Chicken and Rice

Name: Chicken and Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 Lb Bone-In Chicken Thighs, Skin-On; 3 Cups Long-Grain White Rice; 6 Cups Chicken Broth; 1 large Yellow Onion, Diced; 4 cloves Garlic Cloves, Minced; 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter; 2 Tsp Dried Thyme; 2 count Bay Leaves; 2 Cups Frozen Peas And Carrots; 2 Tbsp Kosher Salt; 1 Tbsp Black Pepper; 0.3 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped; 8 count Lemon Wedges

One pot, hard to mess up

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 50 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: easy

One pot, hard to mess up. Sized for a full crew, with timing that still works when the kitchen gets interrupted.

Why crews like it: A hall pick for tight shifts — one line, real portions, no drama at the stove.

747Cal

80gProtein

71gCarbs

14gFat

Ingredients

4 Lb Bone-In Chicken Thighs, Skin-On
3 Cups Long-Grain White Rice
6 Cups Chicken Broth
1 large Yellow Onion, Diced
4 cloves Garlic Cloves, Minced
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tsp Dried Thyme
2 count Bay Leaves
2 Cups Frozen Peas And Carrots
2 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Black Pepper
0.3 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped
8 count Lemon Wedges

Instructions

Season and brown chicken: Pat chicken thighs dry; season all over with salt and pepper. Brown skin-side down in butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high 6–8 minutes until golden. Flip briefly, then remove to a plate — you are building flavor, not finishing here.
Sweat onion and toast rice: In the same pot, cook onion in the chicken fat 4–5 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic and rice; toast 2 minutes until edges look translucent.
Add broth and nestle chicken: Pour in chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle chicken skin-side up on the rice. Bring to a simmer, then cover tightly and reduce heat to low.
Simmer until rice is tender: Cook covered 22–25 minutes without lifting the lid — steam escapes and rice goes crunchy. Chicken should read 165°F in the thickest part; rice should be tender and broth absorbed.
Steam vegetables and rest: Scatter peas and carrots over the top; cover 5 minutes off heat so vegetables steam. Discard bay leaves. Fluff rice with a fork, taking care not to shred chicken.
Serve one-pot portions: Plate chicken over rice on sheet trays or serve family-style from the pot. Finish with parsley and lemon wedges. Keep the seasoning simple — thyme, salt, and pepper only.

Tonight's spread

Fluff rice with a fork at the table — chicken thighs stay skin-side up for crisp skin.
Lemon wedges and parsley on the side; no hot sauce bar needed for this one.

Hall tips

Assign one cook to proteins and one to sides — rookies stay on timing, not multitasking.
Prep all mise en place before the bell — this meal wins on organization, not speed hacks.
Keep a backup tray warm in the oven for late calls — nothing worse than cold plates after a run.
Taste for salt at the end — hall palates run salty after long shifts.
Pull chicken at 160°F and let carryover hit 165°F — dry breast ruins crew morale.

Substitutions

Chicken thighs ↔ breasts (thighs forgive overcooking on the flat-top).

Meal prep

Minimal prep — chop aromatics before shift change so you can cook as soon as the board quiets.

Leftovers

Cool leftovers in shallow containers within two hours — deep pots stay hot too long.
Label trays with date and reheat to 165°F minimum before second shift.

Large Dutch oven with tight lid
Large sheet trays
Instant-read thermometer
Aluminum foil