One Pan Chicken Thighs and Pesto Rice
This Pesto Chicken Thighs and Rice is a cozy one pan meal that takes only 40 minutes. Packed with flavor and nutrition, for everyone to enjoy!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 1 tablespoon Italian spice blend
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chicken bone broth or chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
- ½ cup pesto
- 3 cups kale chopped (can be replaced with spinach or asparagus)
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Juice of ½ a lemon optional
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken thighs, Italian spices, salt and black pepper.
- In a large pan over medium high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, arrange your chicken thighs in the pan in a single layer. Sear each side of the chicken for about 3 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan (if there is anything stuck to the bottom of the pan, add 1 tablespoon of broth to de-glaze the pan).
- To the same pan, add your rice and bone broth. Mix well before adding the chicken back into the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, add the lid and simmer on low-medium for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.
- Remove the chicken from the pan (this helps make it easier to mix) and add the kale and lemon juice (if using), gently stir in the kale until it wilts. Stir in pesto. Garnish with red pepper flakes
- Add the chicken back into the pan and top with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
If you are looking to replace the kale with a different vegetable such as zucchini or asparagus, I recommend cooking the veggie in the pan before adding in the rice and broth. You can then let the vegetables mix with the broth, rice and chicken while the rice is cooking.
For additional flavour saute 2 cloves of pressed garlic and 2 diced shallots before adding the chicken.
*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2373IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 2mg
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