Easy one pan Spanish chicken and rice is made with simple seasoning that come together with zesty, bold flavors in this one pot, 30 minute meal.
Try these other easy one pot recipes like One Pan Garlic Herb Chicken and Asparagus, One Pan Mediterranean Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, and Cajun Shrimp and Rice Skillet.
I’m thinking a little bit outside of the box this week and so far I’m loving the out-of-the-box dishes that are happening. I love chicken and rice together and a couple of days ago I was just craving a good ol’ one pan/one pot chicken and rice, only I really wanted to step up the flavor profile.
I’ve been making my ultra-popular one pot lemon herb chicken and rice for a couple of years now and love how easy it is to make with just a few ingredients I almost always have on hand. This week, I took that same one pan chicken and rice idea and put a fun, delicious new twist on it with some big, bold, Spanish seasonings and you guys…. this might even be better than that lemon herb chicken dish. So if you’ve tried that and love it, you are going to go crazy for this Spanish chicken and rice version.
There is one ingredient you mayyyy not recognize and it’s coriander. If you haven’t cooked with coriander, it’s kind of similar to cumin. I use it occassionally and really love the depth it gives to the flavor of dishes. It’s easy to find in the spice section of any grocery store, but if you have everything but the coriander and don’t want to make a special trip to the store just for one ingredient, you can actually use an equal amount of cumin as a pretty great substitute! If you try this dish, I would love to hear what you think of the flavors so don’t be shy and make sure to leave a comment or send me an email or message!!
What people are saying about this One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
“OMG. This was heaven in a skillet. After an exhausting day, I printed out this recipe and gave it to my husband and ordered him to make it. I think he spiced it up with some hot chili powder. But the rice! Strongly recommend the thighs for more flavor.” – Lisa
“Made this for dinner and husband and daughter begged to have it on a regular basis!! We all loved it, and I especially loved how simple it was to make and it’s only one pot! Thank you Tiffany for the awesome recipe!!” – Mona
“I am beyond thrilled with this recipe! To make something so good in thirty minutes after a long night at work…from the bottom of my heart and sore sore feet thank you!!!” – Alison
“Great recipe. the flavors were great and the meat was juicy (i was worried it wouldn’t be). The spice was just the right amount. It seemed like a ton of spice so I was worried it would be too hot for me, but it wasn’t at all.” – Sarah
One Pan Spanish Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - OR 6 chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 lemon
- chopped cilantro or parsley - for garnish
Spanish seasoning mix
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander - (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients for the Spanish seasoning mix. Divide in half and set aside. Cut the lemon in half, then thinly slice one half - for garnish - and reserve the other half for juicing later in the recipe.
- Place chicken in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, then toss to coat well. Use half of the prepared seasoning mix to rub on both sides of each piece of chicken.
- Drizzle a large skillet with remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and bring to medium heat. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. Transfer to a plate. (It won't be cooked through at this point)
- Add rice, chicken broth, juice from 1/2 of the lemon, and remaining seasoning mix and stir to combine. Return chicken to the pan on top of the rice. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with lemon slices and freshly chopped cilantro or parsley and serve immediately.
So good!!
Amazing recipe, and a great fast and easy meal, it’s on our regular rotation. We actually double the spices because we find that after using some of the seasoning for the chicken that there is not enough seasoning for the rice!
My picky boyfriend absolutely loved this dinner!
Super easy make and delicious combo of spices. I added a sautéed diced onion right before adding rice broth etc and it was delicious and added a sweet note. Perfect weeknight meal!
Another one I’m added into my rotation. This was amazing. So much flavor! I also loved that the ingredients are ones I tend to have on hand and this was so fast to make.
This a so delicious and easy.
This is great. I have made it several times but double the rice. I like to stir in some olives at the end.
Wow!! This one’s a winner. Made for lunch today and part of a meal prep and I wanted seconds. This is a new favorite dish of mine. I think I’ll make it again next week. I added sliced onion and bell peppers in when adding the broth. Next time I might add a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Do you think it would cook the same with that added, since it has juice in it?
I’m so happy to hear that you love this dish so much! Thank you for your review. As for the tomato addition, I’ve never tried this but I think it would cook fairly similarly.
Can I make this in the oven?
I’m sure you can but I have not tried. A previous reader has, however, and said she put the covered pan in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with great success. Hopefully that helps!
Can you make this with cauliflower rice or even a cauliflower/brown rice mix?
Yes, you can but if you’re using cauliflower rice I would cook the chicken separately to avoid the cauliflower rice getting soggy.
This was fantastic. Highly recommended! Really enjoyed the spice blend and the chicken came out moist and tender.
I served some garlic mushrooms as an appetizer/side dish. I just made it up but this other recipe looks like a winner: https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/sauteed-garlic-butter-mushrooms/. I would add a little bit of smoked paprika to that to tie the two together.
Caveat: I used brown rice instead of white as that’s what I had on hand. I added about 1/4 cup more chicken broth and cooked the rice for about 5 minutes before adding in the chicken. I’m positive it would be just as delicious (if not more) with white rice though.
Hello! Does it make much difference to use bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs? Thanks!
Some people prefer bone and skin in/on chicken because it enhances the flavor a bit but others prefer it without because they’re easier to eat and cook faster.
Has anyone used this recipe in a one pot instead? If so, how should it be converted to do so?
Thank you for this recipe. It has become part of our rotation and that says a lot! Just printed it for our daughter who loves to cook with her college buddies.
Massive winner here Tiffany . I have 3 very fussy girls and this recipe has now officially been added to the menu for dinners regularly at home thanks
That’s wonderful to hear! So glad you all love it so much.