This easy Chicken Rice recipe makes the perfect side dish to go alongside any main dish. Make it in bulk for a big family or for meal prepping weekday meals.
The amount of times my family has made this chicken rice and I have neglected to share the recipe…
It’s a shame that I needed to correct. Chicken rice recipe is the perfect way to level up your carb side dish, turning plain rice into an actual temptress. It boasts savory chicken flavor with a hint of herbiness and onion and garlic to back the whole thing up.
Plus, it pairs magically with just about any main dish! The concept is similar to rice pilaf, with a more pronounced chicken essence.
Grilled chicken, crispy salmon, pork tenderloin, and perfect bbq ribeye are all great sidekicks to this lovely little side piece.
The best part is this go-to side requires only slightly longer to make than a batch of regular rice, signaling a high return on investment.
In addition, the main ingredients for chicken flavored rice can be found at any grocery store. Nothing fancy here, folks!
Chicken Rice Ingredients:
Avocado Oil and Unsalted Butter: Butter provides the creamy richness, which is one of the key flavors in chicken flavored rice. Adding avocado oil helps protect the butter from burning, as it burns at a relatively low temperature. Olive oil works here too.
Long Grain White Rice: The main ingredient here, we need long-grain white rice for the best texture. Jasmine rice and basmati rice both work great.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: A little fresh onion and garlic adds robust flavor to support the chicken essence.
Chicken Broth: I prefer cooking the rice in chicken broth over water because it produces a deeper chicken flavor.
Chicken Bouillon: Responsible for the majority of the chicken flavor, chicken bouillon takes us to flavor town. I like using the combination of chicken stock and chicken bouillon to ensure the rice turns out with an unmistakable chicken flavor.
For the best results, use chicken bouillon that comes in a jar, although bouillon cubes work too.
Dried Thyme and Dried Rosemary: Providing just the right about of herby undertones, a little thyme and rosemary goes a long way.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the rice to your personal taste using salt and pepper. I don’t add any salt, as my chicken stock and chicken bouillon provide enough saltiness.
Recipe Customizations:
- For extra flavor, add another tablespoon butter.
- Mix in 1 cup of chopped fresh parsley or fresh cilantro for a bright herb flavor.
- Cook up to 1 pound of boneless chicken thighs with the rice for a complete meal. If you go this route, I recommend browning the chicken first, add an extra 1/2 cup of chicken broth, and leave the chicken thighs whole during the cooking process (as opposed to chopping them). Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs work too, but skinless chicken thighs require a little less hassle. Once the rice has finished cooking, insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh to check for doneness. They are fully cooked if they are at 180 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
- Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes for a little heat.
That’s it for the basic ingredients! Now here’s how to make it.
How to Make Chicken Flavored Rice:
Heat the butter and avocado oil in a Dutch oven, large pot, or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until the onion has softened and has turned translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the chopped garlic and white rice and continue sautéing, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth, chicken bouillon, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Give everything a big stir. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bring the mixture to a full boil.
Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Replace the cover and allow the rice to sit for another 10 minutes.
Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl, serve with your main dish and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are some of the main entrees that I pair with chicken rice as a side dish.
Crispy Skillet Salmon with Lemon Caper Dill Sauce
Gluten-Free Chicken Marsala
Lemon Garlic Sauteed Shrimp
Baked Bone-In Chicken Thighs
Sun-Dried Tomato Salmon
Yes! Do note that brown rice requires more cooking time. Follow the package instructions for the exact time, but in general, brown rice takes between 35 minutes and 45 minutes to make.
I also recommend adding another 1/2 cup of broth (for a total of 3.5 cups) to ensure the whole grain softens up enough.
For the best results, I recommend sticking with the instructions in this post, because they include sautéing the onion in the same pot used to cook the rice. This sautéing process softens the sting of the onion.
Nevertheless, if you prefer cooking in a rice cooker, you can skip the fresh onion and garlic and add 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
If you’re like me, and rice is your absolute favorite side dish, try out some of my other rice recipes.
More Rice Recipes:
- Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice
- Ginger Turmeric Aromatic Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Rice
- Coconut Rice
Enjoy your chicken flavored rice with everything!
Chicken Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- ½ cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 large clove garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups white rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp sea salt to taste*
Instructions
- Heat the butter and avocado oil in a Dutch oven, large pot, or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until the onion has softened and has turned translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chopped garlic and white rice and continue sautéing, stirring regularly, for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth, chicken bouillon, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Give everything a big stir. Cover with a tight fitting lid and bring the mixture to a full boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Replace the cover and allow the rice to sit for another 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked rice to a large bowl, serve with your main dish and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
