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    One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Rice

    By Julia | Updated: Jun 10, 2018 | Published: May 28, 2016 | 25 Comments

    72.5K shares
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    Chicken Thighs with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Rice - delicious, easy, one-pan Italian-inspired recipe. Gluten free. Great Summer dinner! It will keep you full, yet it's light and not overly heavy.

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    You will fall in love with this Mediterranean style chicken dinner: flavorful rice cooked in chicken broth and in juices from chicken thighs, then mixed with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fresh basil leaves, and shredded Parmesan cheese! Chicken thighs are moist and juicy, and everything is cooked together in one pan to minimize the cleanup.

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    Why make this chicken and rice

    • If you want something refreshing, light and not so heavy, - you will love this Mediterranean style chicken and rice! Sun-dried tomatoes and basil are a great accompaniment to rice!
    • My recipe instructs to drain the sun-dried tomatoes from oil, but if you're looking for more delicious ways to add olive oil to your diet, go ahead and add some of the olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to your rice - I think it makes the rice even more delicious!  See the recipe below for details.

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    How to cook chicken thighs in a skillet

    • Start by cooking chicken thighs in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
    • Sear them skin-side down, for 5 minutes, until skins get golden brown color but don't get burned.
    • Then, flip the chicken thighs to the other side and sear for 2 more minutes on medium heat.
    • In this photo, I have cooked chicken thighs for 5 minutes, skin-side down, on medium-high heat - see how the bottom of the pan is not burned?  Yet the skins have nice golden color (see next photos)!

    cooking chicken thighs in the skillet in olive oil

    Remove the chicken from the skillet (it will not be cooked through - you'll continue cooking it in the next steps).

    How to cook jasmine rice

    To the same (now empty) skillet, add chicken broth, water, uncooked rice, ¼ teaspoon salt.

    add broth and rice to the skillet

    Bring to boil. Mix everything well. Put chicken thighs on top, making wells for them in the rice.

    add chicken thighs on top of broth and rice

    Reduce the heat to low boil simmer. Cover the skillet with the lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered, until the rice is cooked through, and the chicken is completely cooked through (no longer pink in the center). The completely cooked chicken and rice should look like this:

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    How to make flavored jasmine rice

    • Remove the chicken from the skillet.
    • Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil, chopped fresh basil, and shredded Parmesan cheese to the skillet with rice (without chicken). Mix everything.
    • Taste, and add more salt or olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, to taste.
    • I added at least 2 tablespoons of olive oil from sun-dried tomatoes to the rice - but it's up to you!
    • You might skip adding the olive oil altogether, the rice is very flavorful with or without it.

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    Place cooked chicken thighs on top of rice, garnish with more fresh basil.

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    Related chicken thigh and rice recipes

    If you liked this style of recipe where you cook chicken thighs and rice together in the same skillet, you will for sure LOVE these recipes:

    • One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Cilantro-Lime Black Bean Rice
    • Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Rice
    5 from 4 votes

    One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Rice

    Chicken Thighs with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Rice - delicious, easy, one-pan Italian-inspired, Mediterranean recipe. Gluten free. Great Summer dinner!   Chicken thighs are moist and juicy, and everything is cooked together in one pan to minimize the cleanup.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 5 servings
    Calories per serving 479 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 5 chicken thighs
    • salt and pepper
    • 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
    • 1 cup Jasmine rice uncooked, or use any rice that says on the package that it takes 15 minutes to cook it
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped
    • 10 fresh large basil leaves chopped + more, for garnish
    • ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded

    Instructions 

    • Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat until hot. Add olive oil - it should run easily because the skillet is hot, but not sizzle or smoke. Generously season both sides of chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear them on high-medium heat in the skillet, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, until skins get golden brown color but don't get burned. Skillet should not be burned on the bottom. Flip the chicken thighs to the other side and sear for 2 more minutes on medium heat. Remove the chicken from the skillet (it will not be cooked through - you'll continue cooking it in the next steps).
    • To the same (now empty) skillet, add chicken broth, uncooked rice, ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to boil. Mix everything well. Put chicken thighs on top, making wells for them in the rice. Reduce the heat to low boil simmer. Cover the skillet with the lid. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered, on low boiling simmer, until the rice is cooked through, and the chicken is completely cooked through (no longer pink in the center). If the rice absorbs all of the broth but is still tough, add about ½ cup water to the rice, cover with lid, and cook on low simmer until all water is absorbed, and the rice is cooked and tender in texture.
    • Remove the chicken from the skillet. Add ½ cup of sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil and chopped into smaller bites, chopped fresh basil (about 10 large leaves), and ½ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to the skillet with rice (without chicken). Mix everything. Taste, and add more salt or olive oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, to taste.
    • Put cooked chicken thighs on top of rice, garnish with more fresh basil.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    One-Pan Chicken Thighs with Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Rice
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    479
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    24
    g
    37
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    7
    g
    44
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    117
    mg
    39
    %
    Sodium
     
    736
    mg
    32
    %
    Potassium
     
    735
    mg
    21
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    36
    g
    12
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    26
    g
    52
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    260
    IU
    5
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    10.9
    mg
    13
    %
    Calcium
     
    156
    mg
    16
    %
    Iron
     
    2.3
    mg
    13
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword one pan chicken thighs
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Lorraine

      March 16, 2025 at 1:37 pm

      Wow, this recipe was so delicious, and easy to make. I didn’t have jasmine rice so I substituted basmati rice. Perfect!
      Everyone loved it.

