Lemon Chicken and Rice (One-Pot)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Aug 26, 2026 
This lemon chicken rice is a simple one-pot dinner with tender chicken, fluffy rice, sweet peas, and Parmesan. It’s fresh, lemony, and easy enough for a weeknight!
One-Pot Chicken and Rice with Lemon
Okay, so chicken and rice is one of those dinners that can go either way. Done well, it’s exactly what you want, but done incorrectly, it’s a beige pot of nothing, if ya know what I mean. Which is why for my take on rice and chicken I leaned hard on lemon, using the zest early so it perfumes the rice as it cooks, while saving the juice for the very end. That, along with chicken that cooks right in with the rice so you get some in every SINGLE bite, and peas and Parmesan go in at the finish to make the whole pot creamy without any actual cream, and you’ve taken a basic chicken dinner and turned it into something really special.
Now here’s the thing I got wrong for a while (no one asked, but it did take several rounds): I kept adding the lemon juice with the broth. And it just… vanished. Cooked right out and left the rice tasting flat. Same story with the peas and Parmesan, which I stirred in while the pot was still on the heat and ended up with dull green peas and clumpy cheese instead of that bright, fluffy finish. Both go in off the heat now, and it makes all the difference.
The one step you might be tempted to skip is the rest at the end, so please don’t rush it! At 15 to 18 minutes, the rice should still have a slight bite, and that’s your cue to add the peas, put the lid back on, and let it sit off the heat for another 5 to 8 minutes. That’s where the rice actually finishes cooking. This one is a full chicken and rice meal on its own, but a simple green salad with my easy lemon vinaigrette rounds it out nicely. And if you love a one-pot dinner, my one-pot Mexican chicken and rice, is another easy weeknight dinner idea with similar ingredients but a completely different flavor profile.
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Lemon Chicken Rice!
Robyn’s Testing Tips for an Easy Chicken and Rice Dinner
- I tested cooking the chicken all the way through during the first sear, and by the time the rice finished it was dry. Be sure to pull it at about 5-7 minutes when it’s browned but barely cooked, because it keeps cooking with the rice.
- I’ve made this with both breasts and thighs, and thighs win if you’re distracted in the kitchen. They stay juicy even if the pot runs a few minutes long, but ultimately the choice is up to you.
- I tested this in a thin skillet and the rice scorched on the bottom before the top layer was done. Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, since the even heat is what keeps the rice from catching.
Lemon Chicken and Rice (One-Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or boneless, skinless chicken thighs), cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 cup white long-grain rice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
To Add at the End
- ½ cup peas (frozen are great for this)
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ⅓ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme evenly over the chicken, tossing to coat evenly.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat a large (5- or 6-quart), heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven (with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and then the chicken in an even layer. Cook until the chicken is browned and just barely cooked through, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the Onion: Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the butter, onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of salt, and cook until the onion is softened, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the Rice: Add the lemon zest and rice to the onion. Cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the Stock: Return the chicken to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. Add the broth and bring to a rapid boil. Cover, reduce to a low simmer, and cook for 15-18 minutes, or until the rice is just tender (it will still have a bit of a bite to it).
- Add the Peas: Turn off the heat. Uncover, add the peas, give it a quick fluff with a fork, then quickly re-cover and allow it to sit for an additional 5-8 minutes for the rice to cook fully and the peas to warm through.
- Finish: Uncover, and add the lemon juice and Parmesan. Stir with a fork to combine and to fluff the rice.
Notes
- Optional Serving Suggestions: Chopped parsley & sliced lemon wedges.
- Testing Tip: Don’t lift the lid during the 15-18 minute simmer, no matter how tempting! Every time I peeked, enough steam escaped that the rice cooked unevenly and I ended up with hard grains around the edges.
