night with brown rice (since I didn’t have enough white). It turned out great! I just doubled the cooking time and waited until the last 15-20 minutes the chicken.
Thanks for letting us know, Amy!! I need to try this soon!
Just thought I would share that I made this over the weekend in my Instant Pot and it turned out great! For anyone interested, I just modified to use 4.5 cups of chicken stock and then cooked on high pressure for 4 minutes, followed by 10 minutes on “keep warm.” It turned out beautifully!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Sara – I’m so glad you enjoyed the dish!!
Sara, thank you for posting your conversion to the instant pot! I am so excited to make this and am even happier to know I can make in it my instant pot now :)
Sara- Thank you so much for your conversion for the Instant Pot! I made this for dinner tonight, using your directions and it was awesome! I love my Instant Pot! One pot, better flavor, less mess! Why doesn’t everyone own one of these incredible machines?? It was my first time using Lundberg White jasmine Rice, delicious! A keeper recipe!
I made this last night, and it was a hit! I had a whole chicken that I needed to use, so I boiled and shredded it, and made stock, then followed the rest of the recipe as written. My 10yo loved it, my 7yo who doesn’t like anything liked it, and the 1yo ate more than I’ve ever seen him eat in one sitting. He kept saying ‘Mo! Mo!’
I made this last night and the whole family loved it! We had to cut our one year old off, as I think she ate more than me! I love that it made a large amount so we can have it as leftovers throughout the week as well.
This is an amazing recipe! Absolutely delicious.
Almost a year ago I made your seeet corn kielbasa soup (I remeber your blog name because I’m an Iowa girl myself!) but I have to admit I completely ignored your site because my family doesn’t eat gluten free…what a mistake!! I went through and pinned a ridiculous amount of your recipes that I can’t wait to try. Just wanted to thank you for kicking me out of my same 10 dinners rut. I will be following your page closely from now on :)
The family loved it! She’s right about using Jasmine rice.
This was a big hit tonight! So comforting and tasty. My 8-yr old had seconds and asked to have the rest for breakfast tomorrow! And my husband had thirds :) Thanks!
[…] made this chicken and rice dinner this week and the whole family loved it. I added in frozen green beans for a little […]
I made this tonight using a mojo-flavored rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and it was fabulous! I’ve always been a big fan of chicken and rice, but your recipe takes it to the next level flavor-wise. Loved it! Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow! Will definitely be part of my rotation going forward.
This looks delicious. Will definitely have to try this. I have been eating an Asian version of this since I was a kid. Instead of carrots and onions, I use lemongrass to flavor the broth when boiling the chicken, then add in soy sauce, oyster sauce, cilantro and green onions at the end. Sometimes even Sriracha. I also add in some wide rice noodles if I have any. This is my ultimate comfort food.
Hi with this recipe do you brown the chicken pieces first or do you put them
in raw? Thanks
You put them in raw.
How can I make this and adjust to using my instant pot?
I made this today and it’s very good! I used brown rice since that’s all I had. I had to cook it an extra 10-15 minutes to get the rice to cook through, but otherwise I think it turned out great. I’m going to portion it up and freeze it for fast lunchtime meals.
Can I have the Nutritional facts on this dish
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My youngest child is allergic to dairy and soy, and I’ve been maintaining a strict diet in order to nurse her for almost 2 years now. I’ve been itching for some real comfort food and this was spot on! I used our favorite soy free stock (Pacific Organics) and used our preferred butter alternative (Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter), and it came out so great! Thank you again!!!
Oh I’m so glad this recipe hit the spot, Kristin! I use the Miyokos butter for this recipe too, on account of my daughter’s dairy allergy!
[…] Source by iowagirleats.com […]
This was yummy, just like everything on Kristin makes. But, pro tip……don’t use purple carrots, it will turn your whole dish a purple brown. SMH! 🤦🏽♀️
[…] Source link […]
Made this last night. It was great. Even my picky eater went back for more! I was wondering if I want to add celery or broccoli to it when would those need to be added?
At the risk of being boring, redundant and unimaginative, let me say that this is delicious and a total hit. 22 year old son actually asked if there were leftovers that he could have for lunch tomorrow (this NEVER has happened before). Hubby who could be on Chopped and always tries to be polite about my cooking, had three helpings and told me over an over how good it was. This is just fabulous. Thank you so much, though I think he might head east to see if he can find a new wife in Iowa.
Made this tonight- so good! I added a cup of frozen baby peas in the last 5 mins when it was covered off the heat. We also had Siracha that we drizzled on top after serving. Definitely going to be an addition to our rotation, especially in the winter months. Thanks!
Can I use long grain brown rice??
I made this tonight for dinner. My family really liked it! 😄 But, not the reference to gruel.😅 I served it with buttered yeast rolls-delicious!
I’m stocking my freezer to use during knee surgery recovery. This looks delicious, can it be frozen?
What is the calorie content per serving? Thanks
I LOVE this recipe and was so proud of myself when it turned out amazing. My kids that are 9 and 13 loved it! It goes well with white wine for all of us adults! 😃
It made a lot so I can eat leftovers this week and it was just a family friendly meal.
I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be soupy at first but it did thicken after ten minutes and was great either way!
Thank you for the great recipes! You’re hands down my favorite recipe blogger to follow. Thanks for making your blog so visually appealing and for the super yummy meals! :-) You’re doing a great job.
Thanks for the seasoned salt recipe!
Made this tonight and absolutely loved it!! Thanks for such a great recipe!!
I absolutely loved this x
hi- if I’m using fresh garlic and onion, how much of each would you use? THANKS!!!!
I’d use a large shallot or 1/2 onion, and 2 or 3 garlic cloves! :)
THANK YOU!
Hi Kristin, I made the One-Pot Chicken & Rice with Lundberg Organic California Brown Jasmine rice the other day and it was wonderful!!! I have been looking for a good hearty chicken soup and this recipe is perfect. I didn’t increase the cooking time or quantity of stock and the brown rice was just fine. Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear it, Jacquie! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Hello! Can I make this with instant rice but add it in much later into the cooking time so that it doesn’t get mushy?
Just made this and it was delicious! It’s still 90 degrees where I live, but this would be perfect for fall and winter and cozy weather. I made a few changes: used mirepoix instead of just carrots (and didn’t add onion powder) and left out the dried parsley. Next time, I think I’d do 3 chicken breasts as I had lots of bites of rice with no chicken in it. Popped the extra in the freezer for quick meals!
Could this be adapted for crockpot? Thanks
Do you put the lid on when cooking the rice and chicken ? Or leave the lid off until the end?
I made this almost the same way last night I added extra garlic an extra onion and paprika not in the seasoned salt. I forgot to buy chicken stock. And used water. I also added two large red potatoes washed not skinned. And my boyfriend has requested this to be made more often. My question is what other vegetables can I add. I know broccoli will do well in this. But I really want to add mushrooms to it. Will they hold up or should I add them later or remove them after sauteing
Hi Tifani! You leave the lid off until the end.
I made this almost the same way last night I added extra garlic an extra onion and paprika not in the seasoned salt. I forgot to buy chicken stock. And used water. I also added two large red potatoes washed not skinned. And my boyfriend has requested this to be made more often. My question is what other vegetables can I add. I know broccoli will do well in this. But I really want to add mushrooms to it. Will they hold up or should I add them later or remove them after sauteing
This was delicious! If chicken noodle soup and risotto had a baby, it would be this. :)
Do you think this dish would freeze OK?