Description
A delicious and easy one pot lemon herb chicken and rice recipe that is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Tender chicken breasts are browned and then cooked together with flavorful white rice, chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, and Italian seasoning for a comforting and zesty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Rice
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth (low sodium)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet or pan with a lid. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. Brown the chicken in the melted butter for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden but not fully cooked. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Cook the rice: Add uncooked rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, and remaining Italian seasoning to the same pan. Do not clean the pan to retain flavor. Stir gently to combine.
- Simmer chicken and rice: Place the browned chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
- Garnish and serve: Garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro and lemon wedges if desired. Serve hot immediately for best flavor.
Notes
- If using bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, increase browning time to 3-4 minutes per side and verify internal temperature reaches 165°F before serving.
- For brown rice, increase simmering time to 30-35 minutes and check for doneness at the 30-minute mark.
- Optional add-ins include fire-roasted tomatoes, frozen peas or carrots, red pepper flakes, or caramelized onion added before browning the chicken.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
