One-Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice

One pan, one burner, and almost nothing to wash at the end of it. The thighs sear skin-side down first and then finish sitting on top of the rice, so the skin stays crisp while everything underneath cooks in the drippings. It solves the 5:30pm problem without asking you to babysit three pans.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lb)
• 1½ tsp kosher salt, divided
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 2¾ cups chicken broth
• 1 lemon — zest of the whole, juice of half, remaining half cut into wedges
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken thighs completely dry. Season all over with 1 tsp of the salt, the pepper, and the paprika. Dry skin is the whole game here — wet skin steams instead of browning.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or braiser over medium-high. Place the thighs skin-side down and cook undisturbed for 6–7 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases easily. Flip, cook 2 more minutes, then transfer to a plate. The chicken will not be cooked through yet.
3. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the rinsed rice and stir for 1 minute to coat every grain in the fat. Stir in the broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining ½ tsp salt. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
5. Nestle the chicken back in skin-side up, on top of the rice, not buried in it. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 18 minutes.
6. Check that the rice is tender and the chicken registers 165°F at the thickest part. Rest covered off heat for 5 minutes, then scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Substitutions

• Boneless skinless thighs: work fine, but sear 3 minutes per side and reduce covered cooking to 15 minutes.
• Chicken breasts: add them at minute 10 of the covered simmer, not the beginning — they’ll dry out over a full 18 minutes.
• Brown rice: increase broth to 3½ cups and covered time to 40 minutes.
• No fresh lemon: 2 tbsp bottled juice, but skip the zest step rather than substituting dried.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes, or microwave with a damp paper towel over the top. Add a splash of broth before reheating — rice tightens in the fridge. Freezes acceptably for 2 months, though the skin won’t be crisp again.

Serving suggestions

A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette is all this needs — the plate is already rich. Roasted broccoli or green beans work if you want a hot vegetable. For a bigger table, add a bowl of garlicky yogurt for spooning over the rice.