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This Chicken and Rice dish is so satisfying – a must try! It has all of the heartiness of plov and creamy deliciousness of a risotto. The chicken turns out tender and so flavorful. It’s one of those meals that you’ll make and your family members will be convinced you’re the best cook there is.
My husband and son sent all kinds of compliments my way. My son ended his meal by saying “Mama your food is the best.” Yes, it’s that good! I even called Mom and shared it with her just as soon as I finished my bowl of creamy goodness.
(P.S. Don’t be afraid of the white wine; it is still family friendly! You boil out the alcohol and keep all of the amazing flavor).
Watch How to Make this Chicken and Rice:
It’s also a one-pot wonder. Less dishes is huge for me because most of my cooking sprees tend to make the kitchen look like it’s been hit by twin tornados (as evidenced here). This creamy rice casserole also also reheats really well.
Ingredients for Creamy Chicken and Rice:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 med onion, finely diced
2 large carrots, grated or cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
2 tsp salt (we used sea salt), divided
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 bay leaves, optional
1 cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay
5 cups hot low sodium chicken broth
2 cups medium grain rice such as Jasmine rice (un-rinsed)**
1 head garlic
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
** A note on using brown rice instead of Jasmine rice. 2 of my readers both tried brown rice and both said they had great results but it took 45 minutes too cook rather than 15 minutes. Another reader said she tried instant brown rice and it took the same amount of time to cook as Jasmine rice.
How to Make the Best Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole:
1. Using a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot with tight fitting lid, over medium/high heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Once butter is melted and hot, stir in diced onion, grated carrots and 1 tsp salt. Sautee until soft and golden (8-10 min).
2. Add trimmed, chopped chicken thighs, 2 bay leaves, another 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally until chicken is golden on all sides (5 mins).
3. Increase the heat to high and add 1 cup white wine. Boil down the wine, scraping the bottom until most of the wine has evaporated.
4. Add the hot chicken broth, then stir in the rice.
5. Without separating the cloves (leaving the root end intact), slice the end off a whole head of garlic to expose the garlic cloves. Set the whole head into the center of your rice, sliced side down. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is fully cooked (15 mins).
6. Turn off the heat, remove garlic head (you can either push the cloves of garlic out into the rice and eat it or discard it) and quickly stir in remaining 2 Tbsp butter until fully incorporated. Finally, stir in chopped parsley and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. It should be creamy. Serve right away or leave the lid on to keep it warm until serving.
Garnish with fresh parsley to serve.
Credits: This chicken and rice recipe was inspired by my Beef Plov recipe and Lidia Matticchio’s Traditional Rice & Chicken
Creamy Chicken and Rice Recipe (a one-pot meal)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 med onion, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, grated or cut into matchsticks
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
- 2 tsp salt, we used sea salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- 1 cup dry white wine , such as Chardonnay
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth, hot
- 2 cups medium grain rice, or Jasmine rice, un-rinsed**
- 1 head garlic
- 1/3 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Using a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot with tight fitting lid, over medium/high heat, add 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 Tbsp unsalted butter. Once butter is melted and hot, stir in diced onion, grated carrots and 1 tsp salt. Sautee until soft and golden (8-10 min).
- Add trimmed, chopped chicken thighs, 2 bay leaves, another 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally until chicken is golden on all sides (5 mins).
- Increase the heat to high and add 1 cup white wine. Boil down the wine, scraping the bottom until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add the hot chicken broth, then stir in the rice.
- Without separating the cloves (leaving the root end intact), slice the end off a whole head of garlic to expose the garlic cloves. Set the whole head into the center of your rice, sliced side down. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is fully cooked (15 mins).
- Turn off the heat, remove garlic head (you can either push the cloves of garlic out into the rice and eat it or discard it) and quickly stir in remaining 2 Tbsp butter until fully incorporated. Finally, stir in chopped parsley and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. It should be creamy. Serve right away or leave the lid on to keep it warm until serving. Garnish with more fresh parsley to serve.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
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Love! I have been looking for a recipe just like this. I have started doubling this (down the step 3) and freezing half so I have a quick meal later. Bonus.
