Creamy Smothered Chicken and Rice (Printable Version)

Tender chicken in a rich, creamy sauce with perfectly cooked rice—all in one pan for easy cleanup.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - ½ tsp black pepper
04 - 1 tsp paprika

→ For Sautéing

05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
06 - 1 medium onion, diced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce & Rice

08 - 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
09 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried parsley
13 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Evenly coat chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, and paprika on both sides.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken breasts for approximately 3 minutes per side until golden. Remove from pan and set aside.
03 - Add diced onion to the same pan and cook 2-3 minutes until translucent. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add rinsed rice to the pan, stirring constantly for 1 minute to lightly toast the grains.
05 - Pour in chicken broth, heavy cream, dried thyme, and dried parsley. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
06 - Return seared chicken to the pan, pressing pieces gently into the rice mixture. Bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Cover pan tightly and reduce heat to low. Cook 25-30 minutes until rice is tender and chicken reaches internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Remove lid and sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over the surface. Cook uncovered 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
09 - Top with fresh chopped parsley immediately before serving.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan so you spend less time cleaning and more time with people you actually like
  • The rice soaks up all those pan juices while the chicken stays impossibly tender
02 -
  • Do not lift the lid during the first 25 minutes of cooking or the steam will escape and the rice might not cook through evenly
  • Let the pan rest covered for 5 minutes off the heat before serving so the rice absorbs any remaining liquid
03 -
  • Pound the chicken breasts to even thickness so everything finishes cooking at the same time
  • Always rinse your rice until the water runs clear to prevent gummy results

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