One Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Crispy chicken thighs with garlicky homemade rice pilaf.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword One Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 718kcal

Equipment

3 quart saute pan with lid

Ingredients

4 large chicken thighs bone in, skin on about 2 pounds total weight
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup orzo uncooked
1 cup extra long grain rice uncooked
1/2 cup yellow onion finely diced
4 cloves garlic minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and pat dry. Heat olive oil on medium high heat and place chicken thighs skin side down. Let brown 7-8 minutes until skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip chicken and cook on other side for about 3 minutes.
Remove chicken from pan and set aside, it will not be cooked through at this point. Spoon out any rendered chicken fat. (See recipe note) Reduce heat to medium and add butter to pan. Add onions and sauté until they start to soften. Add orzo and toast until light golden born. Stir in rice and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil. Add chicken thighs to pot, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook on low covered for about 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and chicken thighs are cooked through. Fluff rice pilaf with fork and top with fresh parsley.

Notes

Alternatively, you can use the chicken fat in place of the butter and skip adding the butter. Just make sure you have at least two tablespoons of fat left in the pan.

Nutrition