Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice

This old-fashioned Chicken and Rice with celery and onions is one of the world's most nearly perfect comfort food recipes. Your family will love it!

5 from 198 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

This old-fashioned one pot Chicken and Rice recipe is pure, hearty comfort food. For this simple recipe, chicken, rice, celery, and onions are combined and steamed to perfection all in one pot. It’s a great meal to make on a weeknight or when you need something that really sticks to your ribs!

There are certain recipes that I make over and over but, somehow, never think of sharing them on the blog. They’re old recipes that I grew up with and have made all my life without ever having a written recipe. I just throw them together, and they always turn out to be delicious.

Chicken and Rice is one of those recipes. I started to make this one day recently, and it suddenly occurred to me that I had never posted this recipe. Heck, I didn’t even have a recipe for this.

So, I grabbed a pen and paper to make notes, and here we are…an honest-to-gosh written recipe, with measurements even (!), for my quick chicken and rice recipe.

Even though this recipe is high in protein, I’m not going to try to make any sort of claim that this is healthy. Or good for you. Or anything like that. What I can claim is that this is old-fashioned comfort food, pure and simple.

It’s good for cold days, warm days, and in between days. Good for when you have the sniffles or when you feel like celebrating. It’s really, really good for when you’re feeling homesick. It’s just good food.

• It’s made with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
• Made all in one pot so cleanup is easy!
• It’s high in protein but balanced with carbs from the rice.
• Simple comfort food that’s easy to work into your dinner rotation.

This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.

• Butter (one of the main reasons this recipe is so comforting)
• Onion and celery (aromatic vegetables that impart their flavor throughout the chicken and rice)
• Boneless, skinless chicken (you can use all white meat, all dark, or a mixture)
• Chicken stock (the rice absorbs all the stock during the steaming making it flavorful and fluffy)
• Rice (adds heartiness and texture; my favorite is basmati rice but regular long grain white rice or brown rice both work well in this recipe)
• Salt and pepper (always present in savory dishes to enhance the flavors)
• Parsley (optional, but adds a pop of color and fresh flavor)

1. Start by melting half a stick of butter (that’s 4 tablespoons) over medium heat in a deep sided skillet.
2. When the butter has melted, add the diced celery and onion. Let it cook slowly, giving it a stir every once in a while until it has softened but hasn’t started to brown.

👉 PRO TIP: I use my chicken fryer for making this recipe. It’s about 10″ across and at least 3″ deep — the perfect size and shape. You could also use a Dutch oven or something like that. Just make sure it has a snug fitting lid.

Must Have Saute Pan

A kitchen essential! This All-Clad deep saute pan is perfect for many kitchen jobs.

Check it out >

All-Clad Deep Saute Pan

3. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken has stiffened and started to brown very slightly.
4. Add the stock and stir in the rice.
5. Add the salt, pepper, remaining butter, and parsley.

👉 PRO TIP: Don’t skimp on the ground black pepper! It’s very important to the flavor of this recipe.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
7. Cover the pan, and cook 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

When you’re ready to serve, use a fork to fluff the rice. Sprinkle a little additional chopped parsley over the top just to make it pretty :-)

I serve this as the main dish. Fresh green beans, broccoli casserole, or peas make an excellent accompaniment.

• Cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so that it will cook evenly.
• The vegetables should be diced small and in evenly sized pieces.
• Check the cooking time for the type of rice you use in the recipe. I used basmati and the cooking time is 20 minutes. Brown rice (or other varieties) may require more or less time.
• Let the pan sit, covered and off the heat, for about 10 minutes at the end of cooking for fluffier rice.

• Instead of chicken, substitute beef tips or your favorite ground meat.
• Add diced carrots in with the onions and celery for a naturally sweet flavor.
• Substitute brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice.
• Add your favorite herbs and spices such as thyme or rosemary with the celery and onions for a delicious herbed flavor.
• Turn it into a chicken and rice casserole — make the recipe through step 4, then stir in a can of cream of chicken or cream of celery soup. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the rice is done.

• Storing: place cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: Store in an airtight container or freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.

• Charleston Red Rice
• Chicken with Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce
• Stick of Butter Rice
• Lemon and Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs

📖 Recipe

Chicken and Rice

This old-fashioned Chicken and Rice with celery and onions is one of the world's most nearly perfect comfort food recipes. Your family will love it!

4.99 from 198 votes

Print It Rate It Save Saved! Text It

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 389kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 tablespoons butter divided
• ▢ 1 large onion diced
• ▢ 3 ribs celery diced
• ▢ 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 2 breasts), cut into 1” pieces
• ▢ 3 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 1 ½ cups rice (long grain white, basmati, or brown)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Instructions

• In a large deep skillet over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.
• Add the onion and celery and cook until softened but not browned.
• Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken has stiffened and starts to brown very slightly.
• Add the stock, rice, salt, pepper, remaining butter, and parsley. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Notes

• Cut the chicken into similarly sized pieces so that it will cook evenly.
• Check the cooking time for the type of rice you use in the recipe. Brown rice (or other varieties) may require more or less time.
• Let the pan sit, covered and off the heat, for about 10 minutes at the end of cooking for fluffier rice.
• Storing: place cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: Store in an airtight container or freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 389kcal | Carbohydrates 43g | Protein 18g | Fat 15g | Saturated Fat 8g | Trans Fat 1g | Cholesterol 87mg | Sodium 1102mg | Potassium 365mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 3g | Vitamin A 491IU | Vitamin C 3mg | Calcium 34mg | Iron 1mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

Share on Facebook Pin Recipe

Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Follow @LanasCookingBlog or tag #LanasCooking!

— This post was originally published on April 12, 2013. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.