This Lemon Chicken and Rice skillet is a one-pan dinner that is packed with delicious, robust flavor AND that will save you dirty dishes!
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Lemon Chicken Recipe
- Lemon Chicken Rice Ingredients
- Lemon Chicken Ingredient Modifications
- How to Make Lemon One Pan Chicken and Rice
- Lemon Chicken Recipe Tips
- How to Store and Reheat Lemon Chicken with Rice
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Chicken Recipes
- Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet Recipe
This recipe is…
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 having 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.
If you’re looking for more one-skillet dinners, we’ve got you on that front too. This garlic butter steak and potatoes skillet is DIVINE, this Philly cheesesteak skillet has been a long-time reader favorite, and these skillet enchiladas are the easiest family-friendly dinner ever.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Chicken Recipe
- Just 5 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes in the oven
- One skillet = less dirty pots and pans
- Crowd-pleasing combo of tender chicken breasts and lemon- and thyme-scented rice means everyone will be happy!
Lemon Chicken Rice Ingredients
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).
Lemon Chicken 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.
How to Make Lemon One Pan Chicken and Rice
As promised, this lemon chicken recipe comes together in just over 30 minutes and is mostly hands off. Here’s how you’ll make your chicken and skillet.
Step 1: Season the chicken with salt and garlic powder on both sides.
Step 2: Melt the butter (or 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.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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.
Step 5: 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.
Step 6: After 10 minutes, 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.
Step 7: Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and garnish with extra thyme. Serve and enjoy!
Lemon Chicken Recipe Tips
- Thyme – there’s no need to strip the tiny thyme leaves from the sprig: just add the whole sprigs, and remove them when the cooking is done. Most of the leaves will have fallen off into the dish.
- Chicken breasts – If you have large chicken breasts (more than 1-inch thick) slice them in half before searing.
How to Store and Reheat 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The acidity in lemon juice gently breaks down protein fibers in meat while it cooks, resulting in a moist and flavorful chicken breast.
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.
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).
I find that the 1 cup of rice and 1¾ 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.
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°F.
More Favorite Chicken Recipes
Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet
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!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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
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!
To add some veggies to this dish do you think you could add broccoli florets with the rice & water & cook togther?
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
We make this ALL THE TIME. Easy and always a hit with my picky kids!
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
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!
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
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.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us, Lori! We are so glad you enjoyed. -Team F&F
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!
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
Super easy, super delicious!
Hi Danielle, I am so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for taking the time to share with us! ~Melissa
Easy. Tasty. Delicious.
A keeper for sure!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us! Glad that you enjoyed! ~Melissa
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!
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
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!
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Jill! We’re so glad you love it!