I’m sitting here on a chilly Sunday as the clock strikes 11am. I’m pondering what I will be eating for lunch. I’m too tired to cook and too lazy to go pick up food. Luckily in my fridge…there are ALWAYS leftovers. I saw I had leftovers of this dish so I spooned some on a plate and heated it in the microwave. As I take a bite, all those flavors of the spices and herbs hit my tongue and the crunch of the vegetables leave me feeling just like I did when I made this the other night. This dish is just as good leftover as it is freshly made. I love the simplicity of the dish and the fact that it’s in ONE POT. Yep that right, I cooked everything in my large cast iron skillet. No need to dirty up a million dishes and make a ton of work for yourself. This meal is so easy to create. Although it takes a little over an hour to make, about 90% of that hour is the chicken and rice slowing cooking under a lid. You only have to do about 20 minutes of prepping and then you leave it be and let the magic happen. Simple and delicious. A meal that everyone can get behind.
Although you can certainly do this meal with other types of rice, but I love a good wild rice blend. It brings multiple flavors and different textures to the dish you wouldn’t get with a brown or white rice. It makes it a little more special in my opinion.
ONE POT CHICKEN THIGHS WITH VEGETABLES + WILD RICE
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 70 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken thighs, bone in skin on
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
5 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, small dice
1 cup baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup yellow squash, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup green squash, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 cups wild rice blend
3 cups chicken broth
6 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1 tbsp lemon juice
DIRECTIONS:
Wash chicken thighs and pat dry. Sprinkle thighs with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and cayenne.
Heat a cast iron skillet (or a tall sided pan with a lid) to medium high heat. Add in 3 tbsp olive oil and chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook chicken thighs 4-5 minutes per side to get the skin crunchy and a deep golden brown. Remove thighs from pan and set aside.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to pan along with onion, mushrooms, squash and carrots. Cook while occasionally stirring for 4-5 minutes till vegetables are slightly tender. Add in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds till aromatic.
Add in wild rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, thyme and rosemary. Stir together and bring to a boil (should take about 4-5 minutes).
*Note: if you used a low sodium broth, you may need to add salt.
Reduce heat to simmer and add chicken thighs on top. (Making sure to keep the skin side up and above the broth) Cover with a lid and let cook for about 50 minutes (till rice is cooked and there is no liquid left).
Turn off heat and serve warm.
Looks delicious 😋