There are so many things to love about this chicken and rice dish, I don’t even know what to talk about first. The fact that it feels like a Sunday roast chicken that you spent hours on, but it takes 45 minutes and you only have one skillet to clean? How about the fact that it’s hearty enough for a cold winter night, but bright enough to be enjoyed al fresco with a chilled glass of pinot grigio? (All these ingredients are available year-round, by the way!)
I think my favorite thing about it is how all the ingredients are used to their fullest potential. Both the garlic and the celery do double duty as building blocks of the flavor, and as final finishing touches.
Can we talk about celery leaves for a minute? It’s a huge pet peeve of mine that most of the celery stalks you see sold in the supermarket have had their leaves removed. Celery leaves make just as good a garnish as parsley, arguably a better one! A celery stalk certainly deserves its place on the menu, but give me those beautiful, delicate, flavorful leaves ANY day.
EQUIPMENT: Cutting Board, Knife, Large Spoon, Tongs, Large Skillet with Lid
One Skillet Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 cups diced Carrot (approx. 3 carrots)
- 1 medium to large Onion
- 2 stalks Celery, chopped (save the leaves for garnish)
- 2 tsp fresh Thyme, minced
- 4 cloves Garlic (2 sliced, 2 minced)
- 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 1/2 White Long-Grain Rice
- Approx. 1 tbsp Paprika
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Lemon
Directions
- Step 1 1. Chop your vegetables. The onion, carrot, and celery should be of a uniform dice, approx. 1/2 inch pieces. Be sure to reserve the celery leaves for later. Strip the thyme leaves from the stem by pinching it near the top with one hand, and running the fingers of your other hand down the stem from top to bottom. Then give the leaves a quick chop to release their flavor (any small pieces of stem that come off easily can be chopped and mixed in with the leaves). Thinly slice one half of the garlic and mince the other half.
- Step 2 Season the chicken all over with paprika, 1 tsp of the chopped thyme, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat the butter, olive oil, and the sliced garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. When the garlic starts to get brown and a little crispy, remove it with tongs and reserve it for a garnish. Then add the chicken to the skillet. Cook approximately 5 minutes on each side, until nicely browned on the outside, and cooked through in the middle (Make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees). Remove from the skillet when it’s finished, and set aside.
- Step 3 Add the onion, carrots, celery, and remaining thyme to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. As the vegetables cook, they’ll release some moisture, which will help you to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the minced garlic and continue to sauté until garlic is fragrant, but not browned.
- Step 4 Add the rice, 3 1/4 cups of water, and approx. 2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil. Then cover the skillet, lower the heat, and simmer until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, approx. 15-20 minutes. Feel free to add more water if it’s looking dry, but be sure to taste for salt.
- Step 5 When the rice is done, nestle the chicken thighs in the rice, cover the skillet again and leave over low heat for a few minutes to warm the chicken. Then squeeze half a lemon over the top. Slice the other half and use for garnish, along with the celery leaves and crispy garlic slices. Serve it right out of the pan.
SUB LIST
| Olive Oil and Butter | You can use 4 tbsp of one or the other, if you don’t have both. |
| Thyme | Dried Thyme, Dried Parsley, Dried Poultry Seasoning, Fresh Savory |
| White Long Grain Rice | Any rice you like, but note you may have to adjust the amount of water and/or the cooking time. |
| Paprika | Chili Powder (will give it a spicier/smokier flavor) |
