Quick and easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Rice, perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekends. Takes only 40 minutes to prepare.
I love one-pot meals as they are really convenient for today’s busy lifestyle. Instead of pulling out a TV-dinner from the freezer or doing a take-out, one pot meals are a much better and healthier option. They are quick and easy to prepare, and dinner can be served in under an hour.
Refrigerator Staples
This quick and easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Rice is a family favorite. The ingredients used are the ones normally found in our fridge. It is best cooked with chicken broth but chicken bouillon works just fine for a quick weeknight meal. Lemon pepper gives the dish just a hint of tanginess.
Stove Top or Rice Cooker
This Lemon Pepper Chicken Rice can be cooked on the stove (as shown below) or in the rice cooker. I have done it both ways yielding the same results. The good thing about using the rice cooker is that you do not have to baby sit once it is transferred there. It will continue to cook by itself and keep warm after it is done.
If you choose to use the rice cooker, transfer rice after Step 3 to the rice cooker insert. Then pour water directly into the insert and continue with the rest of the steps in the rice cooker inself. Press the start button and you are all done! Bon Appetit!
Products Used in Making This Lemon Pepper Chicken Rice
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.
T-fal Thermo-Spot Heat Indicator Anti-Warp Base Glass Lid Cookware, 12-Inch, Gray
Le Creuset of America Craft Series Medium Spatula – Marseille
McCormick Perfect Pinch Lemon & Pepper Seasoning, 11.37 oz
Lemon Pepper Chicken Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium carrot (diced)
- 1 stick celery (diced)
- 1 tsp lemon pepper spice blend
- 8 oz chicken breast (diced) (225g)
- 2 cups long grain rice (rinsed and drained) (300g)
- 2 Roma tomatoes (diced)
- ¾ cup frozen green peas (115g)
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley or cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onion and garlic for one minute. Add carrots, celery, and lemon pepper spice blend. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken and cook till opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Then add rice and stir to combine.
- Pour in 2¼ cups (540ml) water. Add tomatoes and green peas.
- Stir in chicken bouillon and season with salt.
- Cover pot with lid. When liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and allow it to simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Turn down heat to the lowest possible setting and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and remove pot.
- Let cooked rice sit for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and dish onto plates. Sprinkle with parsley or cilantro.
Nutrition
NOTE: This post was updated on November 15th, 2013 with new pictures.
Enjoy…..and have a wonderful day! 😎
subhie says
wow..thats was really tempting….yummy n delcious rice
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time says
I’m also a huge fan of one-pot meals simply because I detest cleaning up the kitchen and always end up being the one to do it (how unfair is that?). I love the ingredients in this and the vibrancy of the vegetables. I think we’ll give it a go. Thanks for passing along the recipe.
Belinda @zomppa says
I am definitely a fan of the one-pot meal and this looks too good, I’d probably save washing a plate and just eat straight from the pot.
Pushpa says
You making me hungry,delicious
Lyndsey says
Mmm…what a perfect recipe. Great for any mid-week meal. I am wishing for some now I had to skip lunch, we are so busy at work!
lequan says
Biren, your dish looks delicious and as always, beautifully presented. I’m sure it’s super flavorful after soaking up all that chicken bouillon. I’ve never seen that chicken base in a jar before, must look for it next time.
Roxan says
This looks so good! I’ve never made rice in a pot before (well – I did make risotto before but I think that’s different) since I always use a rice cooker. My friends made some rice in a pot when we were up in the mountains this past weekend, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I don’t know why I thought it would be so hard! I want to try this, I know my husband would like it.
Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner says
OH I soooooo wish you were in my kitchen right now making that! Looks delish.
Happy New Year! So glad I’ve gotten the chance to get to know you! Looking forward to another year worth of great recipes!
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma What’s For Dinner
http://www.mawhats4dinner.com
Faith says
I’m a big fan of one pot meals too! This one sounds like a real winner with all the healthy ingredients and the flavor of lemon pepper!
torviewtoronto says
delicious rice looks good
Hyosun Ro says
Yum! Rice with lots of flavor.
Sharon Moh says
Ooh I bet the lemon adds such a ZING to it! Sounds delicious and I love rice. And that’s so cool how you don’t have to pre-cook the rice and it cooks itself with the ingredients in the pan. I’ve never heard of bouillon, sounds like it adds a lot more flavour to the dish. Would love to try this one day 😀
Sommer @ ASP says
Can I come over for dinner??? Honestly, this looks so satisfying right now. Adding to the weekly menu!
Victoria says
This looks hearty, flavorful, and well-balanced! My mom makes a similar rice dish, but hers contains mushrooms and no peas. I love rice dishes that are full of other yummy ingredients like this. Plain rice always seems so boring to me.
tigerfish says
I agree with you. Why eat TV dinner when we can have this? I cook this way very often. 😉 ..in fact, I made something similar recently too.
penny aka jeroxie says
ohhh… yum yum flavoured rice. 😉
Jeannie says
wow! your rice looks fried even though it’s not…so much more healthier… looks delicious!
kristy says
Ooo…this must be very tasty & flavourful! I love the most is the easy preparation! :o) Quick & simple! Thanks for sharing it, Biren. Hope you’re having a great day.
Blessings, Kristy
Joanne says
One pot meals are always welcome around here, especially when they are as crazy delicious as this! Love the lemony chicken…my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
DongXing says
Biren, this one-pot meal looks so delicious and I can imagine the citrusy fragrance would go very well with it. Certainly a dish that I would try out very soon!
Lea Ann says
I agree, love this one pot meal. Looks delicious Biren. Don’t you just love “Better than Boullion”.
Anncoo says
I always prefer to cook one pot meal and I must try your simple recipe for sure 🙂 Looks so delicious, am sure my hubby will love this.
5 Star Foodie says
An excellent weekday meal, perfectly delicious and easy to make, very nice!
Reeni says
Another wonderful one-dish meal from you, Biren! I am loving the lemon pepper spice – just delicious! How lucky your family is to have the leftovers for lunch.
lena says
i agree one pot meal is time saving and also helps to get rid of leftovers!haha!i believe that the lemon pepper spice is the magic ingredient here.
MaryMoh says
Lovely dish…just the type of cooking for me. My gosh…looks like I’m getting lazy as the new year starts…haha. It sure looks delicious like fried rice.
Cristina says
Perfect as a main or side dish and I bet it smells so good. I know Hubbs would love this (he’s our rice/fried rice chef extraordinaire). Good meal to start the new year! 😉
Devaki @ weavethousandflavors says
What a great week night dish! I love these quick solutions you’re dishing out to help us all out. Yummy flavors…seconds please 🙂
chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
kitchen flavours says
Looks lovely! Yes, I love one-pot meals too! Will usually cook one-pot meals when I’m rushing for time! This looks good, my kids would really enjoy this.
rebecca says
this looks wonderful and great point its not that hard to cook a quick one pot meal 🙂
Magic of Spice says
Oh wow Biren, what a beautiful dish…I agree one pot meals are the best really, and so much better than any take out could ever be 🙂
Your shots of the step by step are amazing 🙂
Suchitra says
looks gorgeous!
denise @ quickies on the dinner table says
One pot meals are big in our house – I think they would be in any home with lots of healthy appetites and little time! The colours in this are so appealing and the lemon pepper is a very nice touch 🙂