This Creamy Chicken and Rice recipe is easy to make in one pot with spinach, simple seasonings, and a Garlic Parmesan cream sauce. This dish is filled with gourmet flavor and is sure to impress!
Chicken and Rice
This Chicken and Rice recipe is super creamy and flavorful, it incorporates simple gourmet techniques that add a ton of flavor, but don’t require special cooking skills.
(Bonus: it’s all prepared in one pot on the stove top!)
It starts out by softening some onions and garlic in butter.
From there, we sauté seasoned chicken and deglaze the skillet with white wine before steaming the rice in chicken broth, which infuses it with a ton of flavor.
It’s then finished off a in a garlic parmesan cream sauce with fresh spinach. (Does it really get any better than that?!)
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Sauté the onions in butter over medium-low heat for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Increase heat to medium-high and add the chicken and 2 tbsp. butter over medium-high. Toss to coat and sear on each side until golden. Deglaze with white wine and cook for 3-4 more minutes, until just a small amount of liquid remains.
Add the seasonings and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil. Add the rice and submerge it in to the liquid. Bring it back to a boil and cover tightly. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes.
Set heat to low and add the half and half in small splashes, stirring to incorporate. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Stir in the spinach and give it 3 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt and the sauce to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve!
Liquid to Rice Ratio
- The rule of thumb is to use twice as much liquid as you use rice. (i.e. 2 cups liquid for every 1 cup of uncooked rice.) We add an extra 1/2 cup in this recipe as it’s used as part of the cream sauce.
- We also use chicken broth instead of water to infuse the rice with a lot of flavor.
- 1 cup of uncooked rice will yield 3 cups of cooked rice.
The Trick to Extra Fluffy Rice
- For extra fluffy rice, let it sit with the lid on for 10 minutes after cooking. Not only will it be light and airy, but any rice stuck to the bottom of the pot will release naturally. Refrain from stirring as this will release starch and make it sticky.
- Don’t lift the lid during cooking, this will cause steam to escape and the rice will be hard/undercooked. A glass lid is handy because you can see what’s going on in the pot without lifting the lid. Just make sure the lid fits tightly on the pot. Nonstick pans are also great for cooking rice.
Pro Tips
- Wine: Dry white wines like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are best in this recipe. A splash of chicken broth can be used instead if you don’t cook with wine, to help clean the skillet.
- Brown rice may be used for this recipe but often requires a lot more simmering time (up to 45 minutes in some cases), as well as more liquid. Refer to package for guidance.
- Refrain from using minute rice with this method as it will likely be overcooked and mushy.
- A combination of Parmesan and Asiago may be used for this recipe. Be sure to grate it freshly from a wedge to ensure it melts and tastes the best.
- Check out these helpful articles on salvaging less-than-perfect rice and 6 most common rice cooking mistakes!
- If you love creamy rice recipes like I do, be sure to try my Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze well.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Box Cheese Grater– Always grate the Parmesan from a wedge so that it melts and tastes the best.
- 3.5 quart Dutch oven– This conducts heat well for cooking rice, and has a sturdy lid that will keep the steam inside the pot during cooking.
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Pinch Bowls– for measuring out seasonings ahead of time.
- Chefs Knife– I have this one, it’s affordable but high quality.
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Chicken and Rice (One Pot!)
Ingredients
Chicken and Rice
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ lbs. chicken breast, diced
- Salt/Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, see notes
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked white long grain rice
- ½ cup half and half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Rice Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Note: A 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid is highly recommended for this recipe.
- Pat the cubed chicken completely dry and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat 2 tbsps. butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and toss to coat. Soften for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add the chicken and remaining butter. Toss to coat and let it sit, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes to get a golden sear on one side. Toss and let it sear for 3 more minutes.
- Add the wine and let it reduce for 3 more minutes, until just a little liquid remains. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot with the wine, this will make the dish more flavorful.
- Add the seasonings for the rice. Add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Add the rice and submerge it into the liquid. Return to a boil and cover tightly.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer (medium-low), and let the rice steam for 15 minutes. Check on it, if the liquid is gone and the rice is cooked, turn heat off. If not, simmer 5 more minutes, then taste-test for doneness.
- Optional: You may choose to remove it from the heat and let it sit with the lid on for 10 minutes. This makes the rice extra fluffy, and allows any rice stuck to the bottom of the pot to release naturally. Refrain from stirring as this will release starch and make it sticky.
- Set the heat to low and add the half in half in small splashes, stirring it in gently. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate.
