Stovetop Chicken and Rice
This simple and delicious Stovetop Chicken and Rice can be served for dinner in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins, approximately 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon seasoning blend, optional (I used Mrs. Dash Table Blend)
- 3 carrots, diced
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
- 1/2 cup peas, (I used frozen)
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice (I used Jasmine rice)
- 4 cups chicken stock, lower sodium or homemade
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and any seasoning blend. Set aside.
- In a wide, shallow skillet, heat one tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken tenderloins and sauté on both sides until just cooked through, approximately 4 minutes per side. (Cook time may vary according to your heat, pan, or size of tenderloins. The chicken is cooked when a digital thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.)
- Remove the chicken from the pan and place them in a small bowl and cover with foil to keep warm while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Maintain your heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the carrots, onion, and bell pepper. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are just beginning to soften. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the rice, stock, peas, butter, and any liquid released from the chicken in the bowl. Taste the broth and adjust any seasonings as desired. (*You should have cooked your chicken tenderloins until cooked through. If you did not fully cook them, you'll need to simmer your stock before tasting for food safety reasons.) Make sure the broth is flavorful since your rice will be soaking up this liquid.
- Bring the mixture up to a low, gentle simmer.
- Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 15 to 18 minutes or until the rice is cooked. If you have liquid still left in your pan after the rice has fully cooked, take the lid off and allow the liquid to evaporate.
- Stir your rice and vegetables, then place the chicken tenderloins on top of the rice for a few minutes to warm up.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
Pulling the chicken out of the refrigerator, seasoning both sides, then setting them aside to sit on the counter will allow a little of the chill to be knocked off, meaning a little quicker cook time.
Even the basic seasoning of salt and pepper brings flavor to chicken. You can go beyond that and choose a spice blend to amp up the flavors. Pepper Palace has a 5-Pepper Seasoning and Rub my husband and I like a lot.
Change up the veggies if you'd like. Add a diced, fresh hot pepper for some heat.
If you happen to have burnt (like blackened/charred) pieces on your sauté pan after cooking the chicken, wipe it off carefully – your pan will be hot! But this step will keep your rice and vegetables looking colorful.
I used colorful veggies to make this visually beautiful, while being very yummy. You can use green bell peppers or other colors of carrots as they’ll work just fine, too.
Italian parsley… It isn’t just for garnish in this recipe. It's also for flavor. Not the curly variety; it doesn’t taste as good as the Italian. That’s why I included it as an ingredient. It is in my Green Goddess Dressing because it tastes good; not just because it’s green. Another note on Italian parsley, even though it is a little time consuming, I remove the leaves from the stems and discard the stems, and chop the leaves only. It's just personal preference. Italian parsley is also called "flat leaf parsley."
I chose chicken tenderloins for quicker cooking. You can use other cuts of chicken here. Boneless, skinless thighs or breasts will be fine, too. You will have to adjust your cooking times, though.
Taste your chicken stock, especially if it is store-bought. Some brands are pretty bland. You can add a teaspoon of ground chicken bouillon to your stock/broth to amp up the chicken flavor if you’d like. Just know that adding the bouillon will alter your salt content.
You could squeeze half a lemon over the finished dish if you’d like a little zing to your dinner.
Want to turn this dish into a creamy, cheesy dinner?... After the rice has cooked, before you place the cooked chicken on top, add 1 cup of heavy cream (or half and half) and ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese and stir well, heating through. Top with chicken and serve very warm.
Nutrition Facts
Stovetop Chicken and Rice
Amount per Serving
Calories
522
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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