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Garden-Fresh Chicken and Rice

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 14, 2013

Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Garden-Fresh Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup long grain white rice Salt and pepper 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds) (see note)3 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen3 scallions, sliced thin

Before You Begin

To guarantee perfectly cooked chicken, use breasts that are all the same size and weight.

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 cup broth, rice, and 3⁄4 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until broth is completely absorbed, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
  2. Melt remaining butter in now-empty skillet. Cook zucchini and corn until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Add parcooked rice and remaining broth to skillet and bring to boil. Return chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to skillet and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and tent with foil. Stir vegetables and scallions into rice, cover, and let sit until heated through, about 2 minutes. Slice chicken and serve with rice.
Garden-Fresh Chicken and Rice

Garden-Fresh Chicken and Rice

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

30 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long grain white rice
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds) (see note)
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 scallions, sliced thin

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long grain white rice
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds) (see note)
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 scallions, sliced thin

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup long grain white rice
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds) (see note)
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 scallions, sliced thin

Why This Recipe Works

Precooking the rice in the microwave and finishing it in the same pan as the chicken and vegetables significantly cut down on the overall cooking time for our Garden-Fresh Chicken and Rice recipe. To guarantee perfectly cooked chicken, we used breasts that were all the same size and weight.

Before You Begin

To guarantee perfectly cooked chicken, use breasts that are all the same size and weight.

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 cup broth, rice, and 3⁄4 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave until broth is completely absorbed, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
  2. Melt remaining butter in now-empty skillet. Cook zucchini and corn until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl. Add parcooked rice and remaining broth to skillet and bring to boil. Return chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to skillet and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and tent with foil. Stir vegetables and scallions into rice, cover, and let sit until heated through, about 2 minutes. Slice chicken and serve with rice.

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