Easy one-pan chicken and rice dinner with peas, potatoes, pearl red onions and olives. This family-style recipe is filling, complete and delicious, no leftovers guaranteed!

chicken thighs with rice in skillet with potatoes, red onions and olives

There is something very special about chicken and rice together. Like rice and beans and peanut butter and jelly, it is the perfect marriage! This Ultra satisfying meal comes together easily in one-pan just under 45 minutes. It’s complete with chicken, rice, potatoes, peas, pearl onions and olives.

Lately I have been super enjoying chicken thighs in every way possible. This cut is so flavorful, cooks well with vegetables and works with most cooking methods, like this Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs and Vegetables and this Braised Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms and Broccoli.

This one-pot chicken thighs variation has a lot of interesting flavors that combined creates this very exciting meal. There is flavor and in every scoop!

chicken thighs with rice in skillet with, potatoes, red onions and olives

But don’t let my suggestions limit you because you can literally add, remove or substitute any of the ingredients for something that sounds more delicious to you. Here are some substitution ideas;

  • sweet potatoes or carrots in place of yellow potatoes
  • Broccoli or asparagus in place of peas
  • you can omit the pearl onions and/ or olives but they are truly delicious in this dish
  • add scallions, mushrooms and squash

One-pot meals are simply the BEST! Here are a few reader’s favorites:

Ground Turkey Butternut Squash Skillet

Braised Green Beans with Sausage

Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Beans

Chicken Sausage and Vegetables Pasta Skillet

chicken thighs with rice, potatoes, red onions and olives

If you make this One-Pan Chicken and Rice recipe be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thanks a bunch!

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one pan chicken and rice
5 from 3 votes

One-Pan Chicken and Rice

by Silvia
Easy one-pan Chicken and Rice dinner with peas, potatoes, pearl red onions and olives. This meal is filling, complete and only takes 30-minutes to make!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 people

Equipment

  • Skillet

Ingredients 

  • 6 chicken thighs, skin on or off
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup rice
  • 3 cups chicken broth or water
  • 1 cup red pearl onion, halved
  • 1 cup pitted olives
  • 2 cups yellow potatoes, cubed
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 bay leaf
  • fresh cilantro
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Clean chicken thighs and dry them as much as you can with a paper towel.
  • In a large skillet heat oil. Brown chicken thighs skin side down first for about 3-5 minutes then turn skin side up for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Chicken is not fully cooked at this point*
  • To the skillet with remaing oil and fat from the chicken, add shallots and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add rice and broth or water**, stir well. Add chicken thighs back in, nestling them around the rice not on top.
  • Nestle the potatoes around the chicken. They will need to be mostly submerged in order to cook properly.
  • Also add bay leaf, pearl onions and olives but these can sit on top of the rice.
  • Cover and let it simmer for about 25 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed, the rice is soft and chicken is cooked through.
  • About five minutes before done, add in peas. When meal is cooked, garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

Notes

*chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature registers 165F degrees.
**I used water and the meal had plenty of flavor!

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Keyword: Chicken, One-pot Meals, Rice
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Like this? Leave a comment below!
one pan chicken and rice

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chicken and rice skillet

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Hi! I’m Silvia.

My goal is to make cooking simple and enjoyable.

Garden in the Kitchen is full of easy and balanced recipes for busy families. Classics get a healthier twist with additions of veggies or alternative ingredients.

I hope my recipes will inspire you to cook more home meals and above all have fun in the kitchen!

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4 Comments

  1. I am not much of a cooker, but this recipe is the BOMB! Oh so easy to make and tasty as all get out. I used the thighs which made it even more flavorfull. I will be making this on a regular basis.

  2. This was absolutely delicious. I added sliced green zucchini and stuffed green olives as well as using left over rice and peas from the night before. I marinated my chicken with garlic powder and pepper. I also used herb and garlic spice in the mix. It was sooooooo YUMMMMMY