Spicy One-Pot Chicken and Rice

one-pot recipespoultrymeat & seafoodlunchdinnerrice recipesbeans & grains

Jun 11

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Bold and mouthwatering **Spicy One-Pot Chicken and Rice** is packed with tomatoes, sweet onions and red peppers! This scrumptious dinner is all cooked in one pan, and it’s ready in under an hour!

If you want more quick and easy dinners, you gotta try this Savoury Beef and Vegetable Couscous Bowl, Oven Baked Salmon with Lemon and Herbs, and this Easy Cheesy Skillet Taco Pasta!

I’m going to let you know now that no matter how many times I make this dish, the photos just can’t seem to do this dish justice! I’ve taken pictures of the recipe on a plate, in the pan. I do my best but the photos really can’t capture how scrumptious this Spicy One-Pot Chicken and Rice is.

This is one of my earliest published recipes back when I started on Blogger. Tried and tested, I still follow and love this recipe today. This is always what I fall back on when I am looking to make something quick for dinner. I love all of the tomatoes with the rice and the sweetness they bring, combined with the spice from cayenne pepper. The chicken breast is so tender, juicy, and full of deliciousness!

What I have to say about this dish is that the amount of dishes you’ll have to wash is next to none! I’ve never had the privilege of having a dish washer except for a brief 8 month period when I was living with roommates, so I really can’t stand having to do dishes! My girlfriend can’t stand seeing a dirty dish, so she’ll typically wash the dishes as soon as I’m done with them while I’m cooking to save us time in the evening. I wish there weren’t dishes to do! You’ll basically have to just clean this one pan, a cutting board from the prep, and the plate you’re eating on. For me, it does not get better than that.

I first discovered a one-pot chicken and rice by Tastemade and it blew me away! It’s just so simple and does not have a long ingredient list! Woohoo for that!

You’ll notice my recipe is quite similar to this one. The key difference here is that I’m using chicken breast instead of chicken thighs since they are much lighter and full of pure protein. Plus, this is a great way to learn how to bake juicy chicken in the oven.

The next difference is that I’m seriously loading up on tomatoes here. Like, a lot of tomatoes. I love my tomatoes and this combination is inspired from a Spanish Paella. The tomatoes makes the rice nice a rich red and adds a subtle sweetness which really enhances the spicy flavours of the chicken and the cayenne.

I also really enjoy heat, so instead of smoked paprika, I’m using cayenne pepper and quite a bit of it! Don’t worry, I’ll explain how to customize the spice level based on your preferences soon!

The final reason why I love this recipe is because it’s beginner-friendly! Even if you’re not a beginner, however, you’ll love the convenience and ease of preparation. This was one of the first dishes I ever made for my sister when she first visited me in Canada, and she was hooked! She even made it herself afterward and it turned out great - I was a very proud brother that day!

So let’s get cooking and save you some dishes tonight!

Ingredients for Spicy One-Pot Chicken and Rice

This list of ingredients may seem long, but they’re simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry! These ingredients really work together to add tons of flavour to the dish, so you won’t want to skip out on any of them! Trust me, this dinner still gets ready very quickly, so don’t worry!

Chicken: I’m using skin-on, boneless chicken breast.
Olive oil: This is used to sear your chicken on the pan.
Cayenne pepper: The real show stopper here, used to season the garlic, onions and tomatoes.
Garlic: To add fragrance to the rice.
Onions: When they sauté, they’ll become nice and caramelized, which adds a nice sweetness to the rice.
Red pepper: Adds additional sweetness that nicely complement the onions, as well as some body! Peppers, onions and tomatoes will really go well together! I used to always make this dish without the peppers, but alas I finally decided to throw them in. I’m glad I did!
Salt and pepper: Adjust to taste.
Tomatoes: If you love sauciness like I do, then be sure to use plenty of tomatoes! They’ll add a nice richness to the rice and the chicken!
White rice: Use a long grain rice here. I’m using Basmati rice, which I recommend. It will cook the best with the chicken and the tomatoes. Make sure your rice is rinsed before adding it to the pan.
White wine: This is used to de-glaze the pan after cooking the chicken, after you’ve added the rice. You don’t want to miss out on those awesome browned bits because they’re packed with goodness!
Chicken broth: This is going to add lots of flavour to the rice and chicken. It’s much tastier than plain water!
Peas: Optional, but I recommend them! Not only do the peas add a nice colour, but they add sweetness and a great little crunch! We’ll be adding the peas near the end of our cook time. After about 20 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and add your peas. Return the pan to the oven, and everything will finish cooking together!

How to Make One-Pot Chicken and Rice

This recipe is so perfect to make on a busy weeknight! One pot, a few ingredients, minimal clean-up. That’s a perfect formula for a night when you need to recharge and have some good food practically cook itself! I’m sure this will become a new easy fix for dinner in your home!

Don’t forget that the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all measurements and cook times is available at the bottom of the post, so that you can save this recipe for later!

Preheat the oven to 350 F. You’ll cook the chicken as the oven heats.

Season the chicken. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper on the chicken breast.

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Cook the chicken. Heat a pan that’s oven-safe (up to 350 F) on medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil, then add your chicken to the pan, seasoned side down. I like to season the other side as the chicken is cooking, so go ahead and season the other side of the chicken breast. Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until it’s golden brown. Set aside on a plate.

The chicken will finish cooking while baking later.

