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Keeping things simple, but delicious with this One Pot Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Butter Toasted Rice Pilaf. It’s everyone’s favorite dinner made easy and delicious in one pot. Pan-seared chicken roasted up alongside nutty wild rice, warming rosemary, and autumn vegetables. Dijon and lemon keep this dish light, but or so flavorful. This roasted chicken and rice dinner is a hearty but healthy meal to cook any night of the week, especially as the weather begins to cool. And the best part? It’s the easiest dinner to prepare and one the whole family will love.
As I sit here typing away, it’s blowing snow outside my window, my heater is on, my candles are lit, and it’s the coziest winter night…
Only, it’s September…and it’s not even fall yet. And we actually have two full weeks until fall officially arrives (let alone winter!). I know the above sounds like a nice wintery scene, but guys, I’m going to be honest, I’m not ready for this kind of weather. Not even close.
And I’m not talking a light flurry, I’m talking full-on snowstorm! This amount of snow on September 8th? Yeah, that’s just not something I can embrace.
On the bright side, all this snow is giving me the perfect excuse to cook up all the cozy fall dinners on the earlier side. I know you guys are still enjoying warm summer days, but we can all enjoy a good cozy dinner regardless of the weather, right?
I think we can! And while today’s recipe is cozy and hearty, it’s also healthy, colorful, and beyond delicious. Full-on comfort food, but not the heavy kind. This is the perfect transition recipe to slowly welcome the fall days ahead.
THIS, I can be excited about.
The story.
Once September hits, I quickly transition into creating more one pot dinners, easy family meals, and recipes that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family.
You all know the story, but growing up my dad would serve up chicken recipes at least a couple times a week. It was his staple dinner. However, on cold Sunday nights throughout the fall and winter, my mom would often roast a whole chicken, alongside carrots, with a simple rice pilaf style side dish and bread (mom likes her bread with every meal).
This dish is kind of a combination of both of their dinners, and it’s made easy in one pot. It’s got the ease of dad’s chicken and rice, but all the hearty flavors of mom whole roasted chicken.
So it’s a nice balance and truly such a wonderfully comforting meal…and yes, it smells incredible as it roasts away in the oven.
The details on this one pot lemon rosemary dijon chicken.
Like all my one pot recipes, this one is pretty straight forward, though it does have a few ingredients. Please don’t let that scare you away, I promise this is going to be easy…
I like to season my chicken with a sprinkling of paprika, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. I prefer to use mostly chicken breasts since they’re what my family prefers. But I also always love including a couple chicken thighs for added flavor. You can use either or both, just use what you and your family love most.
Now, sear the chicken to get it golden and crisp. After you sear the chicken, remove it from the pan and add in all the flavor. Meaning the shallots, vegetables, butter, wild rice, and lots of fresh garlic, rosemary, and thyme. I like to cook the rice in butter to get it nice and toasty before adding in the liquid. This is such a simple step, but it adds so much flavor.
Moving along…
After you toast the rice, toss in an apple and pour in the apple cider and white wine.
The apple and apple cider add a sweet autumn flavor that’s unexpected, but delicious. I absolutely love the pairing of wild rice, apples, and cider. I also like to use a little dijon mustard, it ties everything together in a beautiful savory way.
If the apple sounds too odd, you don’t have to use it, but I do find it to be especially delicious.
At this point, you’ll want to transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking. As the chicken roasts, the rice soaks up all the flavors from the cider and wine. It then becomes infused with rosemary.
By the end of cooking, the kitchen should be smelling like Thanksgiving. It’s an unexpected but welcomed scent that will only get you that much more excited for dinner. Nothing beats this cozy scent, it’s beyond good.
Once you pull the pan out, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve everything together.
Simple, easy, healthy, and so delicious. This is a complete all-in-one dinner. Of course, you could also add a side of bread or a big salad, that would be delicious too.
This is one of those recipes that I’ll be coming back to time and time again. I love the idea of a Sunday night roasted chicken dinner. But honestly, it’s easy enough for any night of the week.
Looking for other cozy family dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Prosciutto Apple and Sage Butter Chicken with Cider Pan Sauce
Lastly, if you make this one pot lemon rosemary dijon chicken and butter toasted rice pilaf be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Butter Toasted Rice Pilaf
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 572 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend (mix wild and brown rice)
- 1/2 cup dry orzo pasta
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 whole sprig + 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
- 1 small honeycrisp apple, chopped (optional)
- 2 cups apple cider (not vinegar)
- 1 cup dry white wine such, as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Season the chicken with paprika, lemon zest, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet/braiser set over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook on both sides until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan. 3. To the skillet, add the shallots, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes, until just caramelized. Add the butter, wild rice, orzo, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and apple, if using. Cook 5 minutes, until lightly toasted and golden. Add the apple cider, wine, dijon, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. 4. Slide the chicken back into the pan. Add the rosemary sprig. Bake, covered, for 30-40 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked. During the last 10-15 minutes of cooking remove the lid and allow the chicken to crisp, if needed, add in 1/4 cup additional water or chicken broth to keep the rice from getting dry.5. To serve, fluff the rice with a fork and serve the chicken, rice, and veggies together. Enjoy!
