Dinner recipe: Smothered Chicken & Rice
Comfort food at its finest, this Smothered Chicken & Rice is creamy, savory, and soul-soothing. One pot, big flavor, and easy enough for any cook.
Ingredients
- - 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- - 1 cup long grain white rice
- - 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- - 4 cloves garlic minced
- - 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- - 3 tbsp butter
- - 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- - ½ tsp smoked paprika
- - 1 tsp dried thyme
- - ¼ cup heavy cream
- - Salt and black pepper to taste
- - 2 tbsp oil for searing
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Sear chicken skin-side down in hot oil until golden. Remove and set aside.
- In same pan, sauté onions with a pinch of salt until soft; add garlic and thyme.
- Stir in butter and flour to form roux. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in broth and bring to simmer. Return chicken to pan.
- Cover and simmer 25 minutes. Add rice around chicken and cover again.
- Simmer another 20 minutes until rice is tender. Stir in cream.
- Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken gives richer flavor.
- Add rice only after chicken is mostly cooked.
- Let rest to thicken the gravy naturally.
- For Cajun twist, add Cajun seasoning to roux.