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Skillet Chicken and Rice with Peas and Scallions

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 21, 2007

Yield

Serves 4

Skillet Chicken and Rice with Peas and Scallions

Ingredients

4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed (see illustration below) and breasts trimmed of any white or yellow fatSalt and ground black pepper ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, minced3 medium cloves garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)Pinch red pepper flakes 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice ½ cup dry white wine 4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup frozen peas 5 scallions, sliced thin2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Lemon wedges for serving

Before You Begin

Be sure to use chicken breasts that are roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.

Instructions

  1.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat just until smoking. Brown the chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  2.  Off the heat, add the butter to the skillet, and swirl to melt. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and return to medium-high heat until softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice thoroughly and let toast for about 30 seconds.
  3.  Stir in the wine and let the rice absorb it completely, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the rice, browned side up, and add any accumulated juices. Cover and cook over medium heat until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.
  4.  Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Gently brush off and discard any rice clinging to the chicken, then tent the chicken with foil and set aside. Return the skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 8 to 12 minutes longer.
  5.  Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and lemon juice to the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the chicken and lemon wedges.

Skillet Chicken and Rice with Peas and Scallions

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed (see illustration below) and breasts trimmed of any white or yellow fat
Salt and ground black pepper
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium cloves garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
½ cup dry white wine
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
5 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges for serving

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed (see illustration below) and breasts trimmed of any white or yellow fat
Salt and ground black pepper
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium cloves garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
½ cup dry white wine
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
5 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges for serving

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed (see illustration below) and breasts trimmed of any white or yellow fat
Salt and ground black pepper
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium cloves garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups long-grain white rice
½ cup dry white wine
4 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
5 scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges for serving

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

There are lots of bad recipes out there for quick chicken and rice. Most contain leftover chicken, instant rice, and canned cream-of-something soup. We aimed to improve this dish all around and still deliver it to the table on time.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are definitely convenient, but we needed to prevent them from drying out. Dredging them in flour not only gave the chicken a nice brown crust but also kept the meat juicy inside. After browning the breasts on one side in a nonstick skillet, we removed them to deal with the rice. We first sautéed minced onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in butter, then added the rice and stirred to coat the grains. Coating and toasting the rice this way before adding liquid is a technique that imparts deeper flavor and keeps the rice grains distinct and firm. We added a little white wine to the skillet for brightness. We then added chicken broth and returned the chicken to the skillet to cook through. When the chicken was done, we removed it from the skillet and finished cooking the rice. Off the heat, we added frozen peas, which cooked in a just couple of minutes, and stirred in lemon juice and sliced scallions for a fresh, bright flavor. In about 30 minutes, this dish was perfectly cooked, flavorful, and ready to serve. In addition, we developed two variations: one with cheddar and broccoli and the other with the spicy flavors of curry.

Before You Begin

Be sure to use chicken breasts that are roughly the same size to ensure even cooking.

Instructions

  1.  Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat and shake off any excess. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat just until smoking. Brown the chicken well on one side, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  2.  Off the heat, add the butter to the skillet, and swirl to melt. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and return to medium-high heat until softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rice thoroughly and let toast for about 30 seconds.
  3.  Stir in the wine and let the rice absorb it completely, about 1 minute. Stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the rice, browned side up, and add any accumulated juices. Cover and cook over medium heat until the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.
  4.  Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Gently brush off and discard any rice clinging to the chicken, then tent the chicken with foil and set aside. Return the skillet of rice to medium-low heat, cover, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 8 to 12 minutes longer.
  5.  Off the heat, sprinkle the peas over the rice, cover, and let warm through, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and lemon juice to the rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the chicken and lemon wedges.

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Appears In

Episode • Season 7

Streamlined Chicken Skillet Suppers

Key Equipment

Equipment

12-Inch Nonstick Skillets

Equipment

The Best Chef’s Knives

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Skillet Chicken and Rice with Peas and Scallions

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