One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice

Tonight, all eyes will be on this buttery, one pot lemon herb chicken and rice with lemon herb spices, all cooked and ready to devour in 30 minutes in just one pot! 

Loving one-pot wonders for busy nights? You’ve gotta try One Pot Cashew Chicken Ramen, One Pot Enchilada Orzo, and One Pan Mediterranean Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. 

 This is one of those where-have-you-been-all-my-life moments…kinda like the first time I put on ankle socks. 

Ankle socks? What does that have to do with chicken, you ask? Well, I grew up in the 90s so if you can remember back that far you might recall those long socks we used to wear all the time reaching anywhere from 2 to 5 inches above your shoes. I was fairly young and easily influenced when the ankle sock movement began, so when I finally gave into peer pressure and tried on my first pair of ankle socks, let’s just say it felt…revolutionary. I had that, “where have you been all my life?“ feeling.

That all is to say, why has everyone else in the world known how wonderful one-pot dishes were while I avoided them? Although I may not have all the answers, I do know one thing: One pot dishes are here to stay on this blog. 

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe for lemon herb chicken and rice is about as easy as it gets. And so tasty too! 

One pot — I have to say it again. I might even shout it from the rooftops. One-pot meals are LIFE. So easy to cook in, so easy to clean up, I wish every meal could be made in one pot. 

Easy pantry staples — Doesn’t get any easier than thawing some chicken, cooking in butter, adding boxed or canned broth, rice, lemon, and some spices. 

Leftovers — This recipe makes a decent amount of food and makes for great leftovers. Or, if you’re into meal prepping, this would make four excellent to-go lunches or dinners and reheats easily. 

Easy to customize — If you prefer different flavors, you could do some cumin and chili powder and limes instead of lemon, or whatever is your favorite flavor. 

Here’s How You Make It

Get out that one pot and that’s all you need to make this delicious lemon herb chicken and rice.

1. First, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or pan with a lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add the Italian seasonings to the chicken, too. Put the chicken in the butter and brown it for 1-2 minutes on each side. 
2. Take the chicken off and put it on a plate (it won’t be cooked all the way through). 
3. Now, to the same pot, add in the rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, and the rest of the Italian seasoning. Put the chicken back in on top of this mixture and put the lid on. Simmer over medium-low heat till the liquid is dissolved and rice is cooked, about 20-25 minutes. 
4. Serve with fresh parsley or cilantro as a garnish and with extra lemon wedges if you prefer. Serve while hot. 

Can you cook raw chicken and rice together?

Although you brown the chicken before adding the rice into this dish, the chicken is basically still raw inside. So, yes, you can cook raw chicken and rice together. If you are worried about cross-contamination, remember that you’ll be cooking both the chicken and the rice so there’s no need to worry that you’ll get sick from eating undercooked chicken/contaminated rice. 

How Many Cups is Two Chicken Breasts?

For an average size bone-in breast, you should get about 1 ½ cups of chicken. For a skinless, boneless chicken breast, you’ll get about 1 ½ cups as well. Of course, it all depends on the size of your chicken breasts to begin with.  

Expert Tips

• If you are cooking with bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, up the browning time to about 3-4 minutes per side before removing to add the rice and broth. Be sure to check that the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees before eating. 
• If you are using brown rice, you’ll need to up the cooking time to about 30-35 minutes. Check around the 30-minute mark for doneness. 
• Some great add-ins to this recipe include one can of fire-roasted tomatoes, half a cup of frozen peas or carrots, one teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or add half a finely chopped onion to the butter to caramelize a bit before adding chicken.
• This chicken and rice recipe will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer in an airtight container.

More Recipes You’ve Gotta Try

• Baked Honey Lemon Garlic Salmon in Foil
• Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry
• One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
• Lemon Herb Shrimp and Rice Skillet

Did you make this One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice recipe? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!