I love that idea! It’s great to know that this is freezer friendly. Thanks Jennifer!
I made this dish with quinoa instead of rice and it was delishious! Kids loved it and hubby ate it too! Thank you Natasha! I made this dish with rice too but since everyone ate it with quinoa I will be making it with it from now on. I used 2 cups of dried quinoa and it was still very watery after 15 mins of simmering so I turned up the heat a little and the water evaporated faster. So for next time I will either add less broth or more quinoa.
Thank you so much for sharing how you made it with quinoa! I sure appreciate it and now I really want to try it! Quinoa is definitely healthier than rice.
Cooked this for dinner tonight for 4 adults (3 men and myself!!) and it was a real hit. Everyone loved it. It was tasty, moist, and filling. We had a big bowl full each. Thankyou for such a great recipe. The comments were that I can cook this again anytime – and I certainly will.
Awww that’s awesome!! Isn’t that the best feeling when everyone is swooning over something you made :). Thanks JuidithAnn 🙂
Um wow. This was truly spectacular.My husband loved it, too. I mean chicken thighs, a WHOLE HEAD OF GARLIC, butter galore, and jasmine rice. This recipe has all of my favorites. In the end it provided a rich, comfort food, risotto-like feel. I for one am looking forward to heating up the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. After reading some reviews, I will try some mushrooms in it next time, but it really needs no tweaking whatsoever. Brava!
I’m so happy you both loved it! That’s awesome! Thanks for such a great, thorough review 🙂
Just finished making this dish and it is sooooooo delicious!! Hubby loved it too.. So score! The only change I made is added mushrooms and really liked that addition. Not sure where this recipe has been hiding from me all this time!:)
Ooooh I love the idea of adding mushrooms! Thanks for the tip! 🙂
I was in search of a new chicken and rice recipe because I needed a change up from the plain one is had used since childhood. I have to say this is the BEST recipe ever!!! I’ve made it for friends and coworkers and they all love it. I like to call it the only chicken and rice recipe you’ll ever need.
Dianna, thank you for such a great review. I’m so happy to hear that everyone loved it :).
Dianna, thank you for such a great review. I’m so happy to hear that everyone loved it :).
Thank you , this is exactly what I was looking for , creamy chicken and rice dish without the canned cream soup, which most recipes call for. I did add a bit of organic heavy cream at the end, and some guyere cheese on top, but i tasted before i added and it was great!
You are very welcome and thank you for the great review :).
I decided to do a healthy spin on this recipe for my mom’s sake. Instead of the Jasmine rice, I did (1 cup of) quinoa. It didn’t soak up the broth as well as rice would’ve done. I had to make a bunch of adjustments and changes to fix the overabundance of liquid. Perhaps this tip about quinoa can be added as note, in addition to the one about the brown rice.
I love the idea of using quinoa and thank you for sharing your results about not soaking up all the liquid. I probably would not have thought of that! 🙂 Thanks alot! 🙂
I also used chicken breast and took out the butter as additional healthy steps.
I’ll be making this recipe again, but this time with Jasmine rice. I hope it’ll come out better this time!!
Each time I make this my husband makes the same declaration: BEST recipe on Pinterest!! I couldn’t agree more! Already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you so much Suzy 🙂
I made this last night for dinner and had to come back here and thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was amazingly simple, simple ingredients and flavors that come together just perfectly. This is a classic comfort food meal that makes the house smell delicious and keep you feeling full. I’ve been looking for a chicken rice dish that didn’t involve cream of “blank” soup. This fit the bill and I think this will be a regular in our house. I adapted it to fit what I had on hand- leftover rotisserie chicken and a splash of lemon juice at the end instead of the white wine reduction. I really liked the trick with the head of garlic. I smashed the cooked cloves and mixed them back in at the end- they were mild but added great flavor similar to roasting garlic without the extra time and effort. Thank you so much! I can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch today!
