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Southern-Style Stewed Chicken and Rice

By Morgan Bolling

Published on January 29, 2019

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Southern-Style Stewed Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided1 onion, chopped fine1 ½ teaspoons table salt, divided2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed4 cups chicken broth 3 cups water 1 teaspoon pepper 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Lundberg Organic Long-Grain White Rice.

Instructions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add chicken, broth, water, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and registers at least 185 degrees, about 30 minutes.
  3. Remove pot from heat. Transfer chicken to plate and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones.
  4. Return broth to boil over high heat and stir in rice, chicken, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and liquid level drops just below surface of rice, 17 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Southern-Style Stewed Chicken and Rice
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Southern-Style Stewed Chicken and Rice

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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 onion, chopped fine
1 ½ teaspoons table salt, divided
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 onion, chopped fine
1 ½ teaspoons table salt, divided
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 onion, chopped fine
1 ½ teaspoons table salt, divided
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed

Why This Recipe Works

This comforting dish features rice plumped with little more than stock and tossed with tender pieces of shredded chicken. Simmering the chicken in store-bought chicken broth made an ultrasavory base in which to cook the rice. We used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for their rich flavor and because they would not dry out during the long stewing process. Butter and a chopped onion proved to be the only worthwhile additions, lending just enough savory richness.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Lundberg Organic Long-Grain White Rice.

Instructions

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add chicken, broth, water, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and registers at least 185 degrees, about 30 minutes.
  3. Remove pot from heat. Transfer chicken to plate and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Using 2 forks, shred chicken into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bones.
  4. Return broth to boil over high heat and stir in rice, chicken, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and liquid level drops just below surface of rice, 17 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

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