One-Pot Chicken & Rice

I cooked this for a band meal last night and apparently knocked it out of the park, so I'm posting by request! No photo as it was all devoured. I posted another one-pot chicken & rice a few years ago: with lemon & broccoli; this is similar but I went for a middle eastern vibe with the spices. And I used chicken thighs instead of breast, which I think are better - not as easy to overcook.

I honestly could not tell you the spice quantities - I went a little nuts just putting a bunch of spices into the chicken marinade (I have a Penzey's problem...), but apparently the combination was a winner. If I had to guess, it might be around 1/2 tsp each, then smaller quantities of cayenne & cinnamon (just a dash each).

I cooked this on the stovetop in a Dutch oven. A large skillet should also work. I served this with a simple cucumber/tomato/green onion salad (just dressed lightly with olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper), and store-bought tzatziki.

You could absolutely change up the spices (Italian, Cajun, etc), add extra veggies (carrots, peppers, peas, anything really. I had some "Jimmy Nardello" peppers which are long/sweet; I sliced two of those up and added them at the end of cooking), add cooked lentils or chickpeas for extra protein (or use those instead of chicken for a vegan version)...sky's the limit! 

This served 4 hungry musicians before & after a performance, but it's probably around 6 normal servings!

- 4-5 boneless chicken thighs. You could absolutely leave them whole, but I cut each one into 4 pieces to allow for more flexible servings.
- spice mix: around 1/2 tsp each turmeric, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, za'atar - and just a dash each of cayenne & cinnamon
- olive oil
- juice of 1 1/2 - 2 lemons
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups white rice (I used jasmine; regular long-grain or basmati should work)
- 3 cups chicken stock

Combine all the spices with a little salt (if your chicken broth is salted, be judicious and you can always add more), juice of 1 lemon, and a small drizzle of olive oil. It will be a thick paste.

Coat the chicken thighs thoroughly with the mixture, and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour - longer if you can.

Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat, and cook the chicken in a little olive oil until browned on both sides, around 10 minutes. Doesn't have to cook all the way through. Remove to a plate.

Leave all the brown stuff in the pot and saute the onion in it. If there's some stuck bits, loosen with a splash of chicken stock. Add garlic briefly, and then the rice. Stir for a minute or so to coat the rice in all the good stuff and toast it lightly.

Add chicken stock, scrape the bottom of the pan and give it a good stir, and put the chicken pieces on top along with any accumulated juices. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes.

If you are adding any quick-cooking vegetables like peppers or peas, add them now and give everything a stir. Taste the rice and see how close it is to done. If it's pretty close, turn the heat off and leave it covered for about 10 minutes. Add lemon juice (another half to whole lemon) & serve.

If the rice still seems hard, cook on low for another few minutes, adding a little more water if necessary. It will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.