I know that particular kind of tired where you open the fridge, stare directly at the chicken, and close the door like it might come up with a plan if you give it a minute. Then somebody hollers, "What's for dinner?" and you have to take a moment, because the answer that sprang to mind would get you uninvited from your own table.
If that's where you are tonight, I see you. Pull out one skillet. We're making creamy garlic Parmesan chicken and rice, the broccoli's going in with it, and the person who asked can set the dang table.
Table of Contents
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🥰 Is this garlic chicken and rice skillet for you?
- You want dinner without having to think up a side. You've already got chicken, creamy rice, and broccoli. If somebody asks what else we're having, hand them a roll.
- You keep a couple of cans of cream soup for nights exactly like this. Their moment has arrived. Grab the instant rice while you're in the pantry. It cooks right in the sauce.
- You're already over the dishes. The chicken browns and the rice cooks in the same skillet. The colander and the extra saucepan can sit this one out. More time for you to catch up on Hell's Kitchen.
🧾 Ingredients
Most of this is probably already in your kitchen. If you do have to go to the store, the cream of mushroom soup with garlic is the most adventurous thing on the list.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They brown beautifully and stay tender while the rice finishes cooking.
- Butter. For browning the chicken and leaving those lovely golden bits in the skillet. They're going in the sauce.
- Garlic powder and black pepper. A quick shake of each seasons the chicken before it hits the pan. The spice cabinet can stand down.
- Condensed cream of chicken soup. This gives the sauce its creamy, savory base. Use it straight from the can.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic. If you can't find it, stir a little garlic powder into regular condensed cream of mushroom soup. We are making dinner. We are done visiting grocery stores.
- Water. It thins the condensed soups and gives the rice liquid to absorb.
- Instant white rice. Check the box for the word instant or Minute Rice. Regular long-grain rice needs a longer cook time, and nobody invited it to hold up dinner.
- Fresh broccoli florets. Cut them into small, bite-sized pieces so they cook quickly and you get a little broccoli in every scoop.
- Freshly grated Parmesan. Stir some into the rice and save the rest for the top. I'd grate it before anybody wanders through the kitchen looking for a snack.
- Fresh parsley. An optional sprinkle at the end, if you've got it.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Rice Skillet
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (about 5 to 6)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of chicken soup
- 10.5 ounces condensed cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups uncooked instant white rice, such as Minute Rice
- 1½ cups fresh broccoli florets, cut into small, bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Chopped fresh parsley, optional
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with garlic powder and black pepper.
- Melt the butter in a large, deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken thighs in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. They do not need to be fully cooked. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add both condensed soups and the water to the skillet.
- Stir until smooth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Return the chicken thighs and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is nearly cooked through. The exact time will depend on the thickness of the thighs.
- Transfer the chicken to a clean plate temporarily. Stir the uncooked instant rice into the simmering sauce, making sure it's evenly distributed.
- Scatter the broccoli florets over the rice and gently press them into the sauce. Nestle the chicken thighs back into the skillet, arranging them on top of the rice.
- Cover and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the rice is tender, the broccoli is crisp-tender, and the chicken reaches at least 165°F internally. Chicken thighs will be especially tender around 175°F.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Gently stir ¼ cup of the Parmesan into the rice around the chicken. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the remaining liquid.
- Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan over the chicken and rice. Garnish with chopped parsley and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- Taste before adding salt. Both condensed soups and Parmesan contain plenty of sodium.
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil so it doesn't scorch on the bottom of the skillet. If the chicken finishes before the rice, remove it and keep it warm while the rice finishes.
- Be sure to use instant white rice. Regular long-grain rice needs a different cooking time and liquid ratio, so it won't work as a straight swap.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
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🔪 How to make garlic Parmesan chicken and rice
When you stir the sauce together, scrape up those browned bits the chicken left in the skillet. That's the flavor. It belongs in the rice before somebody helpfully offers to soak the pan.
- Make the sauce. Brown the seasoned chicken thighs and move them to a plate. Stir both condensed soups and the water into the skillet, scraping up the browned bits. This is the part where two cans of soup start earning their keep.
- Simmer the chicken. Nestle the thighs back into the sauce, cover the skillet, and simmer until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
- Stir in the rice. Move the chicken to a clean plate. Yes, it's coming back again. Stir the uncooked instant rice into the sauce, scatter the broccoli over it, and tuck the chicken back in.
- Finish with Parmesan. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Stir some Parmesan into the rice, cover and let it rest, then sprinkle the rest on top. If anybody asks whether we need cheese in it and on it, the answer is yes. Obviously.
😱 What can go wrong (and how to fix it)
🧄 The rice is still crunchy. If the skillet looks dry, add a splash of hot water. Cover it again and cook on low for another minute or two, then check. If you grabbed regular long-grain rice by mistake, it'll need considerably more time. That little word instant was doing a lot of work.
🧄 The sauce looks too thin. Give it the full five-minute covered rest off the heat after you stir in the Parmesan. The rice is still soaking up liquid. If it's a little loose when you lift the lid, let it stand uncovered for another couple of minutes.
🧄 The broccoli went soft. Add it when the instant rice goes in, after the chicken has had its first simmer. Cut the florets into similar-sized bites so they cook evenly. Broccoli has a short window between bright green and looking like it's given up.
🧄 The sauce is sticking to the skillet. Turn the heat down. Once the soups and water are stirred together, you want a gentle simmer. If the bottom has already scorched, spoon the unburned portion into a clean pan and leave the scorched layer behind.
👩🏻🍳 FAQs
Yes. Scatter the frozen florets over the rice at the same point you'd add fresh broccoli. Small florets work best here. The big ones can take a little longer to get tender.
Yes. Use boneless, skinless breasts and cut any large ones in half so the pieces cook evenly. Start checking them a little early. Chicken breasts dry out faster than thighs, and they'll do it while you're looking right at them.
🍽 What to serve with it
You've already got chicken, rice, and broccoli in the skillet, so you can call it dinner right there. If you want something crisp and tangy alongside all that creamy Parmesan rice, my Southern cucumber and onion salad does the trick. And if you're the sort of person who considers every bit of sauce left on the plate unfinished business, grab one of my soft, buttery 30-minute dinner rolls.
📚 More easy chicken and rice recipes
🏡 So there you are. At 5:47 you were staring into the fridge hoping the chicken would come up with a plan. Now there's creamy garlic Parmesan chicken and rice on the table, and somebody's hovering over the skillet asking if anyone wants the last bit. You do. Say it out loud. You're the reason there's dinner in the first place.
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