- Add the spinach and stir to combine. Let the spinach wilt and the sauce thicken for 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and serve!
Notes
- Wine: Dry white wines like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are best in this recipe. A splash of chicken broth can be used instead if you don't cook with wine, to help clean the skillet.
- Brown rice may be used for this recipe but often requires a lot more simmering time (up to 45 minutes in some cases), as well as more liquid. Refer to package for guidance.
- Refrain from using minute rice with this method as it will likely be overcooked and mushy.
- A combination of Parmesan and Asiago may be used for this recipe. Be sure to grate it freshly from a wedge to ensure it melts and tastes the best.
- Check out these helpful articles on salvaging less-than-perfect rice and 6 most common rice cooking mistakes.
- If you love creamy rice recipes like I do, be sure to try my Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole!
Nutritional info below is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
So flavorful! And as someone said earlier, not your typical chicken/rice dish… so much better! A quick question though, I’m making a meal for a friend who just lost her mom. Do you think this could be made ahead of time and sort of combined with the chicken, broccoli, rice casserole??? I’d like to make a casserole for them that they can throw in the oven anytime (which includes the broccoli) but love the flavor of this recipe. Thoughts?
Hi Jen! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! I definitely think that this could be combined with the chicken broccoli and rice casserole baking method, that is a great idea and a very nice gesture!
Yum!! I made with rotisserie chicken and extra lemon. Everyone had seconds, was delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that Mandy! Using Rotisserie chicken is a great time saver, nice work. Thanks so much for the great review!😀
this is definitely becoming a staple in my meals! I made this with frozen cauliflower rice instead of long grain rice, and it still worked perfectly! I refrain from adding lemon at the end because I didn’t have any fresh lemon however I think that would be the perfect addition next time! I love all of your recipes! Keep doing what you are doing!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this with cauliflower Lindsay! Thanks so much for your support and for taking the time to leave a review!😍
We are saving this recipe!! The splash of lemon juice at the end really finished off the dish. Part way through cooking I tasted the broth and added a little more salt. Ooops wrong thing to do. Recipe is fine the way it’s printed.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Judy, I love the splash of lemon at the end! Thanks so much for the great comments!💕
This recipe is the bomb!!! So good, creamy, and rich. The chicken turned out very tender. I will definitely put this one on my re-make list Thank you Stephanie.
You’re very welcome Diane! I’m so happy you enjoyed this one so much, thank you for the great review!❤️
This was delicious! It looked like a simple recipe but it was packed with SOOO much flavor!!! I used the Pinto Grigio wine as you suggested and it took this recipe to a whole other level. Even my picky eater husband enjoyed it and went back for more! You had me fooled with this one. I thought I was making a one pot quick dinner. But…I didn’t know I would be getting a restaurant-quality meal!!!! Thank you!!! Will be making this often!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it so much Pamela! I love hearing when the picky husbands approve, I have one of those 😂. Thanks so much for the great comments and for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
Made the Chicken and Rice one pot last night, it was delicious!! I had it as left overs tonight and it was just as good! I will definitely be making this again!
I love the left overs with this one too Marcey! I’m so happy you enjoyed this, thank so much for the great comments and review!💕
Love it and so easy!
Thank you so much Fiori!! 🙂 So glad that you like it!!
Stephanie,
This is not the “kids canned soup 5 min.” Chicken and Rice we all know! And I’m not knocking easy, kid-friendly “usually ” involving canned soup ingredient somewhere recipes because we all have nights like that, kids or not. I always try to find substitutes for all the high sodium, processed foods anywhere I can for me if for no one else so I LOVE THIS! CAN’T WAIT to put it on the table and making my grocery list tomorrow!! Also, that red polka-dot spatula is just too cute! I’m jealous! 😀 Maybe I can manage to find one while I’m out or on Amazon (they have everything these days!) Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much for the great comments Kimberley💕! I’m so with you when it comes to canned soup. I do whatever I can to make my own! I can’t wait for you to get it on the table, enjoy💕! P.S. I’ll let you know if I can remember where I got that spatula, I’m drawing a blank right now!
Can you use cauliflower rice?
Hi Christine, I haven’t cooked with cauliflower rice myself unfortunately, but I am pretty sure some adjustments would need to be made as it appears that you don’t need to cook cauliflower rice in liquid like you do regular rice. If you want to give it a try, I would check out this article from TheKitchn to avoid some common mistakes with substituting cauliflower rice for regular. I hope that helps! 🙂 -Stephanie