Description
Creamy Smothered Chicken and Rice: a cozy, one-pan dinner featuring juicy seared chicken in a rich garlic-Parmesan cream sauce served over fluffy rice. Perfect for weeknights and Sunday dinners, this comforting gluten-free friendly dish delivers restaurant-worthy flavor in about 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup halal Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cooked rice, for serving
- Optional: fresh parsley for topping
Instructions
- Season chicken with paprika, salt, and black pepper on both sides.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 4–5 minutes per side until golden, then transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, sauté the onion until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add heavy cream, Parmesan, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and creamy.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce over the top.
- Simmer on low for 10–12 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve warm over fluffy rice, topping with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- For a thicker sauce, simmer a few minutes longer after adding the cream and cheese.
- Swap chicken thighs for breasts if you prefer white meat; adjust simmering time as needed to ensure doneness.
- To keep it gluten-free, avoid any flour or gluten-containing thickeners; the recipe relies on the Parmesan and cream for creaminess.
- Leftovers reheat well; store sauce and chicken separately from the rice to prevent sogginess.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop / Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1 plate)
- Calories: 640
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg
Keywords: Creamy smothered chicken and rice, chicken with garlic parmesan cream sauce, one-pan dinner, easy chicken recipe, weeknight dinner, comforting chicken skillet, parmesan chicken, gluten-free dinner