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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
made no modifications, cooked for over an hour, rice was still crunchy and uncooked at the time. threw the whole thing out.
Hey Lia,
I am so sorry you had issues with the recipe. I am wondering what kind of rice you used? This can definitely affect how the dish cooks. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
When do you add the apple? It’s not in the instructions.
Hey Kerry,
Sorry for the confusion, you can add the apple with the orzo. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Tieghan! I live in Summit County too. I have enjoyed many of your recipes, and this one no exception.
Like Linda in the above comments my rice was not completely cooked either. I will be making this again for my family, but am going to try pre cooking the rice 1/2 way next time. I actually did not have wild rice so just used brown rice….just wondering if you used a certain brand of a brown and wild mix or just regular, in its own box/bag wild and brown rice.
Awesome flavors lovely recipe! just needed the rice to be more done…I did add at least 20 minutes to compensate for our very high altitude cooking…bur i know we are at the same elevation! Best to you, enjoy our winter!
Hey Kelly,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and your kind message! I am so sorry you hd issues cooking your rice, unfortunately all brown rice will take longer to cook. I get a blend of wild rice from Whole Foods. I hope this helps for next time! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
When do we add the juice from the lemon? Thanks!
Hey Ali,
Sorry for the confusion, you can add the lemon juice with the cider. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
For anyone thinking about making this in their slow cooker or crockpot… DON’T! The first time I made this, I made it as directed, and wrote a rave review. I just made it in the crock pot, and it ruins the texture of the rice (and overcooks the chicken).
Hi Elsie! I am really sorry to hear that! I am glad it turned out so well for you the first time! xTieghan
I made this last night and it is fantastic! I made it exactly as instructed except I didn’t add any orzo. The wild rice was enough for me. The apple and cider were a wonderful addition and the kitchen smelled amazing! One note; the instructions don’t list when to add the apple and lemon juice, only in the text above do you find that info. But it’s not super hard to figure out when to add 😉
I had to cook mine about 10 minutes longer than instructed but I think my pot was smaller than the one Tieghan used.
This is definitely a keeper!
I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you, Catherine! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
I just made this for dinner and it was ABSOLUTELY delicious! I will definitely be making this again 🙂
I am so happy this turned out so well for you, Chelsea! Thank you! xTieghan
WOW. This might be the best fall recipe I’ve ever made! I forgot the lemon and mushrooms at the store… but it still turned out amazing! I see a lot of comments about the cooking time for the wild rice being too short, but mine turned out perfect! I cooked it all in a dutch oven. I’m going to make the pilaf minus the chicken as a side dish on thanksgiving day and might add some walnuts and dried cranberries to it.
I also want to add that my cooking game has gotten 10x better since I found your website and instagram. My husband and I rave about your recipes all the time. I make at least one of your meals every week now.
Hi Kelly! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it!! xTieghan
This is one of the first dishes i made in new house, the house smelled amazing. Perfect for fall recipe.
We loved this,
Thank you!
Thank you! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This is my second time making this with the same issue – the wild rice doesn’t cook enough in the time described. Meanwhile my chicken overcooks. The second time making it I even tried lowering the oven temp to 400. Flavors are great though. Can you share the brand of wild rice you use so I can see if that works better?
Hey Nadia,
I am so sorry to hear this! I use wild rice from Whole Foods. I am wondering if you need to use bigger pieces of chicken? Let me know how else I can help! xTieghan
I’m making this right now! I took a couple liberties because it was a last minute decision. I used butternut squash instead of carrots since I had to use some up and I have mushrooms roasting on the side, using the “my Paris kitchen” method, As my kiddos don’t love mushrooms like my hubby and I do. Also just straight up brown rice, and I was out of Dijon so I added just a touch of champagne vinegar. Smells amazing. I love these one skillet meals so easy, less mess, and love all the variations. Thanks for another amazing smelling meal.
I am so happy you and your family loved this recipe, Rosie! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Love the dish but the recipe doesn’t tell you when to put the lemon juice in.
Hey Melanie,
You can add the lemon juice with the cider. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What could I substitute instead of the butter? Or could I just omit it?
Thank you:)
Hey Sarah,
I would use a vegan butter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I don’t have a lid …can i use aluminum foil to cover and place in the oven
Hey Marie,
Yes that is fine to do, I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am making this dish as I write. What about the “juice of 1 lemon” and (optional) “small honeycrisp apple”? When should I have included them? Smells pretty good in the oven though, I hope the omission of the above ingredients from the cooking instructions don’t effect the final taste.
Hey Maxine,
You can add the lemon with the cider and the apple with the orzo. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan