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What to Make With Chicken and Rice: 7 Easy Dinner Ideas

Chicken and rice is the most flexible pantry duo there is. With one or two extras, you can land anywhere from a 20-minute weeknight bowl to a slow Sunday biryani. Here are seven directions to take it tonight.

1. Lemon-garlic chicken and rice (20 minutes)

Sear bite-sized chicken thighs in olive oil with crushed garlic until just cooked. Squeeze over half a lemon, add a knob of butter, and toss with rice and chopped parsley. The juices coat every grain.

2. One-pot Greek chicken and rice

Brown chicken thighs in a Dutch oven, then add rice, stock, oregano, lemon zest, and a few halved tomatoes. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Finish with crumbled feta and dill.

3. Teriyaki chicken bowls

Glaze pan-seared chicken with soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and ginger. Serve over rice with cucumber, sesame seeds, and scallions. Endlessly riffable.

4. Chicken fried rice (15 minutes from leftovers)

Cold rice + diced cooked chicken + soy sauce + egg + frozen peas + sesame oil. High heat, big pan, never crowd it. This is the best thing to do with last night's takeout rice.

5. Arroz con pollo

A one-pot Latin American classic: chicken thighs, sofrito (onion, pepper, garlic), tomato, saffron or annatto, and rice all simmered together. Worth the 50 minutes.

6. Slow-cooker shredded chicken bowls

Set chicken breasts in the slow cooker with salsa, cumin, and stock for 4 hours. Shred and pile onto rice with avocado, lime, and pickled onion. Great meal-prep base.

7. Weekend biryani

If you've got two hours, marinate chicken in yogurt and spice, then layer with parboiled basmati, fried onions, and saffron milk. Steam-cooked. Make it once and you'll never order takeaway biryani again.

Want a full recipe for chicken and rice?

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FAQ

What's the quickest chicken-and-rice dinner?

Lemon-garlic chicken with leftover rice or microwaved jasmine rice — about 20 minutes start to finish.

Can I use leftover rotisserie chicken?

Yes. Fried rice, chicken-and-rice soup, or shredded chicken bowls all work beautifully with rotisserie chicken; you skip the cooking step entirely.

What's a good seasoning for chicken and rice?

Lemon and garlic, soy and ginger, cumin and paprika, or oregano and feta will all take it in a different direction. The base is so neutral it accepts almost any cuisine.