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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
Can I do this in a Dutch oven? Would it change the cooking time or temperature?
Hey Kim,
You can follow the directions as is. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I think I say this about every recipe I’ve been trying but this is my new favorite. It was so delicious. I’m really looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow. The flavors are just so, so good.
I am really happy you loved this one, Samantha! Thank you! xTieghan
Made this tonight but substituted the apple cider with chicken broth and omitted the apple because I didn’t have it on hand (will try it with next time). It turned out so flavourful, my husband and I both really enjoyed it. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you Jenna! I am so happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
If using the apple when is it added?
Hey Susanne,
You can add the apple with the orzo. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is one of my favorite dinners to make, I am so glad I found it. I’ve shared it with almost everyone I know!
Aw thank you so much Natalie! I am really glad this recipe has been turning out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this recipe for my family last night and it was a huge hit. So full of flavor and not too bad with the macros. It’s rare to make something that everyone around the table enjoys so much but this did it! Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you so much Heather! I am really glad this one turned out so well for you! xTieghan
What the heck do I do with lemon juice? Directions only include the zest?
Hey Kim,
Sorry for the confusion, you can add the juice with the cider. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What’s size pan/pot do you recommend?
Hey Annie,
Any large oven safe pot will work. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
THis is delicious! I prepped for WAY more than 15 minutes! washing, chopping, zesting, browning, etc. It is worth it, and maybe it would go more quickly with familiarity, but this took more than an hour to make for sure, before it went into the oven. Very good. Highly recommend!
That is so great! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Nina! Thank you! xTieghan
I haven’t made this yet and hope to for a friend this weekend. But I had the same thought when I saw the prep time…… I hate it when prep time is not accurate. It would take me 5 min at least to get all the ingredients assembled on the counter and then start the washing, chopping, zesting, etc.like you said. Glad to know prep time is actually closer to an hour!
I made this tonight but didn’t like it as I’d hoped. Not sure where we’re supposed to add the lemon juice in the ingredient list? I cooked it for 30 minutes covered, and then 15 minutes uncovered, and the wild rice wasn’t done yet, but orzo was totally overcooked. Overall I think the recipe was a bit sweet for my taste. If I were to make it again, I would omit the wine, and use chicken stock instead of apple cider.
Hi Jenn! I am sorry about that. The lemon juice gets added with the cider. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with to make this better! xTieghan
Looks perfect. Any suggestions on a substitute for the white wine? Trying to avoid a trip to the store
Hey Laura,
You can use chicken broth in place of the wine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! i might add more chicken next time; I had a lot of rice leftover. I used chopped dried apple rings and added them to the rice before I put in the oven, and it worked out very well.
Hi Elsie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it!! xTieghan
If I dont have a pan that can go on the stovetop and in the oven, what can I do? Really really excited to make this recipe just want to make sure I do it right
Hey Samantha,
You can start in a skillet and then transfer to an oven safe baking dish. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Just made this tonight and it is delicious! I didn’t see where the lemon juice should be added as well as the rosemary sprig? I just added them both with the liquids before going in the oven. Turned out great but wanted to be sure for anyone making this in the future!
Thanks girl!
Hey JP,
Thanks for trying the recipe, you can add the lemon juice with the cider and the rosemary is added in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, the recipe turned out well but i would use only 1 tbsp of chopped rosemary instead of 2 tbsp. There was nothing in the recipe that mentions what to do with the lemon juice but is mentioned in the ingredients. I thought the dish was very flavorful and I made a green salad with dijon vinaigrette to along with it. Really nice.
I am really glad you enjoyed this one, Carolina! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan