chicken
rice
easy
one-pan
dinner

"This is my go-to chicken dinner," says Grant Melton, one of our former culinary producers. "I make it whenever I'm, like, 'What should I cook for dinner tonight?' A lot of it can be done ahead of time, so it's super simple and hands off. It also only uses one pot and is so good. Basically, it's a recipe that checks all the boxes." 

For another easy staple chicken dish from Grant, check out his Dirty Martini Chicken. 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups basmati rice
  • ¾ cup full-fat Greek yogurt (or one 5.3-ounce container)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pot
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon dried dill
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated
  • 4 scallions, white and pale green parts sliced and greens left whole, for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken (breasts, thighs or a combination), cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
  • Flaky salt, for topping
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Yield

Serves: 4 to 6

Preparation

Place the rice in a sieve and rinse thoroughly, then place the sieve over a bowl to drain while you prepare the chicken.  

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, dried dill, garlic, sliced scallions, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. (If doing this step in advance, place the marinated chicken in the fridge until you're ready to cook it.) 

When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Place a large (about 6 ½ quarts) Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the chicken, with its marinade, in an even layer and let simmer while the rice par boils (below).  

Place a small pot filled with water over high heat. Once boiling, add the drained rice and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately drain the rice in a sieve, then dump the drained rice over the chicken and spread into an even layer. Carefully place a single layer of foil over the top of the pot, cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.  

Meanwhile, julienne the scallion greens on the bias, slicing them as thinly as you can. Place them in a bowl of ice water so they curl and become crunchy. Set aside.  

When the chicken is ready, carefully remove the lid and discard the foil. Fluff the rice with a fork, then mix in the thawed peas. Spoon the chicken and rice into dishes and top with the curly scallions, fresh dill and flaky salt. Serve with lemon wedges.