Chicken with Garlic Parmesan Rice is the perfect dish for easy weeknight dinners. This quick chicken and rice recipe is not only tasty but it uses ingredients you likely have on hand!
Serve it with the healthy addition of Cranberry, Walnut and Spinach Salad, or delicious Avocado Salad.
Chicken and rice recipe is one of my all time favorite foods and the thing I search out the most on restaurant menus. But when I’m home I make it from scratch because the recipe is so easy!
Why make chicken and rice
Chicken and rice is a terrific way to stretch your meal budget! For a family of four or five, you can get by with just a pound, or a pound and a half of chicken and several cups of rice.
You can also use this as a meal prep by dividing the entire meal into four equal portions and storing them in ziplock bags frozen or refrigerated. Use this recipe to plan ahead your healthy meals for the week!
What kind of rice should I use
I used Jasmine rice in this recipe. It’s white rice of the long grain variety, which means the rice grains remain distinct and not very sticky. You can also use basmati rice, although jasmine is plumper, softer, and a bit more moist than basmati.
How to Make Chicken with Garlic Parmesan Rice
Garlic parmesan rice with chicken is super simple, especially if you prepare all your ingredients in advance. It’s literally as easy as 1,2,3!!
- Cook Chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat (I cook about 5 minutes per side until nicely browned). I like to use a lean chicken tenderloins or chicken tenders. You can also use skinless and boneless chicken thighs here. Remove and set aside.
- Make Saucy Rice: Add garlic, wine, chicken broth and RICE to the pan. Wine and garlic will flavor and coat every morsel of rice as they slowly cook together.
Cook rice in the amazing sauce:
- Add Parmesan: Parmesan should go once the rice is ready and after you add the chicken back to the pan.
WHAT KIND OF WINE TO USE
First things first, I do not recommend using a cooking wine. Not only because it will not add a rich taste to the dish, but also because it’s full of sodium and will make your food way too salty!
Also, I do not recommend using the wine that you usually drink. You can go cheaper here as long as you do use a regular drinking wine. I love Pinot Grigio because it’s a crisp, lemony-lime, dry white wine.
BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTES FOR WINE IN COOKING
- Chicken or vegetable stock. Substitute stock for white wine entirely if you don’t have any wine on hand.
- White Wine Vinegar is a wonderful substitute for dry white wine. Made from white wine, it has many of the same flavor characteristics. Minus the alcohol. In this recipe you should start with 1/4 cup vinegar + 2/3 cup chicken stock. Thank you, Emily, for providing this tip!
- Rice Vinegar – do not use it! A brave reader attempted it and the result was simply miserable. Trashcan! Thank you Evangelina for reporting back.
- I do not recommend Apple Cider Vinegar. It can be too strong as a substitute. A reader recommended to add ONLY a splash of it. If you choose to use ACV, make sure to start with 1 tablespoon. Add more only you desire a stronger flavor.
- For extra flavor, try mixing a tablespoon of lemon juice per cup of stock.
Enjoy!
Chicken with Garlic Parmesan Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken tenders
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoons salt divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
- 1 1/2 cups white rice (uncooked)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated or shredded)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Sauté chicken tenders until nicely browned and just cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add butter, garlic, pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the empty skillet and sauté garlic for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
- Turn heat to medium high and add white wine. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside 3 tablespoons of pan sauce to use later.
- Add uncooked rice to skillet with remaining butter sauce. Stir well - make sure it's completely covered. Add chicken broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring mixture to a low boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir several times while it's cooking
- Sprinkle parmesan over rice then arrange chicken tenders in skillet over rice. Cover, remove from heat then let stand for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle reserved 2 tablespoons of pan sauce over chicken tenders when serving and garnish with parsley.
This was Friday night dinner paired with broccoli, cheddar biscuits and the rest of the Pinot, lol. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sounds like a perfect Friday night!
I really liked this dish and it was a hit with the family. How can we lighten it up a bit? Could I just reduce the butter?
Yes, you can completely replace butter with olive oil.
I’m unsure if my first attempt at this question went through as I didn’t receive any indication that it is awaiting moderation. By substituting 1/2 cup white wine with 1/4 cup white wine vinegar + 2/3 cup chicken stock, as it is almost twice as much liquid, does it affect the consistency of the finished dish?
That’s a good question. This tip was provided by one of the readers, but you are absolutely right, it seems that amount of liquid does not match amount of rice. I would use 1/3 cup of chicken stock.
Sounds great!
I will definitely leave out the pepper flakes!
Based on the comments, I will use more chicken.
Can’t wait to try it!
I always saw hot sauce and hot pepper flakes as a way to cover up the flavor of something that didn’t taste very good.
This sounds really good without adding anything to add or cover up the flavor
That’s a valid comment! I really appreciate it.
I thought the rice was amazing. Definitely reminded me of the flavor of a risotto without the work. I think I will use chicken thighs next time because the breast didn’t do it for me.
I concur about the flavor of a risotto. And chicken thighs are always a favorite in my book!
This was very good and very filling. I would add more chicken next time because I think there was way more rice and not enough chicken.
Will definitely make again.
Yes – very filling and provides protein, carbs and fats in one go!