Southern Chicken and Rice Recipe

This Southern chicken and rice recipe is a simple dish that packs a ton of flavor. It's a healthy and hearty Southern staple that the entire family is sure to love! 

The Best Southern Chicken and Rice Recipe

Chicken and rice is a classic combo but typically is bland in flavor. And that's why I am obsessed with this Southern chicken and rice recipe! 

It's made with simple ingredients but packs a ton of Southern flavor. And I love that everything in this chicken and rice recipe cooks in one pan! 

So not only is the cooking process easy, but the clean-up is super easy too.

I think it's the perfect balanced meal to keep your family full on those busy weeknights - at least that's what it's been for us. It goes great with this fried corn, Martha White cornbread, or these grit cakes on the side for a complete meal. You could even mix it with this Hoppin John for a real Southern meal!

Honestly, this chicken and rice recipe is just as popular as this Bourbon Street chicken and shrimp in our house, and we make that one almost every night.

Ingredients

One of the best parts about this chicken and rice recipe is that you can likely make it with what you most likely already have in your kitchen pantry. 

And if you don't have some of these things on hand, you can easily find them at your local grocery store!

Anyway, here's what you need to make it:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) 
• 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Simple, right? And you can use almost every single one of these ingredients to make this boiled chicken and rice, so you'll want to check that out next!

Now, this recipe is completely customizable, so feel free to add in or take out anything you want!

You can add some vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and bell peppers for some added flavor. And you can mix in some more seasonings like onion and garlic powder to elevate the flavor of the boneless chicken.

Oh, and if you're looking for a side to add an element to this rice dish with chicken, this garlic bread and Little Caeser's Italian cheese bread are excellent choices.

How To Make Southern Chicken And Rice Recipe 

This Southerrn-style recipe is one that can be made with ease.

So, as I said, it's a great busy weeknight recipe!

Now, let's not waste any more time and get right into it.

Step 1: Cooking The Base

To start, heat a lidded Dutch oven over medium heat.

Then, remove the chicken from the packaging, dry off both sides, and season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. 

Next, cook the chicken in the Dutch oven for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Then, take it out and set it aside.

After that, add the chopped celery into the leftover chicken juice and saute for about 5 minutes - or until softened. 

Then, add in the butter and onions, and saute for an additional 5 minutes - until the onions are translucent. Next, mix in the garlic, thyme, and parsley and cook for about 1 minute until aromatic.

Step 2: Cooking The Rice

Now stir in the rice, and give the bottom of the pot a good scraping with a wooden spoon. 

Next, add in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Then, place cooked chicken over the top of the rice, place the lid on the pot, and bring to a boil. 

Once the rice has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until all of the liquid has been fully absorbed. This will take approximately 20-25 minutes. 

Step 3: Finishing Up

After the rice cooks, remove the chicken and place the lid back on the pot to cover the rice. 

Then, shred the chicken with two forks and combine it with the rice in a bowl. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

How To Store Southern Chicken And Rice 

Alright, so this recipe will make about 4 servings. And it keeps incredibly well in the fridge, so as I mentioned earlier, it's great for meal prep. 

So this southern boiled chicken and rice will last in the fridge for about 3-4 days in an airtight container. 

How To Reheat Chicken and Rice

If you meal prep will want to reheat the chicken and rice, I recommend storing the chicken and the rice in separate airtight containers.

Then you can reheat them separately for the best results and combine the two once heated.  

FAQs About This Southern Chicken And Rice Recipe 

What if I don't have a Dutch oven? 

If you don't have a Dutch oven, a regular pot will work just fine as long as you have a lid that can fit tightly on the pot.

Just keep in mind that Dutch ovens are designed to conduct heat a little faster. So, if you do use a pot, be sure to allocate extra heating time to cook the rice and chicken through.

Can you cook raw chicken and rice together?

You won't want to cook chicken and rice together since they have different cooking times and need to cook at different temperatures. That is why the chicken gets cooked a little first in this recipe, and then it finishes cooking along with the rice later on.

Wrapping It All Up 

Well, that is how to make Southern chicken and rice in under 1 hour! 

This recipe is an incredibly easy, healthy, and hearty meal to make that still packs a ton of flavor. And it's ideal for meal prep since you can store and reheat the two components separately.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this Southern chicken and rice recipe as much as I do. Oh, and if you like rice and want to give another recipe a try, this Mediterranean yellow rice is crazy flavorful.

If you make it, leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

More Chicken Recipes

If you're looking for more chicken recipes, we have a ton on the blog that you have to try next!

Here are some of our favorites:

• Mississippi chicken
• Chicken and shrimp carbonara
• Carrabba's chicken bryan
• Chicken gizzards
• Air fryer chicken breast
• Chicken birria tacos
• Jerk chicken pasta

By the way, if you enjoy these recipes definitely check out our YouTube channel! We post daily recipe videos over there that are just as delicious as this one!

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