I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome and very thorough review 🙂
This has become one of my favorite dishes. I usually add a green vegetable like peas or green beans as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Yum! I love the idea of adding more veggies to the rice. I’m so glad you love the recipe 🙂
Yummy!! I made it for the first time. I never used a garlic together with rice before but it gave so much flavor. I didn’t have wine and I guess next time I cook this rice I better buy it))). Thank you Natasha!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it even without the wine :). I always keep a bottle in the fridge for cooking.
Hi from Hervey Bay Queensland Australia,
I googled looking for a recipe for creamy chicken and rice. Your recipe came up. Made it today with a couple of minor variations – 2 teaspoons of crushed garlic in with the stock and tasty cheddar cheese instead of parmesan because I didn’t have whole garlic or parmesan cheese. Gave some to hubby to try and his words were – where did you find this? Told him and then he said, have you saved it? This is awesome. Thanks heaps for the recipe. Will definitely be making this again and YES I have bookmarked your page. 🙂
I’m so happy you both loved it! Thanks for sharing your modifications. 🙂
Made this for dinner last night…. DELISH! Perfect for a cold night. I even threw in some other veggies that I had in the fridge. This one will definitely be in my regular rotation.
As far as veggies go – the more the merrier! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
I bet this dish is as yummy as picture promises (and I have no doubts it is because I have tried so many recipes of yours;) . I just have one question. I am planning on cooking this for a birthday party for 11 grown ups and 5 children. Do you think I have to double the ingredients? Thank you
That number is just barely pushing the serving size. I guess it would depend on what else is on the menu. We have made this dish to serve even more people than that, but there were other things on the menu that compensated. If you’re making several salads and other side dishes along with something for meat, I would probably just make a single serving of this recipe.
Thank you. That’s what I thought but it never hurts to ask a professional 🙂 . Thank you once again for all devotion. Every time i don’t know what cook I browse your site – there is lots of inspiration.
You’re so nice :). Thanks Oksana 🙂
I just made this for dinner tonight. OMG!! I followed your instructions exactly and I’m so glad I did. This was an amazing dish! Thank you for posting it!
I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you Janet for the awesome review 🙂
It tasted amazing! Does anyone know (or if Natasha sees this, do you know) the calories per serving? And if so, how much would be a serving? Thanks!!
I currently don’t have nutritional values, but when I need to research something, my best source: Caloriecount.com – sign in for free and then go to “tools” and then click “recipe analyzer” You can copy and paste your list of ingredients and it spits out the nutrition info. It’s a great tool.
Thank you Natasha for sharing this recipe…:) I made it today, it tastes good but seemed like 5 cups of broth was a little too much…not sure why…
Hi Luba, did you try the recipe with a different kind of rice? The kind of rice you use can make a difference in how much water or cooking time is needed.
Yum! I made this last night and it turned out great! I was worried bc there was lots of liquid and my pictures didn’t look like yours at all! After I put in the rice and covered it, I set my timer and crossed my fingers! When the timer went off, I uncovered it and bam- perfectly done! My boyfriend loved it too. Made a ton-which is great bc I’m a huge fan of leftovers! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! I love that “bam” effect. lol. 😉
I made this this week, with quite a few changes. It was still awesome.
Cut in half for 2-4 servings.
white meat chicken
rosemary and saffron (instead of bay leaves)
my carrots were frozen
used minced garlic (didn’t have a head!)
basmati rice
cheddar cheese (was surprisingly out of parm! what the heck?)
my white wine was sweeter and I used more than recommended (it was old).
Verdict? Delicious. Will make again very soon. It’s hardly the same recipe anymore but the technique was there and it rocked. Going to keep experimenting too!
Your modifications sure sound good! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