Chicken thighs with rice is comfort food at its finest – this version is an Italian spin on the dish with a tomato basil rice that’s fresh and vibrant.
Yes, it’s one pot meal time again! This time I’ve got a one pot chicken with tomato basil risotto. I love risotto but I just don’t have the time to stand there and stir it forever. This risotto actually bakes in the oven with the chicken and the tomato and basil flavorings get stirred in at the very end.
How do you make one pot chicken with risotto?
I used bone-in chicken thighs for this dish because I really think they’re one of the best candidates for a one pot meal. The bone-in chicken thighs consistently come out moist and tender after being baked in the oven, which is important because no one likes dry chicken.
I find that it’s so much easier for me to put a meal in the oven rather than stand at the stove top and watch over pots. I have three very active kids (including a somewhat mischievous 2 year old) and when I’m busy literally watching pots boil I tend not to notice other things…like when a certain mischievous 2 year old removes the child lock from the baking cabinet, grabs a gigantic tub of sprinkles, takes her prize to the family room and accidentally dumps it all into the carpet. When dinner is baking in the oven, all I have to do is set a timer and walk away.
For this dish, the chicken and rice bake together in the oven with a little onion and chicken broth. I use a short grain rice which makes the end product similar to risotto but with no stirring involved. At the very end when the chicken and rice are cooked through, I stir in some pesto, fresh tomatoes and parmesan cheese. Adding the flavorings at the end really preserves the fresh flavor of the pesto and tomatoes. I almost always use store bought pesto – I’ve never had any luck growing basil in any large quantity and the fresh pesto they sell at Costco actually takes almost homemade.
This is a great dish to make on a busy weeknight but looks fancy enough to serve for company. You can serve it as is or add a salad to round out your meal. Either way, it’s an amazing one pot delight that will appeal to everyone – I got thumbs up all around the table! Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
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Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore Chicken Tortellini Soup Baked Fried Chicken Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken Pizza Stuffed Chicken
