Herbed Brown Rice & Chicken

Sometimes you just need dinner in one pan with no babysitting. This skillet meal lays out chicken breasts, quick-cooking brown rice, frozen peas, and chicken broth in a single pan with a sprinkle of thyme and a finishing shower of parmesan.

Quick-cooking brown rice is the unsung hero here. Regular brown rice takes 45 minutes, far too long for the chicken to cook properly without going dry. The quick-cooking variety has been par-cooked at the factory and finishes in just 10 minutes, the same window that finishes a chicken breast.

Browning the chicken first builds a flavor base and partial fond on the bottom of the pan that the rice picks up during cooking. Don’t skip it. Searing on one side for 10 minutes is enough to develop color; the chicken finishes cooking later when it returns to the rice.

The peas only need 5 minutes, so they go in late with the chicken on the second cook. Add them earlier and they overcook into army-drab mush.

Pro Tips

• Use chicken thighs instead of breasts for richer flavor and forgiveness if you slightly overcook them.
• Don’t lift the lid during the rice cook. Each peek lets steam escape and adds time to your cook.
• Pull the chicken out before stirring in the cheese to avoid breaking up the rice texture.
• Freshly grated parmesan melts in cleanly; pre-shredded has anti-caking agents that resist melting.

Variations

• Add 1 cup of mushrooms or chopped spinach with the rice for more vegetables.
• Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and zest at the end for brightness.
• Swap thyme for rosemary or Italian seasoning for a different herb profile.