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I made us dinner… the easy way.
With one freaking pot guys! Is there anything better??
Well, I actually, like dinners that require some hands on work, BUT I genuinely enjoy working in the kitchen. Err, well most of the time I do. Sometimes when there is pressure to make the food look pretty, it can be a little hard. Especially if said food is just ugly, but most of the time I like it. Of course there are times when I get extremely tired cooking, just like any of the rest of you. I actually had the worst day on Monday, I really did not feel like cooking, but I felt like I needed to get some cooking in. UGH. I should have just called it quits before I even started and listened to my tired self. I sort of have a hard time listening to my body though, especially when it tells me not to work. I normally ignore it and I’m fine, but not Monday, I failed at everything. Miserably.
It was Monday though, what do you expect? They can be rough on us all. Really though, I should have just stayed in bed. It was one of those cold rainy days that called for blowing everything else off. Will I ever learn?
Here is what you should not blow off though, this One-Pot Autumn Herb Roasted Chicken.
See, it’s one of the best things I have ever done.
It’s everyone classic, favorite dinner all in one pot. No extra dishes, just one pot. Ok, that is not counting the plate you may use to serve the chicken on, and the utensils you will have to use to cook the chicken, but really this is one minimal dish dinner.
I have had this idea since last year at this time. Only last year the idea was to leave the chicken whole like you would traditionally do. I made it twice, both successfully and both delicious, but to be honest it was not the best it could be because the chicken skin never got all that crispy. Um that, and I could not possibly get the pictures. Like that dish just hated me, so I forgot about it for a while. But then I remember it again the other week. This time I was determined to get it right.
I made a few changes, swapped in some much easier, already cut whole chicken, and then just like that, it all came together into the perfect meal.
And it really is the perfect meal. There is healthy protein, healthy carbs, healthy veggies and even a little butter for you know, balance.
I know that roasted chicken is an easy dish to make, but the thing with roasted chicken is, it needs sides. You at least need a grain and veggies. Which means way too many dishes and way too much hands on time. This combines everything into a one-pot dinner. And you know what, it’s even better than if you were to cook each dish separately, because as the rice cooks the flavors and juices from the chicken seep down into the rice and create the most delicious wild rice pilaf. Then all the broth and beer that are cooking the rice, keep the chicken extra moist. It’s a win, win meal and honestly, it is so good.
Everything gets started on the stove with a quick browning of the chicken so we get that nice crispy skin and then you toast the rice in the leftover juices from the chicken + a little butter. Add lots of herbs, some broth, some beer and then cover everything and bake for forty-five minutes to an hour. I went for the full hour, but I had a little more in my pot than this recipe calls for.
If you have time and don’t mind dirtying one more dish, then make the cider “gravy”. It’s so easy and really compliments the cozy fall flavors of the dish. Plus, gravy makes stuff better, don’t you think?
I served this on a Sunday and it could not have been more perfect. The only thing I added was a side of beer bread. No roasted chicken and rice dinner is complete without it. That’s obvious though, right?
Also, the smells in the house as this bakes? Oh my gosh, it’s perfection.
One-Pot Autumn Herb Roasted Chicken with Butter Toasted Wild Rice.
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds bone-in chicken parts (breast, thighs + legs), pat dry
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons + 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta, use gluten free if needed
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup of your favorite beer, I used pumpkin
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 2 cups button mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley, or 1/4 cup fresh
- 4 whole sage, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 head garlic, halved
- 1 sweet onion, peel + cut into fourths
Cider Drizzle (optional)
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large 3-5 quart brasier or dutch oven over high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, rosemary, brown sugar, and a good pinch of both salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot brasier (or whatever you are using) and sear on both sides until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan. Repeat with any remaining chicken, remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons butter. Add the orzo and cook about 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted and golden, stirring often (watch this closely as it burns fast). Add the wild rice and toast another 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Toss in the carrots and mushrooms, cook 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, beer and another pinch of salt and pepper. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the parsley and sage. Remove from the heat.
- Place the chicken right on top of the rice. Drizzle with lemon juice, season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the onion quarters and garlic (you can leave the skin on the garlic). Throw in a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary. Divide the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over the chicken pieces. Cover the pan tightly with a lid (or tin foil if you have to, but a tight fitting lid works best).
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. During the last 5 minutes of cooking remove the lid and allow the chicken to brown a little more, if needed, add in 1/2 cup more chicken broth to keep the rice from getting dry.
- To serve, plate the rice and chicken, if desired, drizzle with cider (recipe below).
- If desired, make the cider drizzle while the chicken roasts. Add the cider to a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until the cider is reduced and thick + syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Now go make it. It’s great any day of the week. My favorite is on a cozy un-rushed Sunday night.
Forgot to add the 5 stars!
Thanks again, Alanna!
Hi,
Thank you for all of your hard work. I was wondering what would be a good sub for beer?
Thanks
Hi Nicole,
You can use broth in place of the beer:) I hope you love this dish! xT
I made this tonight and after an hour in the oven the rice was still not even close to being done. So i looked back into comments and it seems to be a popular issue. Why is this happening?
Hey Angelina,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear you are having issues. What kind of rice did you use? Let me know how I can help! xx
Hi, i used Lundberg wild blend gourmet rice. I ended up having to take chicken out at the hour mark and turning oven up to 410° and let rice cook uncovered for 20 mins more and it got soft enough to become edible. I used a dutch oven, do you think the deeper dish makes the rice cook slower? Is a braiser the preferred pan?
Even with the rice issue the chicken and veggies were amazing.
I would say it depends on the size of your dutch oven, but yes I think allowing the rice to cook in a larger surface area is probably helpful!
Can i add baby potatoes? If so would i add them at the same time as the carrots?
Hey Angelina,
Sure, that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Im gluten free and always looking for ways to share meals with my gluten eater husband/friends and this one is a fan favorite for all of us! I took the suggestion for subbing out beer with white wine and added parsnips vs mushrooms and you still got your yum! I also Roasted some Brussels (with a dash of brown sugar) and it is such a great cozy meal to share.
Ps. The rice tastes like stuffing and way better than any GF stuffing I’ve had
Hey Mackenzie,
Happy Sunday!! I truly appreciate you giving this a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed:) xx
I made this tonight and it was awesome! One of my favorite recipes of all time.
Hey Laura,
Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
This looks amazing! Can it be made a day ahead of time? Can it be frozen? Thanks for any info and tips regarding making ahead of time
Hey Melissa,
I think this dish is best served the day it is made and not the best option to freeze. I have a freeze friendly section you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/recipes/?_recipe_meal=freezer-friendly
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Thanks for the info, I’m going to make it the night before and take it on our trip and reheat it the next day. I will let you know how it turns out!
This is culinary wizardry. I made this today with some apprehension, given the comments about the rice not cooking. But it came out absolutely perfect! I subbed more wild rice for the orzo, olive oil for the butter, and white wine for the beer. I also used two small bags of baby carrots. After exactly an hour in the oven, the chicken was cooked through and the rice was perfectly done. My 13-year-old son took one bite and said, “Wow! This is now in the running for my birthday dinner request!” That is high praise. Thanks so much for this amazing recipe!
Hey Sarah! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so happy you enjoyed it! xTieghan