Easy Chicken and Rice Recipes

Updated August 14, 2013
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Chicken and rice make perfect partners for easy, budget-friendly one-dish meals. With kid-friendly flavors and the possiblity of plenty of leftovers, these meals make great additions to your weeknight rotation as well as becoming wonderful packed lunches the next day. 

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Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup Recipe

Go ahead and flag this recipe--it's sure to become a family favorite. For convenience, we call for precooked wild rice; if you can't find it, you can substitute 2 cups of your own cooked wild rice or a package of precooked brown rice.

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Easy Chicken Adobo

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Anna Theoktisto

Easy Chicken Adobo Recipe

Inspired by the Philippine national dish, this Easy Chicken Adobo uses a simple blend of garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce to give chicken a zingy boost. Traditional adobo sauces are commonly enriched with coconut milk, and the dish is frequently made with pork. But for everyday cooking, we like this lighter, simpler chicken recipe. Serve with rice. This is the perfect dinner for spicing up your usual routine. 

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Arroz Con Pollo

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Kate Parisian

Arroz Con Pollo Recipe

This classic Spanish and Latin America chicken and rice dish cooks in just one pot.

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Parmesan Chicken and Rice

Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Parmesan Chicken and Rice Recipe

This is a great choice for busy weeknights as you can cook the entire recipe in one skillet and because most of the ingredients are items that are easy to keep on hand in the pantry.

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Coriander Chicken and Rice

Credit: Greg DuPree

Coriander Chicken and Rice Recipe

This dish is inspired by the savory street cart chicken and rice whose fragrance will lure you over from a block away. Though you can enjoy this lunch at room temperature, it tastes best reheated. Rest assured, the food holds up beautifully. Because everything is so nicely seasoned, it’s all just as flavorful after 3 days. When making the recipe, be sure to get the rice going first; as it cooks, the rest of the meal will come together.

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Blackened Chicken with Dirty Rice

Credit: Johnny Autry; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl

Blackened Chicken with Dirty Rice Recipe

Fragrant spices enliven the rub on the chicken breasts in Blackened Chicken with Dirty Rice. The trinity of vegetables—onion, celery, and green pepper—along with thyme, spices, and chicken livers combine for a decadent side of Dirty Rice.

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Chicken Paella

Credit: Victor Protasio

Chicken Paella Recipe

A Spanish dish from the Valencia region, paella is named for the cooking vessel itself: a round, shallow pan made of carbon steel that heats quickly and evenly. A good paella pan helps develop the socarrat, or crispy layer of rice crust on the bottom that's the most prized part of the dish. A large skillet will work as well if you don't have a paella pan. Look for short-grain Bomba or Valencia rice at specialty markets. Be aware that risotto rice like Arborio won't work here, since paella rice isn't meant to be creamy.

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Chicken, Shrimp, and Vegetable Gumbo

Chicken, Shrimp, and Vegetable Gumbo Recipe

This hearty Instant Pot chicken dish freezes well and tastes even better the next day. Serve in bowls as is or over rice.

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Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice Casserole

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice Casserole Recipe

This healthy whole-grain spin on a comfort food classic is indulgent, creamy, and a guaranteed family-pleaser. Cost for 4: $10.31

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Hainanese Chicken

Credit: Victor Protasio

Hainanese Chicken Recipe

This is one of the national dishes of Singapore. Deceptively plain-looking, it’s loaded with flavor when done well—tasty aromatics infuse the rice and chicken as they simmer. The toppings and garnishes add more bold taste and texture. Find sweet soy sauce in the international aisle of the supermarket or at Asian markets.

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Golden Chicken with Cilantro-Cashew Pesto and Coconut Rice

Credit: Christopher Testani; Styling: Kaitlyn Duross

Golden Chicken with Cilantro-Cashew Pesto and Coconut Rice Recipe

The golden hue comes from a rich blend of curry spices, which definitely make this dish company-worthy fare. 

