Chicken and Rice Recipe
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This Chicken and Rice Recipe is one of my most favorite comfort foods and is simple to prepare.
Each of us have those certain dishes that never require following a recipe. The flavors mingle in your mind. They’re just part of you and what you know. Out of habit and familiarity, the dish materializes before your eyes. Kind of like a dance you’ve always danced. You don’t think about it. You just do it.
No precise measuring. No fancy techniques. No strict timers or guidelines. And then it’s complete.
Dishes like these are usually our comfort foods. Food we’ve grown up with. Comfort derived not just from the enjoyment of eating the food itself but from the process of doing something routine, regular, and familiar.
This dish of Chicken and Rice recipe is that kind of comfort food for me. Having grown up with it, watching my grandmothers, and mother make it, and now being able to share it with my family is a pleasure. It’s special. Not to mention super yummy. My daughter requests this along with the White Bean Chicken Chili regularly. And one day she’ll learn to make it for her family too.
Here in the south Chicken and Rice is a regional favorite, and you’ll find as many versions as there are different southern accents. Particularly in the Low Country in South Carolina, Chicken and Rice may be referred to as Chicken Bog or Chicken Pileau (or perlow, or pilau, or perlieu?). While each may have a slight variation in ingredients (some recipes may include sausage and/or wine), all have two things in common: chicken that’s been cooked in a pot of it’s own broth until it’s falling off the bone, and rice added to soak up all the broth-y goodness.
I don’t know what the higher ups in all things food would call this version that I’m sharing with you, but we call it Chicken and Rice. And that suits me just fine.
I’ve been cooking this Chicken and Rice recipe for years, and, as I said, I don’t really follow a recipe. But the last few times I’ve made it I’ve taken notes so it could be shared with you. The recipe follows but please make it your own. It’s a basic rendition but sure to please. The ingredients are simple: a whole chicken, rice, celery and onion are the main ingredients, with the addition of a few seasonings. The process is pretty simple as well. I put mine together similar to a risotto.
After the chicken has cooked and the meat is falling off the bone (at least an hour, but the more the bettah), remove the chicken and let cool slightly in order to debone. While the chicken is cooling I usually let the broth reduce a bit more. When chicken is deboned, I remove all of the broth (or use another large pot) and put about 6 cups of broth back into the pot with 3 cups of rice and the deboned chicken. Add additional salt and pepper, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Stir rice and add another cup of broth, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes. Continue the process by simmering covered and stirring in more broth every 5 minutes or so, until rice is done. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Result? A smooth, creamy and tasty Chicken and Rice. And a wonderful smelling house!
I sure hope you enjoy it as much as we do and that it brings you a measure of comfort too.
One note: If you don’t own a dutch oven or large cast iron pot, this would be a good recipe to test drive one with. They are such a all-around good item to have for a well-stocked kitchen.
Chicken and Rice Recipe
Chicken and Rice Recipe
Chicken and rice is the perfect comfort food for any time of the year.
Ingredients
- 4 quarts (16 cups) water approx. (enough to cover chicken)
- 4 lb. (approx.) whole chicken
- 3-4 stalks celery; rough chopped
- 1 large sweet onion; diced
- 1 teaspoon pepper – divided
- 1 teaspoon salt – divided
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley – divided
- 3 cups long grain white rice
Instructions
- In a large stock pot bring water, chicken, celery, onion, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, celery salt, 1 teaspoon parsley to boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for at least 1 hour (2-3 hours would be even better).
- Once simmering is complete, remove chicken to cool in order to debone. Let broth continue to simmer and reduce.
- When cool enough to handle, debone chicken.
- Remove all broth from pot (or use another pot) and put approximately 6 cups broth back into pot along with the rice, chicken, remaining pepper, salt and parsley. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes stir in another cup of broth. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Continue to check the rice for doneness every 5 minutes. Stir in a little broth as needed to avoid rice drying out and sticking to the bottom of the pan, cover and simmer; repeat this step until rice is done.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
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cooking this now and it looks, smells great; can’t wait to eat it!
Thank you thank you thank you!! My Aunt made this for our family while I was growing up and anytime I tried to Google the recipe I came up with chicken casseroles but THIS is what I needed!! I will be making this for Easter this weekend! I can taste it already!!
