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One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice with Herb Butter. Quick, easy, colorful, and delicious! Pan-seared chicken with cajun seasoning and lemon butter. All cooked together with rice pilaf and peppers for an all-in-one dinner. Take that extra step and serve with a drizzle of delicious herby garlic butter. A dinner that everyone at the table will love.
I’ve always loved a skillet dinner, but when the days get really busy, that’s when I really count on skillet recipes. And this one has quickly become a new favorite.
This doesn’t surprise me, it has all of the flavors my family loves most. Just about anything with rice and they’re sold on in seconds, so I knew this would be a hit.
The way this was created reminded me of the way my dad used to cook when I was a kid. He’d pull out the contents of the fridge and just start making dinner with what we had. He’d throw in a little of this and a little bit of that.
They never turned out bad, and to this day, it’s my favorite way to create new recipes.
I only had a few things on hand and I knew that Creighton wanted something with a southern flair. Lots of seasoning, lemon, peppers, and rice.
Thankfully, I always have a cabinet full of spices, lemons, tons of peppers, and rice. I also knew there was chicken was in the freezer. So from there, I really did just throw everything into a skillet. The second all the yummy seasonings hit the chicken, I knew it had potential.
The details
Everything starts with the chicken, which is southern-inspired and seasoned simply with my homemade cajun seasoning. Simply chicken, olive oil, and seasonings, all pan-seared in a skillet and then finished with lemon and butter.
Once the chicken has been seared, I toss in the rice and spaghetti.
Using a combination of broken pasta and rice makes this almost more like a Rice-A-Roni or rice pilaf bake, it’s such a nice addition. And perfect if you have an almost empty box of pasta just sitting in the pantry waiting to be used.
Allow the rice and pasta to get a little toasted. You want things to be smelling just a little nutty at this point.
Add the onions, bell peppers, and chicken broth, then slide the chicken in. Bring everything to a boil and allow the rice to simmer before transferring the entire skillet to the oven to finish cooking.
As the dish cooks in the oven, you’ll find that some of the rice and pasta on top get a nice little crisp. Which we think is pretty delicious!
Finish it up
Since this already has so much flavor, I didn’t think the dish needed a sauce. But at the same time, I wanted to add a saucy element. So I browned a little butter with garlic and fresh herbs to spoon over the warm chicken and rice.
Best idea. I know it doesn’t seem like much to add a small drizzle of herby butter, but it really finishes the dish so nicely. The rice especially…so delicious with some nutty herby garlic butter.
What’s great about this one-skillet chicken rice bake is that it incorporates a variety of flavors and textures. Yet it’s all made simply in ONE skillet, using a lot of pantry staples. Have to love that!
This is already in my rotation of “back pocket” recipes. It’s just so good, and it’s different, which is really nice! Creighton gave it a double thumbs-up, so hey, it’s got that going for it too!
Looking for other skillet dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce.
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice, 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!
Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 547 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons cajun seasoning
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry broken spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh tenders herbs, cilantro + parsley
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, combine the olive oil, chicken, and cajun seasoning, toss to coat. Set the skillet over high heat. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add 1 tablespoon of butter and lemon slices. Remove everything from the skillet.3. Add the rice and pasta. Cook until the rice is toasted, about 1 minute. Add the onion and peppers and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes, then pour in 3 cups broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. 4. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it. If needed add more broth. Bake, uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.5. Meanwhile, melt together 5 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook until the butter is browning. Stir in the mixed herbs. 6. Serve the chicken and rice drizzled with garlic butter and topped with fresh herbs.
Notes
Homemade Cajun Seasoning: mix 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Makes 3/4 cup.
This was so easy and simply AMAZING!!!! I encourage anyone to make it-crowd please for sure
Hey Suzi,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! Loved how flavourful this dish was and how fast and easy it was to make. Definitely will make this again. Also will be a great dish to use with shrimp or any type of white fish.
Hey Carman,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
Delicious! Lots of flavor and easy cleanup. And happily devoured by my toddler even with the full amount of Cajun seasoning!?
Hey Brenda,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx
I made this today and we both loved it.
Thanks for sharing your recipes.I ordered your cookbook and can’t wait to get it.
Hi Amanda,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xx
This was soooo good! We threw in some extra chicken which was great because then we had SO many leftovers for just the two of us 🙂 the herby browned butter is such an amazing touch. I didn’t have a bitterness problem with the lemon, it got nice and brown and was very pretty on the plate. Will make this again for sure, I think my family would love it at our next gathering.
Hey Steph,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Oh my gosh…. this recipe was soooo good! This was the second recipe from you that I’ve made and it did not disappoint. I was so excited how beautiful it looked when it came out of the oven!!! It looked just like the picture on the recipe♥️
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Love your recipes Tieghan! My favourite blog ever. This one was very simple and quick, loved the flavours. Only thing I’d change- I found the lemon made everything bitter. I would omit and just use zest next time.
Thanks for everything you do <3 !
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
This is so easy and so good! Thanks! I used bone in chicken thighs and the chicken came out perfectly juicy!
Hi Lindsey,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback! xx
This was delicious and the whole family loved it! I had some Cajun slap yo mama season I picked up in NOLA and used instead of making my own seasoning and subbed regular spaghetti for red lentil to keep it gluten free. I read some reviews on lemon issues people had and used wedges instead- it was perfect. Definitely adding to the repertoire!
Hey Brianna,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xTieghan
The flavors are good here, but I ran into a problem that I’ve had with a few other recipes – by the time the rice cooks, the chicken is overcooked. What kind of rice do you recommend using to even out the cooking time? Or any other tips you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear about your rice. For this recipe, I used basmati rice. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
Can you please clarify step 3? Do I add already cooked rice and pasta? Then the veggies and chicken broth? I’m thinking that adding dry rice and dry pasta to a skillet would burn it. I’m new to cooking and get confused. Thank you!
Hi Leann,
You can follow the recipe as is, all of the rice and pasta is not dry, it will cook in the skillet. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I made this last night and we loved it! The only thing that didn’t quite work was that the lemons gave off a bitter flavor. Next time I might remove the peels and just put in the sliced flesh and then top with some zest at the end with the herbs. Anyone have any other ideas to avoid the bitterness?
Hey Jeanette,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! Sorry about the bitterness, I find it helps to really caramelize the lemons to avoid that. xxT
It was alright. Took longer than expected and wasn’t really worth all the time. Not bad, just not anything particularly special.
Hi Kaley,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xTieghan
made this at the weekend and it was amazing!!! so delicious everything i have tried from your collection always turns out amazing
Hey there,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing your review!? xT
hi! Could you use bone in skin on chicken thighs for this?
I hope you tried the bone-in thighs! I just made it with a whole cut up chicken and it was fantastic.
Hi Christiane,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing your review!? xT
Hey Tricia,
Definitely, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I loved this recipe. Just made it tonight and it was simple to make. The flavors were so good and I loved the crunchiness on the chicken. Thanks for another great recipe! I love HBH, my friends and I solely cook/bake your recipes!
Hi Taylor,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try!! Have the best day:) xx