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One Pan Herb Brown Butter Chicken and Zucchini Rice Pilaf, my family’s favorite type of dish. Chicken breasts or thighs seasoned with olive oil, parmesan, garlic, thyme, rosemary, paprika, and cayenne. All tossed together with jasmine rice pilaf made with orzo and shredded zucchini. This herb butter chicken and rice pilaf is all made in one pan. No cooking the rice pilaf separately. You’re going to LOVE this. Serve each plate of chicken and rice pilaf with a drizzle of sage brown butter. YUM!
Ok, yes I know, more chicken and rice. But hear me out, my family lives off of this style of meal. But today’s recipe is even more special than others I’ve previously shared. This one takes me back to my middle school days when mom would do roasted chicken with a store-bought seasoning blend and that yummy box of chicken-flavored rice pilaf. She’d maybe add a vegetable side like broccoli, but honestly, I don’t really remember that.
Mom pretty much stuck to chicken and rice. She was/is basic, but she knows what’s good. Plenty of butter was always her secret. So she taught me well and we love her even more for that.
Per usual this time of year, I start to crave those cozy, homestyle recipes we’d all enjoy as kids. The ones our mom would cook up on Sunday nights. They made the whole house smell like a cozy roasted chicken dinner.
This is pretty much the herby, buttery roasted chicken and rice dinner we all love and crave. But this one is made in one pan and with very little effort. But the taste is so delicious.
Some details
Step 1: season the chicken
Start with the chicken. Toss it together with olive oil and parmesan. Add dried thyme, rosemary, smoked paprika, cayenne, and then make sure to season well with salt and pepper.
If you have fresh thyme and rosemary in your garden, definitely use those. I recommend about two tablespoons of fresh thyme and 1 scant tablespoon of fresh rosemary.
Step 2: make the zucchini rice pilaf.
Now the rice pilaf, which is my favorite. A mix of rice and pasta, then I also like to add summer zucchini and warming sage.
Get a 9×13 inch baking dish, add the dry rice, dry orzo pasta, an onion (optional), and 1-2 grated zucchini. Pour chicken or chicken bone broth overtop, and then use some fresh sage too. The broth will cook the rice in the oven.
Place the chicken directly over the rice pilaf, add a couple of pats of butter, and set the pan in the oven to cook. The rice will get fluffy and the chicken will become crispy!
I don’t even cover the pan or anything. This cooks up beautifully in just about 30 minutes. However, the timing will depend on the size of your chicken pieces and the size of your baking dish.
Step 3: make the sage brown butter
This is “extra” and while you don’t need it, it makes every bite of this dish yummier. So I of course recommend it. It’s salted butter cooked on the stove with whole leaves of sage.
It’s warming, and rich, so very delicious when spooned over the chicken and rice pilaf. You will really enjoy it.
Step 4: serve
Now that that chicken is cooked and the butter browned, simply plate and enjoy! Serve the chicken overtop a bowl of rice pilaf. Then spoon that golden sage brown butter over each bowl. A little sea salt is always nice too.
I absolutely could not love this recipe more and I know it’s a recipe that I’ll be coming back to time and time again. Perfect dinner to make for family and friends as we head into September and the cozy months beyond.
Looking for other crockpot meals? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Herb Butter Chicken and Wild Rice
Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon.
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
One Pan Chipotle Honey Chicken and Rice
One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice
Lastly, if you make this One Pan Herb Butter Chicken and Zucchini 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 Pan Herb Butter Chicken and Zucchini Rice Pilaf
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 583 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs or breasts (skin on or off)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan, plus parmesan rind
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup dry white jasmine rice
- 3/4 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage, plus 8 sage leaves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°.2. In a bowl, toss together the chicken, olive oil, parmesan, garlic, thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper.3. Pour the rice, orzo, onion, zucchini, and chopped sage into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour over 2 cups broth. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Arrange the chicken over the rice and zucchini. Add the parmesan rind, if using. Bake 30-40 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and the chicken is cooked through. If the rice is hard, add 1/3 cup water and cook for an additional 10 minutes.4. Just before serving, melt together the 2 tablespoons butter and sage leaves in a skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter is browning and the sage is crisp, 4 minutes. 5. Severe the chicken and rice topped with sage butter. And enjoy!
