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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!
This post was originally published on September 10, 2020
I have made many of your recipes and they have been amazing. Thank You.
If you could give some guidance on this one it would be much appreciate.
The cooking time for wild rice is much longer than most other grains, including orzo. It took twice the recommended time to cook as a result. Any suggestions? Wondering if cooking the wild rice first until partially done and then adding at the same time as the orzo?
Hey Linda,
I am so sorry you had issues with this recipe. I haven’t had any issues with the cooking time, I am wondering if you adjusted the recipe at all? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Does a chicken have skin on or skin off?
Hey Ginger,
You can use skin on or off chicken, whichever you prefer:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Very comforting eating this dish! It’s fall and coziness on a plate!!!
Thank you Anne! xTieghan
This looks delicious! I too am curious about omitting the orzo due to Gluten. Could you substitute something else? Or reduce the liquid?
Hey Clarissa,
No adjustments need to be made, simply omit the orzo. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
yuuuum I love pilaf!!
Thank you Ruth! xTieghan
Would the cooking time be the same if you just use brown rice and not any wild?
Hey Megan,
Yes I would keep everything the same! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Excited to try this. Quick question: Is the chicken skinless or with skin (Step 4, “allow the chicken to crisp” made me think skin on).
Hey Kirsten,
You can use either one:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing! I am trying to make this with what I have on hand…could the apple cigar be substituted for apple juice? Thanks
Hey Bethanie,
I haven’t tried this with apple juice but I am sure it would be okay! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made this and it is delicious! Great rosemary flavor and the apples really add to the dish. Thanks for another wonderful dinner recipe!
Thank you Sheila! xTieghan
Could you please share your recipe for homemade apple butter on the stove?
Hey Anastasia,
Here is the link for the recipe! https://fett-weg.today/homemade-slow-cooker-maple-apple-butter/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Love the recipe. Looking forward to trying it soon. Nice combo of flavors. Don’t miss snow, ugh! Crazy weather. Where I’m at we went to about 100 degrees a couple of days ago to 58 this morning!
Wow that is crazy! I am really glad you liked this one, Joyce! xTieghan
Good morning Tieghan,
Snow—UGH! My daughter lives in Highlands Ranch, CO and sent me pictures of the snow there and I always tease her since I live in PA that we get plenty of snow here, I tell her to keep it there!?
This recipe looks and sounds delicious. Do you think it could be adapted to an instant pot? I love this appliance and use it a lot and notice you have quite a few recipes made in the instant pot (which I’ve made and LOVE the results).
I appreciate reading about you, your family and your beautifully designed website and recipes!
Thank you and hope I can make this in my IP.
PS (Please keep the snow there—??)
Hey Susan,
I would not recommend this recipe in the instant pot, but here is another one that you might enjoy! https://fett-weg.today/slow-cooker-herbed-chicken-and-rice-pilaf/%3C/a%3E Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is perfect. I’m planning to take a hot dinner over to my folks this evening, and this will be the perfect, easy, yet amazing meal to tote over to them. Thank you for the lovely recipes!
Thank you so much Amy!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi! This looks delicious! If omitting then orzo to adjust for a gluten free diet do you think the liquid should be adjusted in any way? Thank you!
Hey Kelsey,
No adjustments need to be made, simply omit the orzo. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
If I wanted to make this ahead of time, would you make it completely and then simply reheat or would you make it up to just before the point of putting it all in the oven? Thanks!
Hey Carole,
I would make up until the point of adding to the oven. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan