Classic Chicken and Rice with Melty Buttery Onions, making this dish to DIE FOR. It’s simple food at its finest and you must make it. Thanks to Deb Perlman of Smitten Kitchen, for re-posting this older recipe on her blog recently, giving it a much deserved spotlight. https://smittenkitchen.com/2023/09/chicken-rice-with-buttered-onions/
Chicken Rice sounds boring. It came into my feed, and I almost skipped over it. Luckily, I was desperate for a quick and easy make ahead family friendly meal, and this checked all the boxes. It was so incredibly satiating I plan to make this pretty much all the time now. I kind of want it three nights a week.
Another reason to fall in love here? This tastes better the next day, and the days after that for a while. I have eaten it for breakfast very happily… and then lunch. I feel that nothing beats dinner in a big pot that can sit for hours and wait for a parade of eaters over several hours.
Chicken Rice with Buttered Onions
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 Tbsp butter divided
- 3-4 large yellow onions, diced into 1/2″ pieces
- few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice any variety
- 1/4 cup white wine optional
- 2 cups chicken broth and up to 1/4 cup more if needed
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Arrange chicken skin side up on a plate and season generously on top with salt and freshly ground black pepper. We’ll get to the undersides in a minute.
- Heat a large dutch oven or high sided saucepan over medium-high heat for one minute. Once the pan is very hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, and heat them together for another full minute. Arrange chicken skin side down and cook until deeply brown underneath, about 4 to 5 minutes. [Don’t crowd the chicken; depending on the size of your pan, you might need to do this in two batches.] While it browns, season what is now the top side with additional salt and pepper. Once browned, flip the pieces over and brown on the second side, about another 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t skimp on the color, please. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Prepare the buttered onions: Leave the pan on medium-high and add 2 tablespoons butter to fat and juices in it. Once melted, add the onions and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook the onions for about 15 minutes total, or until golden throughout and darker brown at the edges, stirring every couple minutes. In the beginning, the onions are watery; once the water has cooked off and the onions begin to pick up color, I reduce the heat to medium for the remaining time. Carefully taste and season with more salt, if desired, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Remove 1/2 cup of onions and set aside until the end.
- Finish the chicken and rice: Add thyme and dried rice and cook with the onions for 1 minute. Add the wine, if using, and cook until it disappears, about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the pan sides, pushing any dried rice and onions back to the bottom. Add the 2 cups of broth, and nestle the chicken thighs back into the rice, leaving the skin sides above the moisture. Bring the pan to a simmer then reduce to the lowest simmer and cover. Cook rice and chicken together for 25 minutes, or until rice is tender. If rice is not tender at 25 minutes, add remaining 1/4 cup broth and return to the heat for another 5 to 10 minute4s.
- To finish and serve: Off heat, rest the dish for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Scatter with reserved buttered onions and scoop it onto plates.
- Do ahead: This keeps so well. I reheat it covered in an oven-safe dish at 350 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is warm. To freeze, well, I’m just going to say it: I’ll pack it ingloriously in a freezer bag and press out the extra air. Defrost in the fridge for a day, if you have time, then rewarm as written above.
Notes
