Lemon Chicken and Rice

at a glance
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
4.8 — Votes 10 votes

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This Lemon Chicken & Rice Skillet is a one-pan dinner that is packed with delicious, robust flavor AND will save you dishes!

lemon chicken and rice skillet

One Pan Chicken and Rice

I love the idea that you can take out a SINGLE skillet, and with a strategic cooking sequence, have a fabulous, complete dinner. The secret to the success of this lemon chicken & rice skillet? Cracking the code on getting the rice cooked in the same skillet. This recipe is easy to follow, and the best part (second to only one pan to wash) is that most of the cooking time is hands-off! The end result is a simply cooked, lemony chicken breast and perfectly seasoned rice.

Lemon Chicken Rice Ingredients

Ingredients for Lemon Chicken Skillet meal

You don’t need a lot of fancy ingredients to make this one pan skillet. Here’s what you’ll use:

  • Butter or Olive Oil – you’ll use 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil to sear your chicken.
  • Chicken Breast – 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast are the main star of the dish.
  • Sea Salt – a ½ teaspoon of sea salt creates the base of flavor for your seasoning.
  • Garlic Powder – 1 teaspoon of garlic powder in addition to the salt simply seasons your chicken.
  • Rice – 1 cup of white rice (I used Basmati) is used for the starch component of the dish.
  • Chicken Broth – 1 ¾ cup of chicken broth is the perfect amount of liquid to get your rice cooked and keep the dish moist.
  • Fresh Thyme – 4 sprigs of fresh thyme give a delicious pop of herby flavor plus additional for garnish
  • Lemon – you’ll need 2 lemons to add a citrus note and garnish your dish (juice from one, the other sliced).

Ingredient Modifications

This dish is simple and delicious on its own, but here are some ideas of substitutions you can make:

  • Use chicken thighs – if you prefer a dark meat, substitute for 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of the chicken breast.
  • Use a different herb – fresh sage, rosemary, or tarragon would also be delicious if you don’t have thyme. Even better, use a combination of fresh herbs to add a more complex herb-flavor.
lemon chicken and rice skillet

How to make Lemon One Pan Chicken and Rice

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Lemon Chicken Skillet
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As promised, this recipe comes together in just over 30 minutes and is mostly hands off. Here’s how you’ll make your skillet:

  1. Season the chicken – season the chicken with salt and garlic powder on both sides.
  2. Heat the butter or oil – melt the butter (or olive oil) in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Sear the chicken – once melted/heated, add the chicken. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
  4. Add rice – add the rice to the skillet over medium-high heat and stir. Cook 1-2 minutes until toasted. It will give off a slightly nutty aroma at this point.
  5. Add the broth – to the skillet with the rice, add the broth and whisk to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
  6. Reduce heat, cover, and cook – once the rice is boiling, give it a final stir, add the thyme sprigs, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  7. Add the chicken – after 10 minutes has passed, remove the lid from the pot, stir the lemon juice into the rice, and place the chicken breasts and lemon slices on top of the rice.
  8. Cover and cook – cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and garnish with extra thyme.
  9. Serve and enjoy!
lemon chicken and rice skillet

Storing and Reheating Lemon Chicken with Rice

This dish stores and reheats beautifully. Let cool completely then transfer into an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, I prefer to toss the leftovers back in a skillet with a little oil and sauté until heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave.

Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet meal plated
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Q What does lemon juice do to a skillet chicken and rice?
A

The lemon juice in this chicken and rice skillet serves a couple purposes. First, it adds a bright, acidic flavor and helps enhance the flavor of the chicken and rice. Lemon juice also serves as a meat tenderizer and helps keep the chicken tender and moist when cooking.

Q Does lemon juice soften chicken?
A

The acidity in lemon juice gently breaks down protein fibers in meat while it cooks, resulting in a moist and flavorful chicken breast.

Q What is the correct way to cook rice in a skillet?
A

The best way to cook rice in a skillet is the bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and let the rice cook. It’s best to let the rice simmer and steam over low heat. This recipe breaks up the cooking time into two parts (the first 10 minutes to soften the rice and get the cooking started, the second 10 minutes to impart the additional lemon flavor and finish cooking the chicken by steaming it in the rice).

Q What is the correct ratio of broth to rice?
A

I find that the 1 cup of rice and 1 ¾ cup of broth is the perfect ratio for this recipe and the basmati rice I used. Different types of rice may call for different ratios. When in doubt, I always reference the cooking instructions on the package.

Q How long do you boil the rice?
A

Once the broth comes to a boil, you’ll want to reduce your heat to low and let the rice cook covered at a gentle simmer.

Q How do I know when the skillet chicken and rice is done?
A

At the end of your cook time, your rice should be perfectly tender and your chicken cooked through. If you question whether or not your dish is finished cooking, you can try a small spoonful of the rice to check its doneness and use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should reach 165 degrees F.