The number of times I had this as a child would probably exceed the national debt. What wonderful memories. I don’t really know why I don’t make this except that maybe when I have a pot of chicken broth and chicken falling off the bone, I tend to turn it into chicken and dumplings instead. What I remember most about chicken and rice is that my grandmother loved cold chicken loaf and would make it all the time in the summer. My sister and I thought it was D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G and we refused to eat it so my mom would make a big pot of hot rice made with extra chicken broth and we would eat it with the hot rice because the gelled loaf would melt into chicken and rice. Strange memory to share I know, but it was tasty! I’m going to have to start making real chicken and rice for my family again. It’s such a great meal. Thanks for sharing and making me remember how much I love it!
Making this tonight, can’t wait!
How long dors it take for rice to cook ? Im cooking rice chicken doesnt seem to be getti g done?
Do you have the lid on?
I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for unraveling the mystery of good old southern chicken and rice! I’ve been searching for just the right recipe for years and this is it!
Wonderful recipe, just like my mom made while I was growing up. She’s gone now and this dish brings back great memories. Thank you for sharing. P.S. I added a can of cream of chicken soup to the broth for even more flavor.
very easy! very good! thank you for the time to post this!!!!! was awesome! like grand ma used to make
This looks just like the chicken and rice that my mother used to cook. I know the basics of how she made it but never mastered it before she passed away. Every recipe I ever saw looked too dry or called for a can of soup. Yours looks just right. Just a good simple boiled southern chicken and rice
I first had this over the past summer while visiting my inlaws in southern Georgia. Fell in love!!! Im making it right now and hopefully it lives up to my MILs
Hey Meghan,
I do hope it turns out well. It’s one of our favorite comfort foods. My mother who is here visiting made a large pot of it just today!
Grew up in south Georgia with Chicken Perlow. Loved it! I continue to make it to this day! 4 Generations of this recipe! Thank you for the memories!
I just want to say thank you so much for this recipe! Both my parents are from the South and my dad would always make this for me. Was one of favorite comfort foods but I never got the recipe from him.
Hello Roman,
You’re quite welcome. It’s a true comfort food—something I crave often! I also love turning leftover amounts into soup by adding stock or broth.
Just made this for a church function tonight. It is delicious and will be making it again..,soon. The earlier comment of buying a cut up chicken was perfect. That worked out very well.
So good to hear, Kristin! I’m craving some of that right now.
Feeling a sense of sisterhood :). Grew up with chicken and rice just this way. Made it for my Midwestern father-in-law on chemo and he raved (mother-in-law had to agree…score one for the south!). We make it with country style pork ribs and call it “backbone and rice”. So good.
Yum! That sounds great, Anna. I’ve got to try that soon!
Hi im from Africa Kenya and i came across your recipe. Can’t lie every one in my house love the food,its delicious and easy to cook. Thanks alot for the recipe
I’m so glad to hear that, Molly! Glad you enjoyed it.
I have tried a few chicken and rice (baked) recipes in the past and had no success, really. Stumbled upon this and cooking it right now! First time I’ve EVER used a whole chicken for ANYTHING!! Conquered that fear and simmering now! Smells AMAZING! I will try to follow up tomorrow with the end result. Hard to believe it will be anything short of delicious! Thanks!
So glad to hear it, Andi! It it such a wonderful comfort food.
Question: Is the rice supposed to be loose or wet when the recipe is complete? Tastes delish, just wondering if I did it right!
The rice is slightly wet, but not sitting in liquid. If it was too wet for your liking, you could cook it on a low a little longer with the lid off to allow liquid to cook off a bit.
This may be a stupid question. Do you discard the celery and onion at some point? Sorry, I’m from Massachusetts and didn’t get to grow up with this!
I usually leave what’s left in the pot, unless it’s a huge piece of celery. If it bothers you, remove them.
I made this last night and boy oh boy was it delicious. It’s so filling and I have a ton of food now to last me through the week. So a $9 chicken plus brown rice, left over celery and a left over onion and viola, I have a meal that will feed me all week for only about $10.
That is fantastic! Now I’m craving it.
AMY-
Thank you for taking the time to post this!
My wife was not feeling so well and wanted a comfort food that would be light on the tummy…
A beautiful organic Bell and Evans chicken has cooked for 3 hrs and is separated and finished, I used a squeeze of lemon on the plated portions – perfect balance, nice prep, lovely stock.
Mike
Oh, lemon sounds like a lovely addition!
I’m making your chicken and rice for a friend here in Morocco. He’s had “intestinal problems” for almost a week now. I’ve been telling him to eat rice, but it’s not a big part of the diet in Morocco. I’m putting him on BRAT diet with your recipe…plus it looks delicious. Thanks for a tasty looking and, I hope, curative dish.
I do hope he likes it and helps settle his tummy.