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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!
Hey! This recipe looks amazing. I have one question, what would you recommend using instead of the wine? TIA and thank you for such great recipes!
Hi Kelly,
You can use broth in place of the wine. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xx
I love this recipe and make it all the time! I want to make it for a friend who eats gluten-free; can I just sub the orzo for more wild rice? Or should I add more liquid?
Hi Kelsey,
Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Yes, that will work for you! xx
I made this last night and it was perfect! No major substitutions except maybe a little heavier on the veggies, and my chicken breasts were pretty thick so they stayed really moist and flavorful. Enjoyed by the whole family! Thanks for a great healthy yummy recipe.
Hey Cecilia,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! xT
Oh my gosh!! so delicious and perfect comfort food on a cold Cleveland night! I used skinless chicken breasts, didn’t have any rice but it was good with just the orzo…I cook 98% of our meals from your ideas Tieghan, and tell everyone about you!! Keep up the good work.Maybe I’ll figure out how to post a pic.
Hey Patti,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Like all your recipes, this was a winner! Made it for dinner tonight and my 8 year old loved it. I stumbled upon your food/blog/Instagram etc. nearly 2 years ago and I don’t know how I cooked before that ?! I didn’t have wild rice so just used 2 cups of orzo and it turned out perfectly. The chicken was juicy, the orzo was perfectly cooked, it will for sure be a regular fall/winter meal around here! Thanks for all your hard work- my family appreciates it and so do I! ❤️
Hey Ashlee,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Just made this recipe, which was delicious. I actually misread the recipe when I was shopping and thought it said apple cider vinegar (even though Tieghan makes it clear), so I didn’t buy apple cider. I ended up using vegetable broth instead and it turned out great. Unfortunately my toddler didnt agree. So Tieghan, if you have any good recipes for toddlers that mask nutritious ingredients, please send them my way!
Hey Omar,
Awesome!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a hit!! xxT
Hi! I made this tonight and found it’s a bit too sweet for my taste. Next time I’ll just use broth instead of apple cider. Tx for the recipe!
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try Martine!!
This recipe sounds wonderful and I can’t wait to try it! I love mushrooms and the earthiness it brings to a dish, my husband however, has a very strong aversion to them. Is there something I can add in place that would pair well with the dish?
Hey Tabatha,
Really any other veggie that you both enjoy will work. Carrots would be a great option. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
I/we LOVE all your recipes so much. This one, was a favourite especially when you first posted it. Since then, my son has been diagnosed with celiac, wondering what you would suggest I use in place of the orzo when I make this tonight. Would just normal long grain rice work? Please let me know. Thanks again, as always!
Hey Katie,
So glad your family has been enjoying this recipe! I would use Arborio rice, I think that would work best! Please let me know how it turns out! xx
I’ve made this a couple times before and it turned out delicious! I was wondering if It would be fine to sub the white wine for some red wine?
Hey Teo,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! I would probably stick with the white wine for this recipe:) Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Planning on making this tonight, but I’m confused about going from the end of step 3 (bring to a boil) to step 4 (add chicken and put in the oven). After you bring to a boil, do you then reduce the heat and simmer until liquid is gone before adding the chicken?
Hi Lindi,
Once you bring to a boil you are going to add the chicken and move to the oven. The dish is cooking to cook in step 3 while it takes the time it needs to come to a boil. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I followed some of the comments on here and increased the liquid by about 2 cups, and also added the chicken much later into the baking process so it wouldn’t overcook. Thankfully I didn’t end up with overcooked chicken or undercooked rice. However, the taste of this dish was too sweet for me.
Hey Hana,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry it was not enjoyed. xTieghan
Have made this a few times and love it! Can it be prepared in advance? If so to what stage in the process?
Hey Marian,
Wonderful! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! I would make up until the point of baking, so just after to slide the chicken in step 4. xTieghan
Chicken was very much overcooked, while the orzo/rice was barely cooked. The mustard flavour is also overpowering 🙁
Hi Garrett,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Great flavor but the directions are totally wrong. The chicken was way over cooked and the rice and orzo barely cooked. I took out the chicken first and had to add about 1.5-2 cups of extra liquid. It took an extra 40 minutes to get the grains soft. Super disappointed especially since I was entertaining guests.
Hi there,
So sorry the recipe was not enjoyed, all of the cooking directions are correct. Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
This was delicious!! I doubled the recipe so we would have leftovers, but my family ate so much of the rice I’m going to have to make an additional vegetable dish for tonight!
Hey Jewell,
Happy Friday!! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend. xTieghan