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Add veggies: Now to the same pan, add the remaining olive oil, along with garlic, onions and peppers to the pan and sauté until they are tender. Season with salt, pepper and half of the cayenne pepper. Toast the spices for about a minute, while continuously stirring.

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Add tomatoes: Add in chopped tomatoes and the remaining cayenne pepper. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.

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Add rice, white wine and chicken broth: Add the rice to the pot and sauté for about a minute. Add the wine to de-glaze the pan, getting all the browned bits from the chicken. Pour the chicken broth and let it come up to a simmer.

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Bake: Then, return your chicken to the pot along with any resting juices and nestle it in the rice. Put a lid on the pan and bake covered for 20-30 minutes.

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Add peas (optional): Fluff the rice with a fork. If desired, add peas and cook uncovered in the oven for an extra five minutes.

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Serve Hot: Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon juice if desired.

Adjusting the Spice Level

I use a combination of paprika and cayenne pepper in this dish for the spice. Paprika being a mild spice while cayenne is much hotter. I use the paprika mostly to add colour to the dish and if you are someone who is sensitive to spice, you can either cut both in half, or prepare the dish with just the Paprika.

Then as you taste the final dish, make the judgement call if you need more or less spice. I want you to enjoy food like you want it, so trust your taste buds and discover and change the dish to your preference, just like I did.

Can You Meal Prep this Chicken and Rice?

I think chicken and rice is the original meal prep guru, while you can fact check me on that, I can assure you that this dish will make for a great meal prep dish. One thing to keep in mind is to not store this dish for more than 3 days. After extended periods of storage, the chicken will become dry and stale.

How Do You Store This One-Pot Chicken and Rice?

Once your one-pot chicken and rice is prepared, let it cool down slightly before equally portioning the dish in meal prep containers. Don’t close the lid of the container if the rice is still steaming, otherwise the condensation will turn the rice watery and mushy.

How Do You Reheat One-Pot Chicken and Rice?

Reheating one-pot chicken and rice in the microwave would be the best way if you have taken this dish on the go. About 2-3 minutes should be enough to get this dish hot and ready. If you are not on the go and have some more time on hand, you can add this dish to a pot, cover the pot and heat on low until warmed through. This will be the ideal way to ensure the rice grains are still fluffy and prevent any mushiness. However, I can imagine you’re probably in a hurry, so if you want to microwave leftovers, then go ahead! I tried both reheating methods and let me tell you that the stove does take quite some time!

Why Do I Have to Bake One-Pot Chicken & Rice? Can’t I Cook It on The Stove?

This was a brilliant question my girlfriend asked me! Let me give a bit of background. After I recorded this video recipe (go to the video at the bottom of this post so you can follow along as you prepare!), I made it again with some extra veggies that needed to be finished. I forgot to preheat the oven - well, okay, let me be honest. I didn’t FORGET, I chose not to because I had already started cooking, and preheating would have taken forever. I was really hungry and didn’t want to wait for the oven - I needed lunch! So, when I got to the stage where you cover your pan and bake it, instead I let the rice, chicken and veggies simmer in the liquid.

I was asked, “If it’s easier to just leave it on the stove, why do you bother baking it in the first place?” I actually didn’t have an answer. For years (yes, this recipe is YEARS old, though the red peppers are a new touch I just discovered for you guys!), it was just robotic for me to do all the steps and dump it in the oven. Sheepishly, I replied “Um, to slow cook?” She played devil’s advocate and asked “Why would you want it to slow cook?” Then, I answered, “Well, you don’t have to baby it over the stove.” She mentioned that it doesn’t seem like I was babying it. “I don’t know, okay! Let’s see!”

Good thing I tried this out so I can actually give a real answer now! What I discovered by cooking it on the stove was that the heat was not evenly distributed. In the oven, you have the heat coming from all four sides. On the stove, the heat just came from the bottom, and that made my rice get stuck. The liquid was also not getting completely absorbed. The flavours were still there, but it wasn’t completely warmed through. So for even cooking, bake it!

Watch How to Make Spicy One-Pot Chicken and Rice Here:

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!

Spicy One-Pot Chicken and Rice

Bold and mouthwatering Spicy One-Pot Chicken and Rice is packed with tomatoes, sweet onions and red peppers! This scrumptious dinner is all cooked in one pan, and it’s ready in under an hour!

Prep time: 8 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 48 Min

Ingredients

For the chicken

2 skin-on, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil

For the preparing the chicken and rice

1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 1/2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 Cup basmati rice
1/2 Cup white wine
1 1/4 Cup chicken stock
1/2 Cup green peas
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Heat an oven safe high-sided skillet on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp olive oil
Add chicken to pan and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side each side is seared and golden brown. Set chicken aside on a plate, the chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
In the same pan, add 1 tsp of olive oil, onions, red pepper and minced garlic. Sauté until onions and peppers soften. Season with a pinch salt and pepper and add in 1 tsp of cayenne pepper and toast the spices for about 1 minute while continuously stirring.
Add chopped tomatoes, paprika and rest of the cayenne pepper and cook until tomatoes soften, for about 5-8 minutes.
Next, add the rice and sauté for about a minute. Add wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has reduced by half, pour in the chicken broth, mix well and bring it up to a simmer
Place the seared chicken on top of the rice, along with any resting juices. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place in oven for 20 minutes.
Remove lid carefully and and mix in the green peas. Place lid back on and place pan back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon juice. Serve hot and enjoy!