One Pot Meals: Garlic Herb Chicken and Rice That Works

Mushy rice usually means too much liquid or the lid came off too early. Undercooked rice means the heat was too high and the broth evaporated before the rice absorbed it. For this recipe, keep the heat at true low, keep the lid on, and let it rest 5 minutes off the heat before opening. If the rice is still underdone, add 2 tablespoons broth, cover again, and cook on low for 3 more minutes.

You can, but boneless chicken breasts cook faster and dry out more easily than thighs. If using boneless breasts, sear as directed but reduce the covered cook time to 15-17 minutes and check the internal temperature at the 15-minute mark. Bone-in breasts work closer to the original instructions but may need 2-3 extra minutes. Thighs are genuinely more forgiving here, which is why I use them.

Two likely culprits: the chicken wasn't fully dry before searing, or the pan wasn't hot enough before the chicken went in. Pat the thighs completely dry —? wet chicken steams instead of sears. Let the oil shimmer before adding the chicken, and do not move the thighs once they're down. If the skin is sticking, it isn't ready to flip yet. Let it release on its own, which takes about 5-6 minutes.

Yes, and it holds up well. Cook the full recipe, cool it to room temperature within two hours, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For meal prep portions, divide into individual containers before refrigerating. Reheat with a tablespoon of water or broth per serving to keep the rice from drying out. It tastes just as good reheated —? arguably better on day two when the flavors have settled in.

Yes, as written it is naturally gluten-free. Just confirm your chicken broth is certified gluten-free, as some brands add thickeners. Everything else in the ingredient list —? rice, chicken, olive oil, herbs, butter —? is gluten-free by nature. No substitutions needed.

Absolutely. Diced bell peppers or frozen peas work well —? add bell peppers with the onion, and stir frozen peas in during the final 5 minutes of resting so they warm through without going gray. Cherry tomatoes can go in with the broth and they burst into the rice beautifully. Avoid hard root vegetables like carrots or potatoes unless you dice them very small; they may not cook through at the same rate.

A 5-quart to 6-quart Dutch oven is ideal for this recipe and for most one pot dinners serving 4 people. You need room for four chicken thighs to sear without crowding —? crowded thighs steam instead of brown, and that is not what we're here for. A heavy-bottomed stainless skillet with a tight-fitting lid works in a pinch, but cast iron or enameled Dutch ovens hold heat most evenly.

You can double the rice and broth and add up to 6 to 8 chicken thighs, but you will need a larger pot —? at least 7 to 8 quarts. More importantly, sear the chicken in batches rather than crowding the pan. Crowded chicken will steam, not sear, and you'll lose the fond on the bottom that gives the rice its flavor. Cook time stays roughly the same once covered; check the rice at 22 minutes.