      Reply
    2. Cathy Parks

      February 04, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      I'd like to sub frozen cauliflower rice for the jasmine rice. How much should I reduce the chicken broth by? I can play it by ear too, adding as needed but using chicken bouillon for flavor

      Reply
      • Julia

        February 13, 2023 at 7:18 pm

        Cathy, cauliflower rice cooks really fast (unlike the 20-minute cooking time for the rice). In this recipe, the chicken is cooked on the stovetop (covered) and submerged partially in the chicken broth and rice. In order to not overcook the cauliflower rice and not turn it into a mush, you might have to bake this in the oven until the chicken is cooked through (in the oven-safe dish).

        Reply
    3. Claire

      July 22, 2018 at 12:58 pm

      Could i do this in a Dutch oven? My skillet doesn't have a lid.

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 31, 2018 at 5:17 pm

        Not sure about Dutch oven. You can definitely do this recipe in a cast iron skillet.

        Reply
    4. Stephanie Dougan

      May 30, 2018 at 10:48 pm

      Made this last night, with boneless, skinless thighs. I did add some oregano and chili flakes, but that was the only change. Turned out perfectly! I will also do this with shrimp, and pork chops! Also want to try to make it Greek tasting, so will use some lemon and Feta in the rice, instead of the Parmesan! Thanks so much for your recipe... definitely a keeper!!!!

      Reply
      • Julia

        July 17, 2018 at 6:55 am

        Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, it will work great with shrimp and pork chops, too.

        Reply
    5. Marisa

      March 04, 2018 at 8:17 pm

      Great recipe. Added a bit more low sodium broth towards the end. Moist and delicious. Looking forward to the leftovers. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 07, 2018 at 1:27 am

        Thank you, Marisa! 🙂 So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    6. Joy

      March 02, 2017 at 6:33 pm

      I'm cooking this now, the rice is already cooked but the chicken is not!! No idea what to do now. Somadded more water and turned the heat up a little. Hope that works.

      Reply
      • Joy

        March 02, 2017 at 6:34 pm

        So added not somadded

        Reply
      • Julia

        March 11, 2017 at 1:10 am

        Did you keep the pan covered at all times? Cooking the rice in the broth with the chicken on top on low boil simmer (make sure the liquid simmers!), covered for 20 minutes should be more than enough to cook the chicken! So, make sure the pan is covered, and that everything is on low boil simmer.

        Reply
    7. Lorie

      November 07, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      Definitely don't need the extra 1/2 cup of water. My rice is cooked....but swimming in liquid. Disappointing.

      Reply
      • Julia

        December 20, 2016 at 5:47 pm

        Hi Lorie, thank you for the feedback. I updated the recipe to make 1/2 cup of water optional.

        Reply
    8. Debbie

      July 25, 2016 at 7:48 am

      Thanks Ellen fir the tip.
      Debbie

      Reply
    9. Amie Leonetti

      July 21, 2016 at 6:46 pm

      I wonder if you could use quinoa insead of rice?

      Reply
    10. Debbie

      July 18, 2016 at 10:22 am

      Will the thighs turn out tender? We dislike them because they are always tough. I would like to use them if possible.
      Thank you so much,
      Debbie

      Reply
      • Ellen

        July 23, 2016 at 5:19 pm

        I'm one of those who cannot achieve tender chicken thighs in under an hour of cooking. Before assembling the dish I actually boiled the thighs for another 20 minutes in the remaining broth I had. It made the skin soggy so I removed it after. I'd rather have a less attractive dish than tough meat. That did the trick for me. I added pesto to the rice also.

        Reply
    11. Tzivia

      June 28, 2016 at 11:14 am

      Mmmmm yummm love one pan dinners less cleanup mmmm chicken and rice my fave looks really way yummm Julia would this dish also work with couscous

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 28, 2016 at 9:18 pm

        Oh yes, it would work with couscous. I use rice because I generally eat gluten free diet and rice is gluten free.

        Reply
        • Tzivia

          August 08, 2016 at 6:39 pm

          Really wow cool that it can work with both I'll pass it on to some people who I know are gluten free

          Reply
    12. Renee

      June 14, 2016 at 2:20 pm

      I made this last night with boneless thighs ( because that's what I had). Absolutely delicious! Had the left overs today and wonderful again. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 28, 2016 at 9:19 pm

        Renee - thank you, so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    13. Linda

      June 12, 2016 at 3:22 am

      This looks delicious. I love sun-dried tomatoes and am always looking for new recipes using them. I will be making this next week...it's already on my menu.
      Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 28, 2016 at 9:20 pm

        Linda - thank you! I love sun-dried tomatoes as well, and try to use them in all kinds of recipes, too. 🙂

        Reply

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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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