One-Pot Chicken & Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

3.67 from 15 votes

One-Pot Chicken & Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe

One-pot chicken & cilantro lime rice is as simple as it sounds. Pan-seared chicken thighs cooked in a dutch oven with fresh cilantro and lime jasmine rice.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

4-6 medium skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
3 cups of water
2 cups jasmine or basmati rice rinsed
2 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 limes juice squeezed
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
2-3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Pat chicken dry and season liberally all over with salt and pepper. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil to a cold dutch oven. Swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Arrange chicken, skin side down, and turn to medium heat.
Cook chicken, undisturbed, until the skin is golden and easily releases from the pot, about 8-10 minutes. Flip thighs and cook 3-5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a plate and remove pot from the heat for 2-3 minutes to cool. If there is a lot of excess juice and oil in the pot, you can discard some if you'd like. Leave a little behind for flavor.
Return dutch oven to the heat and turn to low. Melt butter and then add garlic, simmering for 1 minute. Add rice and stir to coat in butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
And 3 cups of water and mix. Nestle chicken back into the rice mixture skin side up. Increase heat to medium and bring liquid to a simmer. As soon as it bubbles, cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let chicken and rice sit for 10 minutes with the lid on.
Remove chicken from the pot and add lime juice and cilantro. Mix well with a fork and serve with chicken.

Notes

My most important advice is to use plenty of oil and start with a cold dutch oven when searing the chicken. This is to prevent the chicken thigh's skin from burning to the bottom of your dutch oven. Although the dutch oven is enameled, it is not the most non-stick friendly surface. Preheating the dutch oven before adding the chicken will overheat the pan and risk burning the chicken. Using too little oil will greatly increase the risk of sticking.

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