34 Practically Perfect Chicken & Rice Dinners
They're dinner's power couple.

Peanut butter + jelly (like in our PB&J bread pudding), gin + tonic (try our blueberry version), tomato + basil (like in our Caprese salad)... there are some combos that just work. One of our absolute favorites? Chicken and rice. We’re always reaching for one or the other when planning our meals (“chicken: it’s what’s for dinner,” right?), but when they get together? They’re the weeknight dinner dream team. Check out our 34 chicken and rice recipes for ideas—you’re sure to find a new favorite among them.
It has to be said: Chicken and rice can sound a little… boring. If you’re planning on eating a dry chicken breast over white rice, it might be. But you know that’s not our style. Instead, there’s enough variation in these recipes that we bet you could make them multiple times a week and not get sick of them. We’ve got a couple tips for keeping things fresh:
Change up your rice: If you’re only familiar with unseasoned white rice, you’re missing out on a whole world of options you can use to jazz up even the most basic of meals. Try swapping in brown rice or wild rice, like in our chicken & wild rice soup or our Goddess bowls. You can even add ingredients to white rice to make it more exciting, like herbs in our cilantro lime chicken rice bowl or coconut milk in our chicken & coconut rice casserole.
Add more veggies: Chicken and rice are great all on their own, but like most things, they can benefit from some added produce. Check out our harvest chicken casserole (with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, mm), our chicken spinach artichoke rice casserole, or our cheesy chicken broccoli bake for ideas, but really, anything goes. You could even add fruit, like in our chicken pineapple teriyaki bowls.
Spice it up: One of our favorite things about chicken and rice is how familiar it is, which makes it the perfect canvas for expanding your flavor horizons. Not sure how you feel about spice? Add it to chicken and rice, like in our salsa verde chicken & rice foil pack, our creamy paprika chicken, or our one-pan green chile chicken & rice. Have a picky kid, but still gotta feed the family? Add ranch seasoning to your meal like in our ranch chicken & rice, and you’ll have a meal everyone can enjoy. Want to have a Mexican night, but not feeling tacos? Throw a fiesta with our arroz con pollo, our one skillet taco chicken & rice, or our copycat Chipotle burrito bowls.
Want even more ideas? Check our our favorite quinoa and orzo recipes, and our top baked chicken, creamy chicken, and sheet-pan chicken dinners too. Combine them for even more twists on the classic carb + chicken combo.


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