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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 the 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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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!
This post was originally published on August 24, 2023
Could I do this with pork chops?
Hi Joanna,
So sorry, I have never tested this recipe with pork chops. If you wanted to give it a try, I would just be sure to use boneless chops. Let me know how the dish turns out for you!
Looking forward to making this. Sure it will be delicious!
Bit of a random question – in the photo there looks like there is a piece of salmon in the dish. I know that CANNOT be right. Am I losing my menopause mind??!!
Thanks for all the great inspiration! Keep up the good work!
Hi Maria! Thank you so much! Haha there is no salmon in this dish! You might be seeing the parmesan rind and thinking it’s a small piece of salmon! xT
Made this today. Came out delicious! I personally used 4 large chicken breasts, a tiny yellow union, 2 small zucchini, skipped the cayenne since I don’t like spicy, and skipped parm rind, greased the pan beforehand, and added the 1/3 cup water at 30min. Will make again!
Hi there! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! So glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the feedback you shared as well! 🙂 xT
Hi! Have you ever made this with brown rice?
Hi Alexandra,
So sorry, I have not used brown rice before. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
I added mushrooms for a little variety. The rice didn’t cook well. I think I’ll leave it out and just use orzo next time.
Hey Sandra! I am so sorry the recipe didn’t turn out for you! Thank you for the input, it’s always appreciated! xT
I’ve got brown jasmine rice. Could I use that?
Hi Janet! Yes, you could definitely use that for this recipe! Let me know how it turns out for you! xT
This recipe makes it on our monthly or bimonthly menu rotations. I’ve modified it over the multiple iterations to include more zucchini and a big pinch of salt or two in the rice orzo mixture. Most recently I used 6(!) cups of frozen shredded I had from last summer’s harvest, but I’ve used 3-4 cups fresh as well before.
My favorite part are the pieces of parm rind (I chop mine up into inch cubes). They puff and crisp up in the oven and create a nice little cheese treat 🙂
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! Love to hear this recipe always turns out well for you. I appreciate you making it each month! Have a great weekend! xx
Just made this for the fourth time so obviously we like it. 🙂 Have used both thighs and breasts and sometimes both!
Hi Teri,
Yay! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have the best week:)
Hi there,
Do you cook this covered with foil? Any tips for freezing raw then thawing and baking?
Hi Reese,
I cook this recipe without covering, but you can cover with foil too. I would not recommend freezing this thaw and then baking, I don’t think you would get the best results. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Delicious!! Only had 5 chicken breasts but came out perfect. Loved the combination of rice and orzo and the zucchini was an excellent add. Definitely a keeper!
Hey Col,
Yay!! Love to hear this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great day! xx
I usually love all of your recipes and I cook from your recipe suggestions almost every night. This was not a recipe that any of us liked though unfortunately. I used half an onion and it didn’t cook down. It really overpowered the rice and pasta and the chicken ended up tasting pretty bland. I added all of the seasonings except the sage. I appreciate all of your posts and weekly meal plans.
Hi Shonda,
Thanks so much for your kind message and sharing your feedback with this recipe. So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! If there is anything I can help with, please let me know! Thanks for trying so many recipes each week:) xT
This is a favorite in my family. I find that adding that extra 1/3 cup of liquid and then covering for the last 10-15 minutes helps the rice get fully done. We all love the crispy bits at the corners. Great recipe!
Hey Ana,
Amazing! Thanks a bunch for making this dish so often and your comment, so glad it always turns out well for you! xT
Well, we liked the chicken, which cooked nicely on top, but we thought the rice, orzo and vegetables were sort of bland (and I even used fresh sage from our garden for that and the browned butter), although they did cook perfectly with the liquid and time directed. Also, it might be good to suggest oiling or using non-stick spray on the baking dish because the rice and orzo really burnt terribly on it. Anyway, good ingredients and idea, and of course we ate it (!), but probably not one I’ll be making again.
Hey Helen,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your detailed notes! Sorry to hear you didn’t love it. Have a great weekend! xx
Question: What can I use in place of the orzo? I’m gluten free. Thx!
Hi Brenda! I would just use extra rice and leave out the orzo! Hope you enjoy! xT
We really liked this dish, very flavourful, chicken was very tender. It was quite easy to make. We did find the rosemary a bit overpowering, so would cut back on that spice next time. I did not use the sage or make the sage butter, but will try it next time. Definitely will make this recipe again.
Hey Clare,
Yay!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Have a great week! xT