Ten ingredients and forty-five minutes, in one deep skillet.
The chicken goes in twice: once to sear and colour, and again on top of the rice to finish cooking under the lid.
Why This Recipe Works
- Searing first gives the chicken a golden crust the lid can't produce.
- Taking it out before it's cooked through keeps it from drying out.
- The garlic butter goes into the pan the chicken browned, picking up its flavour.
- Cream in the cooking liquid makes the long-grain rice loose and creamy.
- Nestling the chicken on the rice lets it finish in the steam.
Ingredient Notes
- Small chicken breasts
- Four, about a pound and a quarter. Small so they finish cooking through on top of the rice.
- Long-grain white rice, rinsed
- A cup and a half. It turns creamy from the cream in the pan, not from being a risotto rice.
- Butter, garlic and heavy cream
- Three tablespoons, four cloves and half a cup. Together they make the pale garlic-butter sauce the rice cooks in.
How to Make It
Chicken seasoned, seared three minutes a side, set aside
Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high and sear chicken 3 minutes per side; transfer to a plate before it is fully cooked.
Heat lowered, butter melted, garlic cooked
Lower heat to medium, melt butter, and cook garlic 30 seconds.
Rice, broth, cream and salt brought to a simmer
Stir in rice, broth, cream and remaining salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Chicken nestled on the rice, covered until tender and 165°F
Nestle chicken over the rice, cover, and cook on low 15 to 18 minutes until rice is tender and the thickest part of every chicken breast reaches 165°F.
Rested covered five minutes, parsley over
Rest covered 5 minutes, then finish with parsley.
The Chicken Finishes on the Rice
This recipe deliberately takes the chicken out of the pan half-cooked and puts it back later. That makes one check essential, and it comes at the end rather than the start: every breast must reach 165°F after its time on the rice. Here is what happens either side of it.
- SEAR - colour, not doneness4 SMALL CHICKEN BREASTS seasoned with 1/2 tsp SALT and 1/2 tsp PEPPER and SEARED in 1 tbsp OLIVE OIL over MEDIUM-HIGH 3 MINUTES PER SIDE, then TRANSFERRED TO A PLATE BEFORE IT IS FULLY COOKED. The sear gives the golden browned spots; the lid can't.
- The GARLIC BUTTER - in the same panHeat LOWERED TO MEDIUM, 3 tbsp UNSALTED BUTTER melted and 4 MINCED GARLIC CLOVES COOKED 30 SECONDS in what the chicken left behind.
- The RICE - long-grain, in cream1 1/2 cups RINSED LONG-GRAIN WHITE RICE, 2 1/2 cups LOW-SODIUM CHICKEN BROTH, 1/2 cup HEAVY CREAM and the remaining 1/2 tsp SALT, BROUGHT TO A GENTLE SIMMER. The rice is LONG-GRAIN; the cream is what makes it loose and creamy.
- NESTLED and covered - 15 to 18 minutes on lowThe chicken NESTLED OVER THE RICE, COVERED, and COOKED ON LOW UNTIL THE RICE IS TENDER. The steam under the lid finishes the chicken while the rice cooks.
Check before you continue
165°F in the thickest part of EVERY breast — An instant-read thermometer in each breast
The recipe is specific: THE THICKEST PART OF EVERY CHICKEN BREAST REACHES 165°F. Every one, because a half-cooked breast finishing on rice will not all arrive at the same moment - the one nearest the edge of the pan may lag. The safety advice repeats it: COOK CHICKEN TO 165°F IN THE THICKEST PART.
- REST - 5 minutes, coveredRESTED COVERED 5 MINUTES. The rice finishes absorbing the sauce and the chicken's juices settle.
- PARSLEY - and no vegetablesFINISHED WITH 2 tbsp CHOPPED PARSLEY. The dish stays VEGETABLE-FREE. Creamy rice leftovers are REFRIGERATED PROMPTLY.
Success Tips
- Don't cook the chicken through in the sear — it finishes on the rice.
- Keep the heat low once the lid is on so the rice doesn't catch.
- Check the thickest breast with a thermometer before resting.
Serving Ideas
Four servings of seared golden chicken breasts over creamy long-grain rice in a pale garlic-butter cream sauce, scattered with parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why take the chicken out before it's cooked?
It finishes on top of the rice under the lid. Cooking it fully in the sear would leave it dry by the end.
Is this made with risotto rice?
No, with long-grain white rice. The creaminess comes from the heavy cream in the cooking liquid.
Can I add vegetables?
As written it has none — it's chicken, rice and garlic-butter sauce. Adding vegetables would make it a different dish.
