This easy chicken and rice one pot dish recipe is a simple, delicious meal with juicy chicken, carrots, mushrooms, and rice—all made together in one pot for minimal fuss and maximum flavour.

About this Chicken and Rice One Pot Dish

I like my meals balanced with protein, veggies, and carbs—and this one-pot recipe gives all three with very little effort.

This easy chicken and rice recipe is perfect for busy nights with minimal cleanup. The chicken is pan-fried first to seal in flavour, then cooked with rice and veggies in the same pot, making it a convenient and tasty dish everyone will love.

Fried onions and cumin powder bring some awesome flavour, and since you add them at the end, you can just adjust them however you want.

You’re going to love how simple and delicious this recipe is—definitely give it a try! 😊

Ingredients for One Pot Chicken and Rice

• Chicken: I tested many versions of this recipe, and bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks worked best with the rice since they have similar cooking times. The bones also help keep the chicken juicy. If you prefer boneless chicken or smaller pieces, add them back to the rice halfway through cooking so they don’t overcook and get tough.
• Rice: I use short-grain rice in this recipe because it gives a soft, sticky texture—use long-grain if you prefer drier, more separated grains.
• Veggies: After testing different veggie combos, I found mushrooms and carrots work best—carrots add a bit of sweetness, and mushrooms bring an earthy flavour while keeping the rice moist. Feel free to swap in other veggies—just skip leafy ones. Peas, corn, cabbage, or potatoes work better.
• Fried Onions: Fried onions are a game-changer—make sure to include them! Also, add a bit of extra oil when mixing the rice to keep it moist and delicious.
• Cumin Powder: Cumin powder is added at the end because it can get bitter if cooked too long. Plus, it’s a spice not everyone loves, so it’s easy to skip or add how you like.

How to Make a One-Pot Chicken and Rice Dish

Step One: Preparing

• Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper, then set it aside for 30 minutes.

• In a frying pan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of oil and sliced onion. Cook until the onion turns golden brown, then set aside.

Step Two: Pan-frying Chicken

• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan. Add the marinated chicken and pan-fry both sides until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Step Three: Cook Rice with Veggies and Chicken

• In the same pan with the remaining oil, sauté the carrot and mushroom until softened.
• Add rice, water, salt and the cooked chicken. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is cooked through.

Step Four: Serving

• Before serving, mix in the fried onion oil and cumin powder to taste.
• Or serve them on the side so everyone can add as much as they like.

Tips for this Chicken and Rice Recipe

• Using a non-stick saucepan makes this recipe much easier to cook and clean up!
• If you have a rice cooker, after mixing the chicken, veggies, rice, and water, you can transfer everything into the rice cooker to cook.
• Use a rice-to-water ratio of about 1 to 1.2. For a saucepan, some lids let more steam escape, so you might need to add extra water if it gets too dry.
• Like any home-cooked meal, feel free to adjust the chicken, rice, or veggies—just keep the saltiness in check.
• To add some heat, try using homemade chilli oil or Sriracha chilli sauce.

Give this one-pot chicken and rice a shot—you’ll love how simple and delicious cooking can be!

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