We all have days when dinner just has to take 15 minutes or less to prepare. A lot of days I need to be able to sit here and REST (or-let’s be real- do 5 million other things) and not be making dinner for most of my afternoon/evening. But I worked so hard all day, that I really want something comforting, delicious, hot, cozy, healthy, and EASY all at once. Is that even possible?!
Actually, YES!!! Thank goodness, right? Welcome this One-Pot chicken & rice meal. This is a recipe for a Rosemary Lemon Chicken & Rice, which has become one of my favorite quick, delicious, and nutritious meals to make. Everything gets thrown into a single pot, I put the lid on, turn the heat on low and check back in a few hours. It’s amazing!
Before I share the recipe, here are a few notes:
- The rice portion is half white rice, half brown. This is because my husband doesn’t LOVE brown rice, so as a compromise I do a mixture of both! This works great for us and he loves it this way, but you can really make this recipe with just about any kind of rice.
- If you forget (or don’t have time) to sear the chicken beforehand, don’t worry! You can do it after or skip this altogether, as long as the chicken reaches the 165 degree temp it will be safe to eat. I like to sear the chicken specifically because it adds to the flavor of the whole dish. It makes it just that much better, but isn’t absolutely necessary.
- Do I have to use fresh Rosemary and real lemon? No. We have a rosemary plant in the backyard so I always have fresh Rosemary at my fingertips, but you don’t have to do this. If you are using lemon juice or ground rosemary for those flavors, then I would use 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp of ground rosemary to give the dish a similar flavor!
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE THIS?
You don’t need much to make this recipe, all you need are 2 pans! I used my dutch oven on the stovetop for this recipe, but you can also use a deep skillet, or non-stick soup pot.
- Dutch oven, deep skillet, or non-stick soup pot
- Separate skillet
That’s it! Now let’s get cooking.
| Prep Time | 15 MIN |
| Cook Time | 3 HRS |
| Total Time | 3 HRS 15 MIN |
INGREDIENTS:
- 5 Tbsp Olive Oil, separated
- 1 medium sized onion
- 3 cups rice (I used 1 ½ cups of white rice, mixed with 1 ½ cups of long grain brown rice).
- 5 cups of water
- 2 Tbsp chicken bouillon
- 4-5 medium sized raw chicken thighs
- 2 medium sized whole carrots, peeled & chopped (or 10-12 baby carrots)
- 1 Lemon, sliced
- 5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 Tsp garlic salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a dutch oven, non-stick soup pot, or deep skillet (should be at least 3.5”-4” deep), heat 3 Tbsp of the olive oil and minced onion together on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 2-3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water & chicken bouillon and stir well to incorporate the bouillon into the water. In 5-7 minutes, when the water has just started to boil, reduce the heat to low.
- In a separate pan, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil until the oil and pan are hot. Place the chicken thighs in the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. Then, remove from heat and place the chicken thighs on top of the rice/water mixture. Place the carrots, lemon slices and fresh rosemary sprigs into the pan and top with 1 tsp of garlic salt.
- Place the lid back on the pan, and let it simmer on low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours, checking the temperature of the chicken periodically as it gets closer to the time to serve. **The chicken should reach a temperature of 165 degrees Farenheit in the center before serving.
- Once the chicken has cooked completely through (reaching at least 165 degrees F), serve & enjoy!
The Well-Sourced Life 
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