The Best Chicken and Rice Recipe

Inside: The Best Chicken and Rice Recipe

Foodies rejoice! Today I am sharing with you The Best Chicken and Rice Recipe. This is my Mama’s Chicken and Rice {which she learned from her Mama, who learned from her Mama} made the old-fashioned way. It takes longer to make, but I promise you it is worth the time because it is full of flavor that only comes from slow cooking.

I consider this recipe part of the Southern Comfort Food collection. Food that is a staple on most southern dinner tables.

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The Best Chicken and Rice Recipe

Let’s first discuss what this recipe isn’t. It isn’t Creamy Chicken and Rice. It isn’t Cheesy Chicken and Rice. It isn’t Cheesy Broccoli Chicken and Rice. Those are all delicious dishes, but this one is different. Why? The flavor comes from the way you cook it, and not what you toss into the casserole dish.

There is also a printable recipe below, but I’m going to talk about the steps first.

1. Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C. Rice 
• 3 C. Chicken Broth or Stock (I make my own, but Pacific brand makes great organic stock or broth)
• 1-2 T. Butter (the real stuff, please)
• 1 Whole Onion – diced
• 3 Celery Stalks – finely chopped
• 3-4 Cloves of Garlic – finely minced (good quality garlic granules work, too)
• 6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs*
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Parsley (optional)

*Ok, my Mama and Grandmama would’ve never have used these. They didn’t even exist in stores. They would’ve taken a whole chicken and cut it up themselves. I’ve done it this way and it tastes fabulous, but I didn’t think anyone would ever make this recipe if they had to handle a whole chicken and cut it up. As a matter of fact, my grandmother likely went out into her yard, grabbed the closest chicken, and processed it herself.

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2. Cooking the Chicken & Veggies

Melt the butter and saute the onion and celery until they are translucent. Then, add in the chicken*. Let this cook until the veggies are very soft and the pan begins to glaze. It takes more than a couple of minutes. I like to cook mine on low for about 20-30 minutes. The chicken gets nice and brown and the pan has lots of good stuff stuck to the bottom. You want this because it is what flavors the entire dish.

Once it is cooled, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.

*If you are brave enough to try a whole chicken you will have to cook it longer. Cook the chicken pieces until they are fully cooked. The skin and bone marrow from a whole chicken increases the flavor and makes it so delicious. Once the chicken is fully cooked, it will need to cool before you can remove the meat.

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3. Now, for the Rice

Remove the chicken, leave the veggies. Once the chicken and veggies are cooked there should be some oil left over in the pan. Add the rice and garlic to the oil and stir it around for a minute or two. The rice will take on a slightly transparent appearance and absorb the oil. It’s all good. If there is any residual oil, just spoon it out and discard.

Add 3 C. of chicken broth to the pan and wait for that awesome sizzle. Begin the deglazing by stirring the rice into the chicken broth and scraping up those bits and pieces that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring the rice to a low boil and add the chicken back in.

Turn the burner down to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. Then turn off the burner, remove from the heat, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste. Grab some fresh parsley from the garden and toss on top.

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A few additional thoughts…

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This isn’t a whip-it-up-in-10-minutes kind of dish. I’ve seen my mom and grandmother make Chicken and Rice most of my life. There was no recipe, they made it from instinct. That’s how I make it, too. That said, you may have to use your own instincts to really get a feel for making this recipe.

And, please don’t rush. This is real food that takes time to make. The flavor comes from slow cooking the chicken and veggies and then giving it time to absorb into the rice. Save this recipe for a day when you feel like cooking.

Oh, and because my family is Cajun, we alway sprinkle a little bit o’ that Tabasco Sauce on top. 

Here’s your printable recipe!

 Bon appétit mon ami!

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