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Fiesta Chicken and Carrot Rice

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Fiesta Chicken and Carrot Rice Recipe

This quick-cooking chicken dish comes together in a single skillet, cutting back on cleanup time, and helping get dinner onto the table with a minimum of fuss. It also happens to be delicious, and a family favorite among even the pickiest of kids.  Gina Homolka is the founder of skinnytaste.com and @skinnytaste.

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Creamy Chicken-Tomato Skillet

Credit: Caitlin Bensel

Creamy Chicken-Tomato Skillet Recipe

Yes! You can make chicken and rice in 20 minutes. When a craving for comfort food hits and you need it in a hurry, this fast take on chicken and rice hits the spot. Stirring chopped baby spinach into warm brown rice is a smart way to get more vegetables and jazz up an otherwise plain starchy side. Our pro tips for speedy cooking: Cut chicken into bite-size pieces so it cooks in just a few minutes, use precooked rice and heat it in the microwave, then use the hot rice to wilt the spinach for you while you finish the chicken. Fresh thyme, chopped basil, or parsley are all good stand-ins for the rosemary. Round out the meal with a glass of sauvignon blanc.

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Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter-Pecan Rice

Credit: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter-Pecan Rice Recipe

With chicken cutlets and boil-in-bag rice, this unique take on the chicken-and-rice dinner couldn’t be easier (or faster!) to make.

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Chicken, Shrimp, and Rice Stew

Credit: Victor Protasio

Chicken, Shrimp, and Rice Stew Recipe

This stew is based on the savory rice porridge congee, which has roots in Chinese, Thai, and Korean cuisines. Though the dish uses some classic Asian ingredients—such as fish sauce, ginger, and bok choy—the flavors are not aggressively Asian. Instead, it’s warm, creamy, and comforting in a chicken and dumplings sort of way. The dry rice gets pulverized in a mini food processor for two reasons: The smaller pieces cook to a porridge consistency, and the rice “dust” thickens the stew.

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Pam Lolley's Crispy Chicken with Rice and Pan Gravy

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Pam Lolley's Crispy Chicken with Rice and Pan Gravy Recipe

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Crock-Pot Chicken Teriyaki

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Crock-Pot Chicken Teriyaki Recipe

It just doesn't get easier than 5 ingredients in the crock pot. The result? Tender, flavorful chicken that totally beats take-out. We recommend serving over rice or stir-fried veggies, garnished with extra sesame seeds and chopped green onion. 

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Lemon Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl

Credit: Justin Walker; Styling: Carla Gonzalez-Hart

Lemon Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl Recipe

Enjoy this beautiful lemon-teriyaki glazed chicken over a fluffy bed of rice.

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Chicken Curry Bar

Credit: Brian Kennedy; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Chicken Curry Bar Recipe

Kids will have fun making their own custom creations when you set out lots of tasty topping options. Precook a big batch of brown rice; freeze some to serve later.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Congee

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Slow Cooker Chicken Congee Recipe

The slow cooker does all the work in this comforting rice porridge, breaking down the rice with fragrant ginger and star anise and poaching the chicken until silky. A bit of chili oil is the vibrant kick this dish needs. You can also use Sriracha or a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Cilantro or baby spinach leaves can work in place of the watercress.

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Chicken Adobo

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Chicken Adobo Recipe

Complete the meal with hot cooked brown rice and thinly sliced cucumber and carrots.

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Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice

Credit: Johnny Autry

Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice Recipe

Forget takeout and cook in with super-fast Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice. A flavorful and sweet sauce is tossed with the chicken mixture with a splash of Sriracha added for depth.

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Lemony Chicken Breasts with Rice

Lemony Chicken Breasts with Rice Recipe

Chicken and rice are perfect dinner partners, so simplify your dinnertime prep by cooking them together in the slow cooker. All you need to add is a simple side dish, such as microwave-steamed veggies, and you've got a meal.

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