We affectionately call One Pot Chicken and Rice “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, this creamy chicken and rice recipe is simple and comforting, made in one pot, and easy enough for a 2 year old to eat. Lucky for you and me, it tastes nothing like gruel!
One Pot Chicken and Rice
Sliced carrots are sauteed in butter and homemade seasoned salt then simmered with dried minced onions and garlic, white rice, diced chicken, and rich chicken 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!
Recipe Tips
- 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 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!
- 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 will need more chicken stock and will also need to increase the cooking time considerably.
- Since this dish has just a few simple ingredients, I like using gluten free chicken STOCK vs broth for maximum flavor.
- This easy 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 This Recipe
Start by adding sliced carrots to melted butter 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 good quality long grain white rice, dried minced onion, and 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.
Add dried parsley and chicken stock to the pot then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low then simmer for 10 minutes. Next, season 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 more 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 as much as we do – enjoy!
Similar Recipes
- Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Skillet
- Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs and Rice
- Easy Chicken Fried Rice
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One 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, 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
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Could you use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice?
Hi Dav! Personally I wouldn’t swap more than 1/3 or 1/4 of the rice for cauliflower rice if you still want it to come out thick and creamy. If you replace all the rice with cauliflower it would come out more like soup even if you decrease the liquid since you’d lose the thickening properties of the rice starch.
That was amazing, I have to thank you. it’s only me and I Cut in in half it was so delicious and so easy.
Made and absolutely loved it. I realized after the fact I didn’t add enough Better than Bouillon, but it still was tasty! I added celery and mushrooms to it. Definitely a stick your bones, winter kind of meal!
This is the ultimate gruel (or slop as we call it in my house)!!!! I added 4 leeks and some dry white wine and it was so, totally delicious. I think I might do less rice next time to cut the carbs down, maybe 1.5 cups
I’m so glad to hear you love it, Audrey! We love adding leeks too – ugh so good. I’m going to add a splash of dry white next time too. Thanks for your feedback!
This is so good! It does make a lot. Have you tried to freeze it? I was thinking about freezing some of the leftovers to eat in a couple of weeks.
I made the chicken and rice for dinner and it was delicious!! Super easy to put together and ready in no time. Definitely will make again.
I make this frequently for my niece, who is a college student in the city where we live, and who has several food intolerances. She (and we!) love it!! It’s hard to imagine these few ingredients can have so much flavor, but they sure do!!
I had some leftover chicken and searched for a new recipe for tonight. My kitches smells delicious! I can’t wait for dinner! The hardest part is keeping my 5 year old from eating my cooked, chopped chicken waiting to go into the mix.
Made this and it is very good!!
Made this for dinner tonight. It was absolutely delicious. I substituted fresh onion and garlic and it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Do you think this dish would freeze OK?
This was delicious! If chicken noodle soup and risotto had a baby, it would be this. :)
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
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.
Could this be adapted for crockpot? Thanks
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!
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?
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!
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!
I absolutely loved this x