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Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet

By: Cassy Joy Garcia
4.8 — Votes 10 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
This Lemon Chicken & Rice Skillet is a one-pan dinner that is packed with delicious, robust flavor AND will save you dishes!

Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup white rice I used Basmati
  • 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 lemon sliced
  • Additional fresh chopped thyme for garnish

Instructions

  • Season the chicken with salt and garlic powder on both sides.
  • Melt the butter (or heat olive oil) in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Once melted/heated, add the chicken. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned, then remove from the skillet and set aside.
  • Add the rice to the skillet over medium-high heat and stir. Cook 1-2 minutes until toasted. It will give off a slightly nutty aroma at this point.
  • To the skillet with the rice, add the broth and whisk to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
  • Once the rice is boiling, give it a final stir, add the thyme sprigs, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes has passed, remove the lid from the pot, stir the lemon juice into the rice, and place the chicken breasts and lemon slices on top of the rice.
  • Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and garnish with extra thyme.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet
Amount per Serving
Calories
470
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
9
g
14
%
Saturated Fat
 
3
g
19
%
Trans Fat
 
0.1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Cholesterol
 
155
mg
52
%
Sodium
 
961
mg
42
%
Potassium
 
964
mg
28
%
Carbohydrates
 
41
g
14
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
53
g
106
%
Vitamin A
 
211
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
 
19
mg
23
%
Calcium
 
41
mg
4
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Recipe Notes

If you have large chicken breasts (more than 1-inch thick) slice them in half before searing.
Meet the Author
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Cassy Joy Garcia

HOWDY! I’m Cassy Joy and I am just so happy you’re here. I’m the founder, Editor-in-Chief, and Nutrition Consultant here at Fed and Fit. What started as a food blog back in 2011 has evolved now into so much more.
Get to know Cassy

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Carley says

    Carley —  04/08/2018 At 10:24

    What kind of rice did you use? This looks amazing! It is on my meal plan for the week!

  2. Emily says

    Emily —  04/11/2018 At 08:58

    I made this last night and it was delicious! I loved the flavors and how easy it was. Just want to note, mine did take about 15 minutes longer than the recipe stated, but i might have been using thicker chicken breasts. Thank you!

  3. Albert Bevia says

    Albert Bevia —  04/13/2018 At 03:31

    This meal sounds so incredible, love the combination of chicken and rice, and such a great technique to make this all in 1 pan! nothing worst that using up a bunch of pans and dishes to make a dinner! great post and recipe 🙂

  4. Karly says

    Karly —  04/13/2018 At 08:45

    Love the one pan idea! Rice and chicken is always a hit at my house! Thanks for sharing!

  5. Lindsay says

    Lindsay —  04/13/2018 At 20:07

    My family really enjoyed this recipe!!! We can’t wait to make it again!!

  6. June says

    June —  04/14/2018 At 09:13

    I love rice and would love this dish. Sadly I am diabetic and rice sends my sugar skyrocketing. Any suggestions?

  7. Whitney says

    Whitney —  05/18/2018 At 08:01

    I made this last night for dinner, and it was SO SO SO good. Totally (picky, but awesome, LOL) husband approved. The rice cooked perfectly, and cleanup was a breeze using just one pan!

  8. Sarah says

    Sarah —  06/08/2018 At 16:51

    This was very good! I made it as is the first time and found that it wasn’t enough rice for us so I just doubled the rice and liquid with additional 1/2 of a lemon’s juice and it was perfect. It is a great weeknight meal that can be on the table fast. We like to pair this with roasted lemon broccoli for a complete meal!

  9. Eirinn says

    Eirinn —  08/08/2018 At 17:09

    Made this tonight and added a zucchini, it was great! Thanks for all the awesome recipes (and Gus and Gray videos)!

  10. Leeanna says

    Leeanna —  04/19/2020 At 17:19

    So yummy! This was dinner this evening and it was delicious! I did have to add about a cup of extra liquid (I think my pan was still too hot after adding the rice and broth, it was almost cooked out after the first 10 minutes). But I fixed it and all was well. Very good and I will definitely make again!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  04/20/2020 At 04:46

      So good to hear, Leeanna! Thank you for sharing!

  11. Yvonne says

    Yvonne —  04/24/2020 At 04:43

    5 stars
    Super Easy and so good. Will be adding to our regular rotation. Also easy enough for my 12 yr olds to cook!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  04/24/2020 At 08:52

      Wahoo!!! So glad you loved it!

  12. Alison says

    Alison —  07/15/2020 At 17:18

    5 stars
    This is such an easy meal to throw together! Tastes delicious ❤️

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  07/17/2020 At 08:26

      So glad you love it, Alison!!

