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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.

overhead photo of One Pot Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Butter Toasted Rice Pilaf

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.

prep photo of rice in skillet toasting with butter

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.

prep photo of chicken and rice cooking in skillet

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.

overhead close up photo of One Pot Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Butter Toasted Rice Pilaf

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.

over head photo of One Pot Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Butter Toasted Rice Pilaf on dinner plate with fork

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.

side angled close up photo of One Pot Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Butter Toasted Rice Pilaf

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.

overhead close up photo of One Pot Lemon Rosemary Dijon Chicken and Butter Toasted Rice Pilaf

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

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
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

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!
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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was amazing! I used unsweetened apple juice instead of cider (because that’s what I had) but otherwise followed everything to the letter. It turned out perfectly. Definitely a new family favorite 🙂

  2. My rice took sooooo long to cook. I’m currently at an hour of cooking time 🙁 Is it due to the rice I’m using? Help!

    1. Hi Alise,
      Thanks for making this recipe, so sorry to hear you are having issues with the rice!! What kind of rice are you using? Anything else you might have adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! xT

  3. 4 stars
    This was tasty! I had to cook it on the stovetop because I got nervous that my pot’s lid wouldn’t make it through 40 minutes at 425, but it turned out good — it just took a lot longer than I thought it might. The rice was delicious and had a good flavor. I think next time I’d add more herbs and do only one cup of apple cider (and one cup of broth) to increase the savory flavor; it was a bit sweet. I might add the mustard more near the end, since I couldn’t really taste it after so long on the stove. But the chicken was very tender and tasty and everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Hi Holly,
      Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT

  4. Hello! This recipe sounds great! I’d like to try it tonight.
    Do you pre-cook the wild rice blend or throw it in raw? I know wild rice can take up to an hour to make.

    1. Hey Adelene,
      You are going to use raw wild rice, it’s going to cook in the dish. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this turns out well for you! xT

    1. Hey Lynda,
      That should be okay to do with thighs since they are pretty hard to dry out! I hope you love this dish! Let me know if you have any other questions! xx

  5. 4 stars
    Delicious. So much flavor. Seasoning the chicken with lemon zest is brilliant! I will be making this dish often. Thanks!

    1. Hey Lori,
      Happy Monday!! 🍁 Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xT

  6. Would the 3.5-Qt Braiser be large enough for this? Another topic is I can’t find the filter option on new website. It is easy to move to specific topics but not to filter by ingredient etc. Thank you

    1. Hi Judy,
      I would use at least a 5 quart pot. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know you give it a try! xx

  7. 5 stars
    Super tasty!! My only problem was my rice just refused to cook. But once it was finally done it was great! The lemon zest on the chicken (I used boneless skinless thighs) really stood out.

    1. Hi Julie,
      Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx

  8. 4 stars
    So good and surprisingly easy! My store was out of normal orzo, so I just used all wild rice blend. I suspect people who had timing problems may have been using a whole grain wild blend that takes longer. I omitted the mushrooms because DH doesn’t like them and used white pepper to add back in some earthiness. I used slightly less hot paprika because it’s what I had. I think the sweet might have been too sweet for us (especially without the mushrooms).

    1. Hey there,
      Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing what worked well for you, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xx

  9. 5 stars
    This is like Fall in a pan. Love the complex flavors – I added extra liquid as suggest to let the wild rice soften a bit more and it was perfect! The salt balances out the sweetness of the cider. Quite delicious!

    1. Hi Katie,
      Happy Sunday! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try!🍂 xT

  10. I made this recipe for my husband tonight and we loved it!! I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. It was a perfect fall meal!

  11. 1 star
    I tried this one and my family did not like it. The rice was crunchy and the chicken was bland. They voted never to make this again.

    1. Hey Amelia,
      I do not peel the apple for this recipe! Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love the dish! xTieghan

  12. This sounds so good! I am a huge fan of one-pot dinners and can’t wait to make this. However, in the interest of heating up my kitchen as little as possible in the Georgia summer, can this be made completely on the stovetop as opposed to transferring to the oven? I’m guessing yes, but would like your take.

    1. Hey Jenny,
      Totally, I would just cover the pot at the point in which you would put it in the oven. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx

    1. Hey Judie,
      Fantastic!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT