An easy one-pan chicken and rice recipe that is creamy, comforting, ready in 30 minutes, and made with simple ingredients. The perfect frugal weeknight family dinner!
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You probably know by now how much I’m a fan of one pan skillet meals. They just work so well with our life and schedule at the moment and I find myself making them all the time.
This one pot chicken and rice recipe has become the latest favorite in our household.
I love it because it’s quick and and easy to make and the rest of the family likes it because it’s such delicious comfort food.
Why We Love This Recipe
- One Pan Meal. Fewer dishes to wash and minimal cleanup, which is always a win!
- Quick and Easy. This can be on the table in just 30 minutes and is so simple to make.
- Family Friendly. Even the pickiest eaters will enjoy this meal- especially if you leave out the mushrooms. (Or you can just let your kids pick out the mushrooms like a couple of mine do.)
- Simple Ingredients. Made with basic pantry staples but still comforting and hearty.
- Budget Friendly. There are no expensive ingredients and the cost comes to only around $1.15/serving. (using Aldi prices)
Watch Video: Learn How to Make This Recipe
One Pan Creamy Chicken and Rice Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast. Chicken tenders or thighs can also be used if preferred.
- Oil. Any variety of oil will work.
- Italian Seasoning.
- Paprika.
- Salt.
- Black Pepper. Only use a 1/4 teaspoon unless you like a more peppery taste.
- Garlic. Fresh gives the best flavor but granulated garlic can also be used.
- Chicken Broth. Use low sodium if desired. You could also substitute vegetable broth if you’d like.
- Long Grain Rice. My favorite is Basmati but I also use Jasmine a lot too.
- Mushrooms. I typically use white mushrooms or baby Bella mushrooms, but really any edible mushroom should work!
- Plain Greek Yogurt. If you don’t have yogurt, you can substitute with sour cream instead.
- Parmesan Cheese. I just use the shelf stable Parmesan but you can use fresh shredded if you prefer.
- Fresh Parsley. This is just a garnish, so it’s totally optional.
How to Make Mushroom Chicken and Rice
STEP 1: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the cubed chicken along with the salt, pepper, paprika and Italian seasoning.
STEP 2: Cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken is lightly browned.
STEP 3: Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for another minute.
STEP 4: Pour in the chicken broth, uncooked rice, sliced mushrooms and combine. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer until the rice is tender.
STEP 5: Stir in the parmesan cheese and Greek yogurt. Garnish with parsley and serve.
FAQ & Expert Tips
Using Cooked Chicken. You can use 2 cups of precooked chicken instead. Just start the recipe on step 3, then add the chicken and seasonings from steps 1 and 2 along with the rest of the ingredients in step 4.
The flavor will not be quite as good but it is still very tasty and I love using this shortcut to speed up dinner prep on busy nights!
Storing. Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When reheating, you may want to add a little water or chicken broth because it will thicken as it sits.
Do You Have to Add Mushrooms? No, you can skip them if your family doesn’t enjoy them! Obviously, I think they make the recipe more delicious because I enjoy them, but I have made it without and it is still delicious.
Can You Use Brown Rice Instead? I wouldn’t recommend it as brown rice requires more liquid and needs to be cooked longer than long-grain white rice.
Is Instant Long Grain Rice Okay To Use? You will want to avoid instant rice as it becomes too mushy in this recipe.
More Simple Recipes You’ll Love
- Easy Ground Beef and Potato Skillet
- Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps
- Easy John Wayne Casserole
- Easy Mexican Rice Bowls
Creamy Parmesan Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed (can sub cooked chicken- see Notes)
- 1 tbsp. oil
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. black pepper (see Notes)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (see Notes)
- 2 1/2 c. chicken broth
- 1 c. uncooked long grain rice
- 6 oz. sliced mushrooms, about 1 cup (optional)
- 1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken along with the Italian seasoning, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and cooked throughout, about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, continuing to stir.
- Add the chicken broth, rice and mushrooms. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until rice is cooked and tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in Greek yogurt and Parmesan cheese, garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Chicken: You can use 2 c. precooked chicken instead. Just start the recipe on step 3, then add the chicken and seasonings from step 1 and 2 along with the rest of the ingredients in step 4. The flavor will not be as good but it is still tasty.
- Black Pepper: Only use ¼ tsp unless you like things quite peppery.
- Garlic: Can substitute with ¾ tsp. Granulated garlic
Jaycee
Do you think this would freeze well after being made? Not planning on including mushrooms. Thank you!
Lydia Beiler
I’m so sorry about my slow reply here, Jaycee. Rice often gets a bit more watery and will change texture a bit after it is frozen. But if you aren’t picky about the texture of your rice, I think this would maybe be okay to freeze.
Chris
I recently (re?) discovered your blog. I think I might have read your blog years ago. Did you used to live in Lancaster? I live in the South but used to live in PA and worked at Lancaster General in the 1980’s. I think I’ll start reading again. 🙂
Lydia Beiler
Hey Chris! Yes, we lived in Lancaster for a number of years. You have a good memory!🙂 I’m happy that you rediscovered my site. Glad to have you here!
Michael
This was very delicious. I followed the recipe to the T and it was a hit. It was like a risotto with chicken. Will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
Lydia Beiler
Delighted to hear that you all enjoyed it, Michael! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment. I found it interesting that you described it “like risotto with chicken” because different times when I made this recipe to test and perfect it, I said the same thing to my family.🙂
Barbara
This recipe sounds delish and I am adding it to our menu plan. Glad to see you posting again. I hope you enjoyed your blogging break.
Lydia Beiler
Thanks, Barbara! I hadn’t really intended to take a break but our summer ended up extremely full, so… 🙂