  13. Katherine says

    Katherine —  10/10/2020 At 07:01

    Any suggestions on how to use brown basmati? Should I precook it in my rice cooker?

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  10/12/2020 At 09:32

      We haven’t tried this with brown rice, Katherine, so we can’t say for sure. It would definitely take a different amount of time and a different water to rice ratio.

  14. Elizabeth says

    Elizabeth —  01/07/2021 At 21:29

    If I only have dried thyme, when would you recommend adding it?

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  01/08/2021 At 09:11

      Definitely! I’d use about a teaspoon of dried thyme in place of the 4 sprigs!

  15. Jill says

    Jill —  01/12/2021 At 16:44

    5 stars
    I love this recipe – it’s quick, easy and delicious. I make it weekly in our house. I increase the rice and broth a bit to guarantee a good ratio of chicken to rice for leftovers. Thank you for creating such delicious, thoughtful recipes!

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  01/13/2021 At 09:11

      Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Jill! We’re so glad you love it!

  16. Lindsay M says

    Lindsay M —  01/02/2022 At 20:11

    4 stars
    I used regular white rice instead of basmati and not all of ice was cooked through, even with extra cook time. Will try basmati next time. Great flavor!

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  01/03/2022 At 15:36

      Hi Lindsay! I am sorry to hear the rice did not cook through! Cook times can definitely vary for different types of rice, so I hope that it works out next time for you. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the flavor of the dish. ~Melissa

  17. LeeAnn Liberty says

    LeeAnn Liberty —  01/03/2022 At 17:55

    5 stars
    Easy. Tasty. Delicious.
    A keeper for sure!

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  01/05/2022 At 09:10

      Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us! Glad that you enjoyed! ~Melissa

  18. Danielle says

    Danielle —  01/23/2022 At 18:11

    5 stars
    Super easy, super delicious!

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  01/24/2022 At 11:51

      Hi Danielle, I am so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for taking the time to share with us! ~Melissa

  19. Hope says

    Hope —  06/04/2022 At 01:26

    Hi! What would be your suggestion if I just wanted to do the chicken and not the rice? Considering throwing the chicken over some orzo instead!

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  06/09/2022 At 15:20

      Hi Hope! We haven’t tested out starches other than rice, so can’t say for sure how orzo would cook. We know orzo cooks faster, so would need some adjusting on the timing. If you try it out, please let us know! -Team F&F

  20. Lori Creel says

    Lori Creel —  07/07/2022 At 19:04

    5 stars
    This is the best chicken rice I’ve ever had.
    I love the fact that it doesn’t have any condensed cream of anything. I cooked mine in a cast iron skillet and added all of the lemon juice to the broth when I added to the rice.
    It came out very light and refreshing almost like a chicken fried rice. Very flavorful. New fave.

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  07/13/2022 At 10:55

      Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us, Lori! We are so glad you enjoyed. -Team F&F

  21. Kiara says

    Kiara —  07/25/2022 At 14:11

    4 stars
    I enjoyed this dish! I would add a bit more rice and broth to cook it in. It seemed there was way more chicken than rice. But the flavors were great and it was really easy to whip up on a weeknight!

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  07/25/2022 At 15:14

      So glad you enjoyed, Kiara! Thank you for taking the time to share that feedback with us. We will take that into consideration when looking at this recipe. -Team F&F

  22. Katie says

    Katie —  10/07/2022 At 16:52

    We make this ALL THE TIME. Easy and always a hit with my picky kids!

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  10/11/2022 At 10:11

      We’re so glad to hear that it’s a hit for the entire family, Katie! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. We really appreciate it! -Team FF

  23. Deanna says

    Deanna —  10/24/2022 At 13:59

    To add some veggies to this dish do you think you could add broccoli florets with the rice & water & cook togther?

    • Melissa Guevara says

      Melissa Guevara —  10/28/2022 At 13:46

      Hi Deanna! We haven’t tried that method, but I would think that the steam created as the rice cooks would help steam the broccoli. Please let us know if you try! -Team FF

  24. Megan says

    Megan —  02/15/2023 At 18:46

    5 stars
    Sounds delicious, but I think we just don’t know how to cook in stainless steel! The pan turned black after the chicken. Was our heat too high or do we need more oil? Since it turned black, we scraped the black off and then did the rice and the rice ended up sticking to the pan and burning. Help

    • Brandi Schilhab says

      Brandi Schilhab —  02/16/2023 At 16:08

      Hi Megan! We’re so sorry you had trouble with this one. You could definitely try adding more olive oil when cooking the chicken, and if you feel like your stove runs hot, try keeping the heat to medium (vs. medium-high). The rice part is a bit puzzling, because the broth should have lifted any stuck-on rice. Our best guess is that the lid wasn’t on tight enough, but it’s hard to say without us being in the kitchen with you!