One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Vegetables
⏱ 15 min prep · 🍳 30 min · 🍽 4
This dinner runs on one idea: anything that needs a long simmer can simmer in the same pan. Chicken thighs hold up under a lid for twenty minutes without drying out — thigh meat carries more fat than breast — and arborio rice releases starch as it cooks, so the sauce thickens itself. No cream, no flour slurry, no second pot to wash.
That's what makes it a start-and-walk-away dinner. Brown the chicken and vegetables for about ten minutes, stir in the rice and stock, then let the lid do the rest. Zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper hold their shape enough to still look like vegetables on the plate, but soften enough that the youngest eaters don't need to fish them out.
Swap the vegetables for whatever's in the crisper drawer — as long as the total volume stays about the same, the sauce won't behave any differently.
Ingredients
- 1.000 stk løk
- 3.000 fedd hvitløk
- 0.500 stk grønn squash
- 0.500 stk aubergine
- 1.000 stk rød paprika
- 400.000 g kylling lårfilet
- 3.000 ss olivenolje
- 0.500 ts tørket oregano
- 0.250 ts chiliflak
- 2.000 stk tomat
- 2.500 dl arborioris
- 5.000 dl kyllingbuljong
Instructions
Skjær løk, hvitløk, squash, aubergine og paprika i passende biter.
Skjær kyllinglårfileten i biter.
Varm olje i en stor gryte og brun kyllingen; krydre med salt og pepper.
Tilsett grønnsaker og surr sammen i 3-5 minutter.
Krydre med pepper, oregano og chili; tilsett hakkede tomater.
Tilsett ris og kraft, rør godt; kok opp, reduser varmen og dekk til. La småkoke 18-20 minutter til risen er mør, tilsett mer væske ved behov.
Smak til med salt og pepper.
This is a good fit for the kind of weeknight where dinner has to survive you stepping away from the stove twice — one pan means nothing scorches or boils over if you're pulled off to referee a fight over the iPad. Because the chicken and vegetables finish browning before the rice and stock go in, there's really only one stretch where timing matters; everything after that is lid-on waiting, easy to manage around bath time or homework. Kids who push back on texture do fine with the vegetables diced smaller instead of cut into strips — the recipe itself doesn't change, just the knife work. Chili flakes go in right at the end, so they're simple to leave out of half the pan or pass around the table as a shake-on extra, which means one skillet still covers a house with two different spice tolerances.
FAQ
Can I use a different rice instead of arborio?
Yes — any short or medium-grain rice that releases starch the same way works, like a risotto rice labeled carnaroli or vialone nano. Long-grain rice such as basmati or jasmine doesn't work as well here because those grains are bred to stay separate and dry, so under a lid for twenty minutes they turn chewy instead of creamy. If you do swap, keep the liquid amount the same and start checking doneness after ten minutes rather than trusting the clock.
Will the chicken thighs dry out from simmering that long under the lid?
No — that's exactly why thighs are the right cut here instead of breast. Thigh meat carries more fat and connective tissue, so it holds up to long, moist heat the same way it does in a braise or stew. Breast has far less margin for error and turns stringy after that much time in the pan.
Can this be frozen?
It freezes fine, but the rice has already absorbed most of the liquid and keeps absorbing more in the freezer, so it comes out denser after thawing. Freeze it in single portions and thaw overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature. When reheating, add a splash of water or chicken stock before warming it gently on the stove, or the rice dries out at the edges of the pan.
How do I make this milder for kids?
Pull the kids' portions right after the vegetables finish softening, before the chili flakes and oregano go into the rest of the pan. Cut the zucchini and bell pepper into smaller pieces from the start if anyone at the table prefers the vegetables blended into the rice rather than visible. That way it's still one pan, just two spice levels.
How long do leftovers keep, and should I add anything when reheating?
Leftovers keep for three days in a sealed container in the fridge. The rice keeps pulling in liquid even after it cools, so a splash of water or stock when reheating brings back some of the original texture. Skip full-power microwave reheating if you can — it heats the rice unevenly and it's more likely to catch on the bottom of the dish.
Can I prep any of this the day before?
Yes — the zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper, onion, and garlic can all be chopped the night before and kept together in a sealed container in the fridge. The chicken thighs also hold up fine cut into pieces a day ahead, as long as they're well covered. That leaves just browning and simmering for the night you actually cook.