A one-skillet chicken and rice dish, built on deeply caramelized onions, offers a weeknight meal that takes about 70 minutes and serves four to six. The recipe, shared by the author of the Smitten Kitchen blog, calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs browned in olive oil and butter, then finished with rice, thyme, white wine, and chicken broth in the same pan.
The method starts by heating a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, adding olive oil and butter, and browning the chicken skin side down for about 4 to 5 minutes, then flipping and browning the second side for another 3 to 4 minutes. The chicken is set aside while two tablespoons of butter and 1 1/2 pounds of diced yellow onions go into the drippings. The onions cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every couple minutes, until golden throughout and darker at the edges. One-third cup of the onions is reserved for the end.
Thyme and 1 1/2 cups of uncooked white rice are added to the pan and cooked with the onions for one minute. An optional 1/4 cup of white wine goes in and cooks until it disappears, about 1 to 2 minutes. The chicken thighs return to the pan skin side up, and 2 cups of chicken broth are poured around them. The pan comes to a simmer, then reduces to the lowest simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. If the rice is not tender at 25 minutes, the recipe says to add the remaining 1/4 cup broth and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.
Off heat, the dish rests for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The reserved onions are scattered on top. The recipe notes the dish keeps well, can be reheated covered in an oven-safe dish at 350 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes, and can be frozen in a freezer bag, defrosted in the fridge for a day, then rewarmed.
The author describes the dish as a staple that has proven to have the most staying power among variations, partly because onions are often on hand even when the fridge is sparse. The recipe lists total time at 70 minutes and servings at four to six.
The source also mentions a fall partnership with Williams-Sonoma on Thanksgiving content, including catalog, store, and website appearances, and a Pomegranate and Orange Peel Fizz recipe from the author's second cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Every Day. No further details on the partnership events were provided.
Editorial Notes