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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Can you make this with instant rice? I just realized that is all that I have in my cabinet. Wondered if you’d ever tried it?
I would not recommend instant rice for this recipe.
I can’t believe you forgot to include this essential step: degrease the broth once the chicken is removed. This must be one greasy dish!
Nope. I don’t remove the chicken fat as it adds a great deal to the flavor. We’ve never found it greasy.
I’ve never taken the grease out of my broth (and neither do my mom or grandma) and my chicken & rice has never been greasy.
This looks amazing! I married a southerner and my MIL has taught me a few recipes. Chicken and rice was one of the firsts along with black eyed peas for New Years. All of her recipes end with “and add a stick of butter”. I think I’ll try out your recipe to see if I can get the butter-light dish past the husband. 🤣 Although I think she adds the butter because she uses store bought rotisserie, it lacks depth of flavor and fat from the chicken that your recipe will definitely have. Thanks for posting!
I hope y’all enjoy it, Susie.
Hi Amy,
I actually tried this recipe with instant rice and green peas. I made sure that everything was cooked and simmering than I added the instant rice and frozen green pea which cooks quickly due to steam and completed cooking process. A great comforting meal.
This recipe was perfect! I used jasmine rice and the 6 cups of broth was perfect. I am from Louisiana so it was similar to jambalaya minus spices and vegetables.. but my kids loved it! Will be making it again. Thank you for posting.
Making this right now. Not much of a cooker. Trying to get better. Hope it turns out like my Gran’s.
This was delicious, I love to add lot’s of soy sauce to it. YUM
Back in the early 60’s mom and i went with my aunt and uncle to a ham radio operators carry in dinner down in Bradenton, Florida, I believe. Some woman with a deep, deep southern accent brought a big pot of what she called chicken’ perlow.’ It was amazing! When I got older I came up with my own version and make it often. However in mine I add turmeric and chicken soup base to the celery, onion and garlic in the cooking broth, then measure the broth and add the rice accordingly, adding more water and seasoning as needed.
Ima try mines with yellow rice , my youngest son is a picky eater. But he loves chicken and he loves yellow rice and my wife makes it with white rice but shes gone like 10 month,s outta the year on the road so . Poppa does the cooken and stuff but i think it will be a winner i also add chicken cubes like 2 so will see how it turns out thankyou for the great idear….
I use skin-on chicken and cook it the day before. I put the stock in the fridge overnight and skim off the grease, then proceed basically with the above recipe.
Just made this!! It turned out perfect! Been wanting to find a recipe that was close to what I remembered as a child and this recipe is right on!!
I only have boullion (the good jar kind). So I will use that in place of broth. I plan on tossing in a handful each of frozen carrots and peas. I think I will brown the chicken first and use the same pan for the rest of the cooking for even more flavor! Thanks for this easy recipe!
This was exactly the recipe I was looking for! And it was just like my Mom used to make.
I didn’t change a thing- Delicious!!
I love it too! Didn’t change a thing! Just wish I could remember in this recipe is it best to rinse the rice or no, prior to cooking it
3 cups of rice? … I followed this recipe & I found that 3 cups was really way too much. I ended up with mush. I was left wondering what I possibly did wrong.
I’m getting ready to make some chicken and rice tomorrow. (although using boneless skinned thighs – because that is what I have on hand). As well as being yummy, it is also good to remember that the basic salt/pepper recipe is really great for someone who has to be on a soft diet. (getting over a tummy upset, or for those that can’t eat spices).
I really want to try to figure out a way to make this with brown rice for my mother who is diabetic. Any suggestions?
I love this recipe! I am wondering as a person who typically rinses their rice before cooking, should I rinse the rice in this recipe. I don’t want to lose the creamy texture of the finished product, so I’m wondering what you do Amy. Rinse or no rinse before adding to the broth? Thank you!
I don’t rinse the rice first for this recipe.
I’d like to use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. How much water and chicken should I use?
My grandmother would make this for me as a child and I loved it. I remember one time coming home from school and when she open the door she said ” I made your favorite dish”, it was raining and cold outside. I am making this tonight
Hi can I use yellow rice instead?
Yellow rice will not produce the same results.
When I was young every Sunday church dinner had several casseroles of this recipe on the buffet. Just yesterday I had some leftover cooked chicken and some chicken stock I needed to use so I threw together a quick batch and I had forgotten how good it is. I come from Florida so yellow rice is more common here but the white rice version is excellent.