Can I make without the he cheese?
Hi Shay,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Can I make this with brown jasmine rice?
Hi Melissa,
Sure, that should be okay for you to do! I hope you love this dish! xT
I didn’t have zucchini! Mixed two of your recipes (wild rice and regular rice used here)and improvised. I had a gourmet mushroom blend, shallots, and tiny green beans. I added 1/4 cup white wine to the chicken broth. Cooked in a covered Dutch oven and removed lid for the last 10 minutes. It was crazy good! You inspired me to use what I had. Simple and delicious! Thank you!
Hi TeAnne,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for your kind message and giving this dish a try using what you had on hand:) So glad it turned out well for you! xT
I made this and it was wonderful. I went with the suggestion from another poster and “toasted” the rice and orzo first. I think it added depth and would continue that method when I make this again. I also try and marinate the chicken overnight if I am planning ahead, but it’s great the way she has it here. I also subbed the chicken with Salmon and it was great except the salmon overcooked a little bit, but it was still amazing. I think next time I would cook whole thing for 10-15 minutes and then add the salmon. This has become my hubby’s new favorite dish. Thanks Tieghan for another staple to add to my rotation!
Hi! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Hope you have an amazing Christmas! xT
I made this tonight for the first time, followed the recipe exactly as written and it was so delicious!!! It immediately reminded me of Thanksgiving flavors and I can’t wait to make it again!! Thank you for a great recipe😊
Hey Tiffani,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for your feedback and trying the recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Hi! I was wondering if you could sub orzo for this? Thanks so much!
Hi Laurel,
There is already orzo in this recipe:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi! My husband and kids loved this dish and it’s one of their new favorites. If I want to make batches of this for friends, would it be good to freeze? Wondering if the chicken would get dry. Do you have suggestions on how to freeze and reheat it? Thanks!
Hi Jess,
Happy Sunday!!🍂 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your review, so glad it was enjoyed:) For freezing, I would use chicken thighs, less to worry about drying out. I would cook the full recipe and then freeze and reheat from frozen. xx
I made this gluten free & dairy free & it was EXCELLENT! Thank you!!
Hey Madi,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a hit! xT
I am just making this and wondering if it should be covered with foil in the oven.
I had to cover mine with a lid because after 40 min the thighs weren’t cooked through! Did another 15 min with the lid on and it was great.
Delicious, cozy, and relatively easy weeknight dinner! Will definitely be making again. The zucchini rice/orzo pilaf is divine- I’m not the biggest zucchini fan, but this was delicious! Next time im going to take more care to evenly coat all of the chicken thighs with the spices. Some of mine ended up more flavorful than others.
Not sure if I did the Parmesan rind correctly- is it supposed to be set in the dish and removed upon serving?
Hi Ruby! Thank you so so much! xT
Delicious! A great new way to do the ole chicken-n-rice! Made it exactly as indicated and our family loved it. This will be our new version of an old classic- thank you!
Thank you so much! Hope you have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
Wondering the same thing about the Parmesan rind….where and how does it play in? And, is it a key component to the dish? I’d make this tonight if I had a rind on hand but I don’t 🙁
You can definitely make this without the parmesan rind! xT
You are a beautiful young soul
I love your site , your recipes and how you managed to incorporate your travels and such … it’s very refreshing
like a tall cold glass of milk lol
I’m new to your site almost 60 yrs old but the mind of a 20 yr old at times lol
I’m currently making your recipe and is in the oven as we speak
The one pan herbed chicken with zucchini and rice looks absolutely delish can’t wait to try
didn’t have zucchini so I used farmers carrots and snuck a jalapeño in there as well
You and your site are definitely going in my cook bible up front with the best recipes
Thank you for sharing
Nice visiting with you , Teighan