Creamy Chicken and Rice (One Pan)

A classic comfort food favorite gets a few upgrades! This chicken and rice recipe has a creamy Gruyere cheese sauce and fresh broccoli, and it cooks in just one pan on the stovetop. It’s a hearty and comforting dinner for a chilly night.

a pan of chicken and rice.

If it was 30 years ago, a chicken and rice dish might have been baked in a blue and white Corningware dish along with some cream of something soup that slid from its can in one gelatinous glop. And 30 years ago, I was happy to have that casserole sit center-stage on our family table because it was one of my favorite childhood dinners.

How to Make It

But it’s not 30 years ago, so we’re making a chicken and rice casserole-esque dinner as a one-pot meal on the stovetop. Instead of canned cream of chicken soup, we’re making a cheesy sauce with Gruyere and cream. Some chopped shallot and a splash of white wine make it a little more sophisticated than its more humble casserole cousin, but the end result has the same cozy spirit. It’s my favorite sort of thing to make – a familiar but upgraded comfort food dinner that gives all the best feels.

More One Pan Recipes

| Meatball Stroganoff | Baked Tortellini | Sausage and Peppers | Fiesta Chicken |

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One-Pan Creamy Chicken and Rice

chicken and rice in a skillet.

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An old favorite gets a few upgrades! This chicken and rice dish has a creamy Gruyere cheese sauce and fresh broccoli, and it cooks up in just one pan on the stovetop. It’s a hearty and comforting dinner.

  • Author: April Anderson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 3 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8-ounce chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped shallot
  • 1/4 cup of white wine
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
  • 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and cover it with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken to about 1/2″ thickness. This will ensure it cooks evenly. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper – a few pinches of each on both sides.
  2. In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan and cook it on one side for four to five minutes or until it’s browned and no longer sticks to the pan. Cook it on the other side for a few minutes or until it’s cooked through (165°F). Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board.
  3. In the same pan, cook the shallot until it’s fragrant, about a minute or so. Add the wine to the pan and stir. As the wine simmers, scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
  4. Add the broccoli florets and stir. Cook the florets for five minutes or until they start to cook down and release their moisture.
  5. Add the chicken stock and the thyme leaves. Adjust the heat to medium-high and bring the stock to a boil. Add the rice and stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan, and simmer the rice for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. If needed, you can add up to 1/4 cup of chicken stock if your pan gets too dry before the rice is done.
  6. While the rice cooks, slice the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces. Once the rice is tender and the liquid in the pan is absorbed, add the chicken to the pan and stir to combine. Add the cream and cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted. If needed, add another tablespoon of cream to thin the sauce if yours is too thick.

Notes

  • I tested this recipe several times using a 10-inch skillet. If you use a different-sized skillet, you may need to adjust the amount of chicken stock so that the rice cooks properly.
  • A note about salt: I found the only added salt the dish needs is the amount needed to generously season the chicken before cooking it because the chicken stock I used had plenty of salt in it already. That said, depending on the kind of chicken stock you use, it’s always a good practice to taste as you go and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  • The leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to a day or so. To reheat, just pop them in the microwave. If needed, add a little bit of cream to loosen the sauce.

Nutrition

  • Calories: 537
  • Sugar: 8.1g
  • Sodium: 484.1mg
  • Fat: 29.9g
  • Saturated Fat: 12.2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 15.6g
  • Trans Fat: 0.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 30.9g
  • Fiber: 6.3g
  • Protein: 36.2g
  • Cholesterol: 112.4mg

Do you love this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a comment and your recipe star rating!

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.

Variations

Chicken: To make it even easier, you can use leftover cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken would be great). Skip the chicken cooking step, and start with the shallot. Wait to add the cooked until after you’ve cooked the rice. You can also use the same amount of chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.

Shallot: You can use the same amount of finely chopped onion instead of shallot. White, yellow, or red onion will work.

Broccoli: I think this recipe would work great with mushrooms. If you try this, be sure to cook them until they release their moisture. This will give them a meaty texture that’s not rubbery.

Rice: You can swap the white long-grain rice for brown rice, but the cooking time may take longer (and you might need to add a bit more chicken stock).

Cheese: For a more old-school version, swap the Gruyere cheese for cheddar cheese.

chicken and rice in a skillet.

I hope you try this chicken and rice recipe soon!

Happy cooking,

April

More Chicken Recipes

This chicken and rice recipe was updated from the archives. It was first published in September 2018.

2 Comments

  1. I made this last night and it was delicious! I didn’t change a thing, but next time I probably will try it with cheddar since that will lower the cost considerably. Thanks for another great recipe!






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