Southern Chicken and Rice
This Southern chicken and rice recipe is definitely comfort food for the soul. It’s cooked low and slow, and it tastes like all that time created magic for your tastebuds. It’s perfect food for a cool fall or cold winter day.
Ingredients
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
3 stalks of celery (sliced, about 1 cup)
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
3 medium cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley (diced)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Preparation
Heat a lidded Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add in the chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165 F on an instant-read meat thermometer. When the chicken is done, remove it from the pot.
Add the chopped celery to the leftover oil and chicken juice and saute for about 5 minutes.
Add in the butter and onions and saute for another 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Mix in the garlic, thyme, and parsley, and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.
Stir in the rice, and give the bottom of the pot a good scraping with a wooden spoon. Let the rice toast for about 3 - 5 minutes, stirring frequently. It’s finished toasting when you can smell the aroma from the rice and it has changed color.
Pour in a little bit of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then pour in the remaining chicken broth. Stir to make sure there aren't any pieces of rice stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add salt to taste and stir. Place the cooked chicken over top of the rice, place the lid on the pot, and bring to a boil. Once the rice has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed. Around 20 - 25 minutes.
Once the rice is cooked, take out the chicken, and place the lid back on the pot to cover the rice. Let it rest off of the heat for 5 minutes. Pull apart the thighs using forks, creating chunky pieces.
Mix the chicken through while fluffing the rice, then garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Keywords: Main Poultry