In theory, I love it because it’s easy and healthy. I had to make several modifications because I live outside of the US and it came out alright. I agree with the comments about the lemon, if I make it again I will probably use half a lemon instead of a full one. Additionally, I forgot the garlic and did not have access to apple cider. I also would add more mushrooms. Finally, I don’t have an oven so I did it all on the stovetop, I started the rice while I finished copping other ingredients (ie the herbs and apples) which seemed to help move the process along. Will be trying again and tweaking!
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Great flavor-perfect for celebrating autumn. Prep work took longer than indicated but veggies can be chopped ahead and put in the refrigerator. I did use the apple which I chopped and put in the apple cider to marinate. The cider kept the apple from turning brown.
I am not a drinker but adding the wine gave the dish a depth of flavor. My rice was a bit undercooked but that’s my fault not the recipe’s. Next time I will make sure to cook until the liquid disappears and I can fluff the rice.
Will definitely make again.
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad you enjoyed it! And I really appreciate the feedback as well! 🙂 xTieghan
Hi there! I recently discovered your blog and just made this tonight. The flavors were delicious and it was so much fun to make. I followed the recipe to the letter, but my chicken was overcooked and rice undercooked. I can definitely solve for the chicken by taking it out earlier (my chicken breasts were pretty small!), but I ended up adding about 2 extra cups of liquid and after an extra 20-30 mins of cooking, the rice was still pretty hard. I used a dutch oven, which is much deeper than the pan you used. Could that be the problem? I really want to make this again, but need to figure out how to get the rice just right. Any tips?
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out the way you hoped! Is there anything else you did differently in this recipe? Let me know how I can help! 🙂 xTieghan
Hey!
I have made this recipe a few times and love it, my husband is a big fan of it! I’m planning to make it for a dinner party next week and wanted to see what recommendations you have for making it ahead of time?
Thanks!
Hey!
I have made this recipe a few times and absolutely love it, bit hit with my husband! I am planning to make it for a dinner party and wanted to see your recommendations on making it ahead of time?
Thank you!
In the instructions it says to add a 1/2 cup water along with the other liquids. I don’t see this in the ingredient list. Are we adding this also or is it replacing a 1/2 cup of another liquid?
Hi Sheila,
Please add the 1/2 cup of water in addition to the other liquids and follow the recipe as written:) Water is not considered an “ingredient” which is why it is not on the list. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Loved this! It takes a while to cook. But so worth it. Thanks for sharing it
Hi Linda,
Fantastic!! So great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and thanks a lot for making it. Have a great week!? xTieghan
Could I sub jasmine rice for the wild rice? Would I need to make any adjustments to liquid or cook time? Thanks! 🙂
Hey Jaime,
You should be fine to just follow the recipe as is! Please let me know if you have any other questions:) xTieghan
There is a bit of common sense that must be used when making this recipe. I used bone in chicken thighs, cooked in the rice veggie mixture for half an hour, then added 4 (browned) thin cut chicken breasts, added liquid, and continued cooking for another 25-30 minutes. I knew my wild rice blend was NOT a minute type rice, and would require extra time, and better safe than sorry. It was fantastic. Thanks for another keeper.
Hey there,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was so easy and so delicious!!! Thank you for creating such amazing recipes! My husband especially loved it!!
Hey there,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this tonight after a long weekend of camping and fishing. It was JUST what we needed!! The fresh herbs were a must. Loved the mix of orzo and rice. We definitely added the apples too because #fall. Thanks T!!
Hey there,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Mushrooms, mushrooms, mushrooms – Ugh! I swear every recipe I read of yours lately has mushrooms in it. I hate mushrooms, cannot eat them. Please continue offering some recipes without them. Thank you!
Here’s a thought…. Just take out the mushrooms or sub something else…..
Hey Cheryl,
I have over 2,600 recipes on the blog, all of which do not include mushrooms:) Maybe give another recipe a try. Happy weekend! xTieghan
We hate mushrooms, too… Guess what I do?
Take them out and substitute.
Thanks for the great recipes!! About to make this for dinner and I cannot wait!
Hey Johanna,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xTieghan
Can I substitute the orzo with additional rice? And keep the liquid the same? Thank you
Hey Roseanne,
Sure, that should be just fine for you to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I’ve pinned this recipe for future use. Since I’m lactose intolerant, I’d like to see more recipes like this.
I hope you love the recipe Ann!
Honestly I think the lemon is the wrong acid/flavor. Lemon and carrots really aren’t a good combo. We ended up using additional Dijon on the chicken and it helped. But I won’t ever make this again.
Hey Patty,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry it wasn’t enjoyed. xTieghan