One Pan Chicken and Rice with Creamy Caesar Butter

We all love a good one-pan meal, don’t we?! Once you know the basic technique, you can change up the flavors depending on the season. Chicken and rice might sound ordinary and mundane, but I assure you THIS One Pan Chicken and Rice with Creamy Caesar Butter is nothing short of wonderful. Tender jammy leeks flavor light basmati rice and are topped with caramelized crispy skinned chicken — all brought together with the most savory and creamy compound butter filled with the flavors of our beloved caesar dressing. Oh, and the cherry on top is the easy cleanup!

We all love a good one pan meal, and with good reason. Even if they don’t take any less time in the end, there is some kind of mental hurdle that they take us over. Maybe it’s the perceived simplicity or the easier cleanup, I’m not sure. What I do know is that we’re all looking for more of them.

To me, the beauty in learning the technique and ratios behind this chicken and rice, allow you make multiple versions of it over the course of the year, as you can easily change up the flavors depending on the season.

As I’m so often preaching, the technique is where it’s at. Learning proper technique frees you from the constant grind of looking for recipes. So, let’s do this, shall we?

And if you’re looking for other one pan recipes, check out this One Pan Saffron Chicken and Rice, Sheet Pan Chicken with Asparagus and Peas, these Sheet Pan Greek Lamb Meatballs with Lemony-Yogurt Sauce, or this Easy One Pan Halibut with Minted Pea Puree.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious One Pan Chicken and Rice:

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients to make this chicken and rice are easy to find and readily available at most any grocery store.

Here are a few ingredient notes:

Chicken thighs – For the best flavor, I highly recommend that you use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Even if you choose not to eat the skin, it adds a level of flavor and richness that you cannot get with skinless thighs.

Olive oil/Avocado oil – If you use olive oil to sear the chicken, you must use a pure olive oil (not extra virgin) as it has a higher smoke point. Alternatively, I recommend using a higher neutral-flavored oil with a higher smoke point, like avocado oil.

Basmati rice – I love the texture and lightness of basmati rice in this dish, but you can use another long-grain white rice, if you prefer. Just be aware that you may need to adjust the cook time ever so slightly.

Anchovies – They are worth seeking out to make an authentic caesar flavor profile. You can obviously use Worcestershire sauce, but the end result is just not the same as using actual anchovies.

Let’s Make One Pan Chicken and Rice with Creamy Caesar Butter Together: STEP BY STEP

Steps 1 & 2:

Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat and add your avocado or pure olive oil (not extra virgin). In the meantime, season your chicken thighs with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.

When the pan is just about to start smoking, add your chicken, skin side down, and cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes.

Steps 3 & 4:

While the chicken is cooking, remove the bottoms and tops of the leeks and cut them in half lengthwise. Rinse them really well with cold water to remove all sand and dirt in between all of the layers, and then slice them crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Peek at the chicken, and when it it is nice and golden brown, flip it, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. After that, remove the chicken from the pan and onto a plate. Please note: the chicken should not cooked through at this point – it will finish later in the recipe.

Steps 5 & 6:

After you remove the chicken, pour out any excess fat, but be sure to leave about 2-3 tablespoons in the pan. Add the leeks and season with a large pinch of salt and pepper.

When the leeks have cooked down and are tender, add the rice.

Steps 7 & 8:

Stir the rice around around, allowing it to toast in the pan for a couple of minutes.

Next, add the stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and add the chicken on top. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

Steps 9 & 10:

Then, while the chicken and rice are cooking, make the caesar butter by combining all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and blend until creamy smooth. Please note: if you don’t have a food processor, you can chop everything finely and combine well in a bowl with a spatula. The texture will not be quite the same, but the flavor will still be delicious!

Steps 11 & 12:

When the chicken and rice are done, remove the chicken from the pan, and add about 1/3 – 1/2 of the butter (or as much as you would like) to the pan and stir it around. Then place the chicken back on top and add a dollop of butter to each piece of chicken to melt. Bring it to the table and ENJOY!

What is Compound Butter Anyway?

I’m so glad you asked, because it’s one of my favorite things!

Compound butter is just a fancy way of saying flavored butter. Really, that’s it!

So why do I like it so much? Let me count the ways!

1. It’s delicious.
2. It creates an instant sauce when used just simply by melting into something OR on top of something.
3. You can flavor it SO many different ways – they can be savory OR sweet.
4. Roll it into a log in parchment paper and store it in your freezer in a ziploc bag, and just slice off a piece when you need it.

Have I convinced you yet? I sure hope so! You’ll probably have some caesar butter leftover from this recipe, so pop any leftovers into the freezer and consider stirring it into some pasta down the road when you’re in a rush or use it to make some epic garlic bread!

Storage & Reheating

STORAGE: Keep the chicken and rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the caesar butter separately in the refrigerator in an airtight container or rolled up in parchment paper and into a log and stored in a sealable plastic bag for up to a month.

REHEATING: To reheat the chicken and rice, place it in an oven-proof container, covered, with a splash of water at 375 degrees until heated through. Alternatively, you can also reheat it in the microwave in 30 second intervals until heated through. You can add any of the caesar butter to the warmed food, straight from the refrigerator.

FREEZING: The chicken and rice can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Additionally, the caesar butter can be rolled up in parchment paper and into a log and stored in a sealable plastic bag for up to 6 months. To use it, you don’t need to thaw it. Just cut slices of butter as you need them and return the rest to the freezer.

Variations & Substitutions

VARIATIONS:

Mushrooms, garlic & thyme – In the fall, it would be lovely to change up the leeks in this recipe with earthy mushrooms, garlic and thyme. The same caesar butter would work here or you can change up those flavors too.

Scallions, ginger & chilis – Another way to change the flavor profile is to swap out the leeks for scallions, ginger and chilis. A new compound butter would be needed here, but plenty of herbs and spices to take advantage of.

You get the idea! There are a million ways to change up the flavors in this dish, depending on the season.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

Leeks – If you are unable to find leeks, you can substitute finely diced onions.

Parmesan – Pecorino Romano would be a great substitute for the parmesan cheese in the caesar butter.

Anchovies – Anchovy paste would be the best substitute, but Worcestershire sauce would also be a substitute for the anchovies. The flavor and texture will not be the same, but it at least gives you a little of the umami that anchovies give (if you can, I highly recommend finding some anchovies). How much to add is really up to your taste, and given that it is a liquid, there’s only so much that the butter can absorb and still hold its texture.

Basmati rice – You can substitute long-grain white rice or even jasmine rice in this recipe.