When the weeknights get hectic and you’re staring down the clock with hungry mouths to feed, a quick and easy dinner recipe is an absolute lifesaver.
This 20-minute chicken dinner is designed precisely for those moments, bringing a delicious and satisfying meal to your family table without all the fuss. It’s a complete meal that feels comforting and familiar, making it an instant hit with both kids and adults.
Forget complicated steps or endless ingredient lists. This recipe focuses on simple, readily available items and smart cooking techniques to get dinner on the table in record time. It’s the perfect solution for busy parents, students, or anyone who craves a homemade meal but lacks the extra hours in the day.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
- Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
- Time Needed From Start To Finish
- How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
- Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
- Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
- How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
- Questions People Always Ask Before Making This Recipe
20-Minute Chicken and Rice Dinner
- Total Time: 25-30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This quick and easy 20-minute chicken and rice dinner is a lifesaver for busy weeknights, offering a delicious and satisfying meal with minimal effort. It’s perfect for families, beginner cooks, and anyone needing a wholesome, home-cooked meal in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken breasts and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides and mostly cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
2. Add the chopped onion to the same skillet, adding a tiny splash more oil if needed. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Stir in the rinsed white rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to lightly toast the rice and coat it with the seasonings.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet tightly with a lid, and let it simmer for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
5. After 10 minutes, carefully remove the lid. Stir in the cooked chicken and the frozen peas and carrots blend. Gently mix everything together.
6. Re-cover the skillet and continue to simmer for another 5-8 minutes, or until the rice is fully tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 F (74 C). The vegetables should also be tender-crisp.
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: main dish
- Method: skillet
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: chicken, rice, quick, easy, weeknight, dinner, one-pan, family, comfort food, simple
What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
This recipe truly shines because it delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort, making it ideal for anyone juggling a busy schedule. It’s perfect for those exhausted evenings when cooking feels like a monumental task, but you still want to provide a wholesome, home-cooked meal. Families will adore this dish because it’s packed with familiar, comforting flavors that appeal to a wide range of palates, even the pickiest eaters. The combination of tender chicken and fluffy rice creates a satisfying meal that doesn’t leave anyone feeling hungry. You can serve this any night of the week, especially when you need a reliable, quick, and delicious option that everyone will enjoy. It’s also a fantastic recipe for beginner cooks looking to build confidence in the kitchen, as the steps are straightforward and the results are consistently good.
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Gathering your ingredients before you start cooking is the best way to ensure a smooth and stress-free experience. This recipe relies on common pantry staples and fresh chicken, all of which are easy to find at any grocery store.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup uncooked white rice, rinsed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots blend
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)
For simple substitutions, feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts if you prefer, as they tend to stay a bit juicier. If you don’t have white rice, brown rice can be used, but be aware that it will significantly increase the cooking time, making it no longer a 20-minute meal. Vegetable broth can be swapped for chicken broth if you’re looking for a vegetarian-friendly base, though the chicken flavor will be missed. Any frozen mixed vegetables can be used in place of peas and carrots – corn, green beans, or a medley work wonderfully. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, a pinch of dried oregano and basil will work just fine.
Time Needed From Start To Finish
One of the greatest advantages of this recipe is its incredible speed, making it a true weeknight warrior.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 25-30 minutes
This timing accounts for chopping your chicken and onion, mincing garlic, and the actual cooking process until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender. It’s genuinely a meal that can be on your table in under half an hour, perfect for those evenings when every minute counts.
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Follow these simple steps to create a delicious and satisfying chicken and rice dinner in no time. The key is to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you even turn on the stove.
- Prepare the Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken breasts and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides and mostly cooked through. It doesn’t need to be fully cooked at this stage, as it will finish cooking with the rice. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add the chopped onion to the same skillet, adding a tiny splash more oil if needed. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add Rice and Seasoning: Stir in the rinsed white rice, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to lightly toast the rice and coat it with the seasonings. This step helps to develop a deeper flavor.
- Simmer with Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet tightly with a lid, and let it simmer for 10 minutes without lifting the lid. This allows the rice to absorb the liquid and cook evenly.
- Incorporate Chicken and Vegetables: After 10 minutes, carefully remove the lid. Stir in the cooked chicken and the frozen peas and carrots blend. Gently mix everything together.
- Finish Cooking: Re-cover the skillet and continue to simmer for another 5-8 minutes, or until the rice is fully tender, the liquid has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). The vegetables should also be tender-crisp.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the rice to become perfectly fluffy. Fluff the rice with a fork, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
This versatile chicken and rice dish can be easily adapted to suit different tastes and occasions. For a kid-friendly twist, you can add a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese over each serving right before eating; the warmth of the dish will melt it beautifully. If your kids aren’t keen on peas and carrots, try swapping them for frozen corn or even finely diced bell peppers.
To make this meal more robust, consider adding a can of drained and rinsed black beans or chickpeas along with the frozen vegetables. For a touch of heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes can be added with the Italian seasoning. Serving this dish with a simple side salad dressed with a vinaigrette or some warm, crusty bread would make it a complete and satisfying family meal. You could also offer a dollop of sour cream or a squeeze of fresh lime juice as optional toppings for an extra burst of flavor.
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
Even with a straightforward recipe like this, a few common mistakes can impact the final outcome. One frequent error is not rinsing the rice. Rinsing white rice removes excess starch, which prevents it from becoming gummy or sticky. Always take the extra minute to rinse your rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
Another pitfall is lifting the lid too often while the rice is simmering. Resist the urge to peek! Every time you lift the lid, steam escapes, which is crucial for cooking the rice evenly and thoroughly. This can lead to undercooked or unevenly cooked rice.
Overcooking the chicken is also a common issue. Since the chicken finishes cooking with the rice, it’s okay if it’s not completely cooked through when you first brown it. Over-browning it initially can result in dry, tough chicken in the final dish. Aim for just a nice golden sear.
Finally, not letting the dish rest after cooking can affect the texture of the rice. The 5-minute rest period allows the steam to redistribute and the rice grains to fully plump up, resulting in a perfectly fluffy texture. Don’t skip this crucial step!
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
This 20-minute chicken dinner is fantastic for meal prepping or enjoying as leftovers. To store any uneaten portions, allow the dish to cool completely to room temperature within two hours of cooking. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
When reheating, you can use either the microwave or the stovetop. For the microwave, place a single serving in a microwave-safe dish, add a tablespoon or two of water or chicken broth, cover loosely, and heat on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until heated through. For stovetop reheating, place the leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly warmed. Adding a little extra liquid helps to rehydrate the rice and prevent it from drying out.
While this dish is best enjoyed fresh, you can prepare some components ahead of time to make dinner even faster. You can chop the chicken, onion, and mince the garlic a day in advance and store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. This will shave precious minutes off your cooking time on a busy weeknight.
Questions People Always Ask Before Making This Recipe
Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
- How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
- Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
- Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.
