One Pot Chicken and Rice with Vegetables and Dill for a meal the entire family will love! Weeknight primed for easy clean up and hands off cooking!
One Pot Chicken and Rice with Vegetables and Dill is one of our favourite meals to eat as a family.
Mostly because everyone loves it. There’s zero complaining about the dish and it’s so incredibly flavourful … you might just be shocked. Plus, one pan clean up for dinner? Yes, please.
Why use chicken thighs?
Chicken thighs pull a lot of heavy lifting around here. They stay juicy and are quick to cook, not to mention an inexpensive meat protein. My kids favour them above all other meats and will almost always eat it quickly without me having to be on their case.
Nervous about cooking bone-in chicken? An inexpensive meat thermometer was my go to until I became comfortable with cooking chicken thighs. I’d highly recommend having one on hand, especially when cooking for babies/kids.
How do can you tell when chicken thighs are done cooking? The thickest part of the meat without touching a bone should be at 165° F. Cutting open a larger chicken thigh near the middle where the bone is and verifying that the meat is no longer pink and is steaming with heat is also a great indication.
How to perfectly cook rice in a one pot chicken and rice recipe on the stove?
Rinse, rinse, and rinse that rice again. Rice needs to be heavily rinsed. I find this to be the biggest difference between light fluffy rice and gluey rice. Cold water for 30-90 seconds should work well.
Salt and fat matter. A couple pinches of salt (or as is the case with this recipe, broth which contains quite a bit of salt) and a drizzle of olive oil or a dab of unsalted butter go the extra mile. It takes rice from meh to who needs soy sauce?!
Don’t bother it! Let the rice sit in the pot with the lid on until vegetables are added. Only disturb if necessary. Otherwise, let all those flavours sink into every grain.
My two favourite brands of rice are Lundberg and Kohuho Rose. If you stash a large bag of rice in your pantry, head’s up that some brands do recommend freezing them so they stay fresh.
Looking for more One Pot family meals?
- Enchilada Quinoa Casserole
- Za’atar Pork Tenderloin with Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes, and Broccoli
As far as one pot meals go, this One Pot Chicken and Rice with Vegetables and Dill is basically my go to Spring meal when we’ve binged too much on pasta and can’t face another french fry for a while …. you know how those weeks go, right?
One Pot Chicken and Rice with Vegetables and Dill for a quick clean up meal the entire family will love! Weeknight primed for easy clean up and hands off cooking!
- 4-6 medium chicken thighs, skin on and bone in, approx. 1.5 lbs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup short grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 1 cup chopped asaparagus
- 1/2 medium lemon, zest and juice divided
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
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Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
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Heat a large wide pot or a tall-rimmed skillet (with a tight fitting lid) over medium-high heat, and add chicken, skin down once hot (this will help prevent sticking) and cook, flipping once for 3-5 minutes per side or until skin is crispy and deep brown. Remove chicken from pan and place in a bowl. Set aside.
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Reduce heat to medium and add garlic. Cook, stirring for a minute or two. Add rice and cook for another minute or two, stirring. Add broth and bring to a boil.
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Add chicken back into the pot, reduce heat to a strong simmer (about medium-low) and cover. Cook for 16 minutes.
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Remove lid and add peas and asparagus. Place lid back on top and cook for another 4 minutes.
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Remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork. Add dill, lemon juice, and lemon zest; mix until combined with rice.
Enjoy! xo
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