Creamy Chicken and Rice is an easy one-pot meal that is cozy comfort food in a bowl! Made with Jasmine rice, crisp frozen peas, and tender chicken in a creamy parmesan white wine sauce.
If you’re looking for a meatless rice option, make sure to try my Broccoli and Cheese Casserole!
Cheesy One-Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
When cold weather arrives, there’s nothing I love more than to make this comforting, cheesy chicken and rice dish. It’s an easy one-pot dinner that the whole family happily enjoys. Made from hearty ingredients, creamy chicken and rice is almost a risotto, but not as fussy!
A delicious and easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes, the one-pot nature of this dish also means there’s next to zero clean up! But the best part is, my family absolutely can’t get enough – you’ll be hard-pressed to find leftovers in our house! I just know your family will love this flavorful chicken and rice recipe, too.
Get to Know the Ingredients
The ingredients for this creamy chicken and rice recipe are relatively inexpensive and easy to come by in local supermarkets. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless, skinless and cut into cubes about an inch in size.
- Italian Seasoning: The combination of herbs and spices in this pre-mixed seasoning perfectly compliment the flavors of this dish.
- Jasmine Rice: Or another long grain rice that won’t cook too quickly.
- Onion: Yellow onion or similar, diced.
- Garlic: Whole fresh garlic cloves, minced.
- Chicken Stock: More flavorful than chicken broth, to enhance the flavor of the chicken breast.
- White Wine: Similar to a risotto, a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or chardonnay works best for this recipe. If you’d rather not cook with wine, replace the wine with extra chicken stock instead.
- Frozen Peas: For an easy vegetable add-in, that also gives this one pot chicken and rice a pop of green throughout.
- Heavy Cream: Gives this dish all the cozy and creamy, winter dinner feels!
- Parmesan Cheese: Or another sharp hard cheese like pecorino, freshly grated.
- Butter
- Salt & Pepper
What Kind of Rice Should I Use?
Chicken and rice is best when made with long grain rice like Jasmine or Basmati. Minute Rice cooks much quicker, and as a result, the dish can become mushy if you used it.
If you’d prefer to make this dish with brown rice, note that you’ll likely need more chicken stock and a slightly longer cooking time.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Rice
3 simple steps and one pot is all it takes for this easy 30-minute meal. Here’s how to make this delicious and creamy chicken dinner:
- Saute the Ingredients: In a skillet with butter, saute the onions and chicken along with the salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Cook everything down until the chicken is browned a bit and the onions are soft and fragrant, then add the garlic.
- Add in the Stock and Rice: Add in the chicken stock and wine, and finally the rice. Bring the skillet contents to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to simmer until the rice is tender.
- Add the Final Touches: Stir in the peas, followed by the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese to form a rich and creamy sauce. Garnish the finished chicken and rice with extra Parmesan, and serve it warm.
Tips for Success
- Substitute Wine: If you’d rather leave the wine out of the recipe, replace it with an equal amount of chicken stock.
- Avoid Soupy Chicken and Rice: If you notice that the chicken is releasing an excessive amount of juices as it cooks, it’s a good idea to drain the liquid out of the pan before adding in the other ingredients.
- Swap Out the Cream: The heavy cream can easily be swapped out for regular whole milk or half-and-half, depending on what you have on hand.
Add-In Ideas
Another reason this one pot dinner is one of my favorites is that you can really customize it in so many ways! It’s easy to adapt with your favorite fresh veggies and savory add-ins. Here are some suggestions:
- Chopped Celery
- Leeks
- Mushrooms (for some serious mushroom risotto vibes!)
- Diced Peppers
- Bacon
- Italian Sausage or Chorizo
- Ranch Seasoning or a dash of Homemade Ranch Dressing
Serving Suggestions
This family dinner idea is a meal in itself, and also delicious to serve next to other easy side dishes!
- Serve this alongside a healthy vegetable side like steamed broccoli, green beans or roasted carrots.
- Accompany your one-pot dinner with these easy Sweet Dinner Rolls or Homemade Popovers.
- Creamy chicken and rice is also great for meal prep; dish single-serving portions into freezer-safe containers and then freeze for an easy dinner to serve whenever it’s convenient!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Stored airtight, this chicken and rice dinner should keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Anything longer and I’d highly recommend freezing as the best and safest option, to avoid the growth of bacteria in the rice.
Reheat leftovers in the microwave for a few minutes until the chicken and rice is nice and hot, then allow to cool a bit before serving.
Can I Freeze Rice and Chicken?
Freezing is in fact the best way to store rice and chicken. Freeze any leftovers as soon as possible after cooking, but only once it’s cooled. Store the chicken and rice in a freezer-safe container, and keep frozen for up to 1 month. I like to store it in a container that’s also microwave safe, for easy cooking either from frozen or after defrosting in the fridge!
More Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas
Description:
Creamy Chicken and Rice is an easy one-pot meal that is just cozy in a bowl! Made with Jasmine rice, crisp frozen peas, and tender chicken in a creamy parmesan white wine sauce.
Scale
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1– inch cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine *see note
- 1 cup Jasmine rice
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat melt the butter. Add in the onions, chicken, seasoned salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper and cook for 6-7 minutes until the onions are softened and the chicken is lightly browned. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add in the chicken stock, wine, and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Add in the peas and cook for 1 minute until warm. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.
- Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve warm.
Notes:
If you don’t prefer to cook with wine, you can use all chicken stock.
The chicken will release liquid as it begins to cook, which will vary. A little liquid is ok, but if it releases an excess of liquid simply drain or spoon it out of the pan. Too much liquid in this dish will make it soupy.
Keywords: one pot meals, easy chicken recipe, family friendly dinner
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