Creamy chicken and rice made in just one skillet with minimal prep! This is the best way to get my kiddos to eat their spinach – it blends right in with the rice and they devour it all! This is a comfort food classic made extra easy.
I’m going to let you in on a dark and dirty secret from my past. Do you think you can handle this?
When I was a child, I used to put ketchup on white rice. And then I would eat it.
Whew. Glad I got that off my chest. That little secret has been eating away at me.
It was actually delicious and, while I haven’t done it in years, I still think it would probably taste good. In fact, I might try it with dinner tonight. 😉
These days I’m more like to serve up rice in casseroles or skillet meals, rather than as a side dish. I’m not sure why – I just don’t often think about rice as a side.
This easy chicken and rice is beyond simple to make and it’s the perfect one dish dinner. I veg it up with some carrots and spinach, toss in chunks of chicken, and add a bit of cream to make it extra decadent, flavorful, and rich. This meal is delicious comfort food and it’s so easy to make!
How to make one pot chicken and rice:
To start, you’ll want to hear a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. I like to use my cast iron (affiliate link) for this.
Add in a bit of olive oil to the pan until it starts to shimmer and then toss in some chunks of seasoned chicken breasts.
Once the chicken is browned, you’ll add in your carrots, rice, and garlic along with some chicken broth.
You’re going to let this cook for about 20 minutes. The liquid will have been absorbed into the rice so the rice is soft, fluffy, and just about ready to eat.
Stir in some spinach and then cover the dish to let the spinach wilt a bit.
Remove the lid, stir in the cream, and that’s it, friends! Dinner is served!
This easy chicken and rice recipe is beyond simple, so filling, and always a hit.
I always have heavy cream on hand for my coffee and for baking. I also use it in a lot of low carb recipes. However, I know many people don’t keep it on hand. Here is a handy list of substitutes for heavy cream.
More rice recipes to try:
Spam Fried Rice: I don’t normally eat Spam, but it’s amazing in fried rice!
Chicken and Rice with Broccoli: Just like this one, but with broccoli instead of spinach.
Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice: An excellent low carb option!
Chicken and Rice Casserole: Toss it all in a dish and bake it!
Bacon Fried Rice: My all time favorite!!
Creamy Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Add the olive oil to a large, deep skillet over medium heat and heat until shimmering.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until chicken is browned on the outside, about 5 minutes.
- Add the rice, carrots, garlic, and chicken broth to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to medium low and cover pan. Cook for 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and rice is tender. Stir halfway through cooking.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the spinach . Stir to combine. Cover the pan and let sit for 5 minutes to wilt the spinach.
- Stir in the cream and taste for seasoning. Add additional salt, if desired. Serve immediately.
anon says
Forget putting ketchup on rice and instead put ketchup in the water when cooking the rice. Â Works well with S&S meat dishes.
Karly says
Whattttt! That’s crazy, but I might try it some day.
Susie says
I thought our daughter was the only one that when she was little out catsup in rice. So thrilled none of her kids followed in her footsteps. This sounds wonderful wil have to give it a tryÂ
Karly says
Oh no, she’s not the only one. There are more of us weirdos out there, I’m sure. 😉
Jess K says
Haha! Maybe it’s my prego belly but rice and ketchup actually doesn’t sound too bad. But growing up on rice (Asian family), I’ve found that rice goes with ev. ery. thing. It’s the best!
Love this dish, can’t wait to make it for my fam. Pinned!
Karly says
Hope you enjoy, Jess! And next time you have white rice, try it with a bit of ketchup. Haha! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Any suggestions of something else to put in place of the spinach? I love it, but my husband isn’t a fan.
Karly says
I have a broccoli version too! Find it here.
Whitney says
Hi! Can this be made with brown rice? If so, how much and would any alterations need to be made for the amount of liquid or cooking time?
Karly says
I haven’t made this with brown rice so I can’t say what changes to make.
Crissy says
This was amazing! I love one pot meals! I doubled the recipe, absolutely perfect, will definitely make again!
Alyssa Romanuski says
I made this last night using quick cook brown rice from Aldi’s and it took maybe 10 more cooking time and an extra 1/2 c water. I added some lemon pepper seasoning, too. It was so good! This is my new favorite chicken and rice recipe.
Renee says
This was a fantastic recipe. Â It was quick for a super-busy weeknight. Â My daughter could eat this as the broth I got was gluten free. Â Great break from a recipe with potatoes.
Laura says
Followed this recipe exactly, but added a few modifications based on our flavor preferences (1 tsp onion powder to chicken; 1/4 c. minced onion with carrots etc.; 2 tbsp dried parsley and a pinch of thyme when adding the broth). It was FANTASTIC and I’ll definitely be making again! The only thing I will do differently next time is use 1/2 tsp instead of 1 tsp pepper. 1 tsp was just too much for my taste buds!
Amanda says
Any suggestions on what I can use instead of the heavy cream??Â
Karly says
You could use milk, it just won’t be as creamy.
Grisel Perez says
This came out great! I’ve actually made it 3x so far and each time have added a few things to jazz it up. Last time I made it, I did the onions, garlic and added mushrooms then did a cup of white wine and did only a cup and a half of the stock. Oh the flavor! It has become a family fav and oh we had some of red lobster biscuits to go with. Yum?
Karly says
So glad your family enjoys the recipe! It’s been awhile since I’ve made this one…need to do so again soon!