Recipe of the Week
One-Pot Italian Chicken and Rice 🌞
Happy Thursday! Today, I’m bringing you a new recipe. This One-Pot Italian Chicken Recipe is so good, and you need just one pot to make it! I also created a vegan version of it over on Exploring Vegan. If you want a meat-free meal to make next week, try out this One-Pot Chickpeas and Rice.
The recipe follows the photo below! 👇
Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion peeled and diced
6 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
½ cup roasted red bell peppers diced
4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper plus more to taste
1 cup arborio, carnaroli, or any short-grain white rice
¼ cup white wine
3 cups water or chicken stock
½ cup freshly grated parm
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare the chicken:
Pat chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Once shimmering, add the chicken—skin-side down—and cook without moving for 5-6 minutes. Once the chicken skin is golden-brown, flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate. Leave any fat in the pot and turn the heat to medium.
Sautè the aromatics:
Add the onion to the pot and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, occasionally stirring, for 8-9 minutes until golden brown. Adjust heat as needed.
Add the roasted red peppers, garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Season all over with salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
Cook the rice:
Add the rice to the pot and toss to coat. Season with salt. Cook for 1 minute until it begins to toast lightly.
Pour in the wine and bring it to a boil. Cook for 1–2 minutes.
Simmer the rice:
Add water or chicken stock and bring to a boil. Place chicken on top, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20–25 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium and partially remove the lid (the pot should be half-covered). Rapid simmer for 5 minutes. Check the internal temperature of the chicken and ensure it’s 165°F. Once the temperature is reached, transfer the chicken to a plate.
Finish the rice:
Turn the heat on the rice to medium-low and stir regularly. Continue simmering and stirring to cook off any excess liquid if needed. Stir in the parmesan and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Consistency should be creamy, not soupy! Add salt if needed.
Broil the chicken:
If you like, you can place chicken on top and broil for 3-5 mins to crisp up the skin again!
To serve:
Sprinkle a few basil leaves on top of the pot. Serve the rice with a chicken thigh on top, and enjoy!