Plum + Apple Chicken and Rice
Time to bring a little bit of Fall into our menu! This recipe uses some sweet and tart apples & plums to bring seasonal (and delicious) flair to dinnertime!
One-Pan Wonder
Did you know you can cook rice with chicken – altogether – in the oven?! It’s one of my favorite ways to make dinner! Just a little liquid, boneless skinless chicken thighs and rice (and seasonings of choice) and you’ve got yourself a complete, one-pan meal in under one hour!
To make the perfect one-pan chicken and rice, start with 2 cups of rice and 1 cup of cooking liquid. Spread the rice evenly over the pan and then place chicken thighs on top of the rice.
The steam and cooking juices from the fruit and chicken will combine with the cooking liquid to make perfectly cooked rice and chicken! It’s like magic.
Fall Flair Meets Dinnertime
Plums and apples are such a wonderful addition to this comfort food classic – here’s what you’ll need ::
- 2 apples, sliced horizontally and cored
- 2-3 juicy plums, cut into eighths
A key tip for recipe perfection —
Make sure the plums are ripe – to overripe! When baking with the rice, they’ll turn all jammy and saucy. It’s the magic maker!
emily, ffay
Plum Apple Chicken & Rice
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed of extra fat)
- 2 apples, sliced horizontally and cored
- 2-3 juicy plums, cut into eighths
- 2 c rice (I used Calrose)
- 1 c chicken broth
- 2 T butter, cut into 6 pieces
- 1/2 t ea : fresh thyme, rosemary & chives
- 2-3 hot chili peppers (optional)
- 2-3 T sweet hot chili sauce
Preheat oven to 400°. Spray an 11″x17″ baker with nonstick spray. Add rice to the baker, spreading evenly. Pour broth over the rice. Dollop butter atop the rice.
Add chicken and top with apple slices and plum sections. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and finely chopped herbs. Drizzle 1 T of the sweet hot chili sauce over the chicken (if desired).
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. When the internal temperature of the chicken thigh reaches 165° and the rice is cooked through*, remove the foil and broil for an addition 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly golden in color.
Serve immediately.
Serves 6
*Depending on the type of rice and thickness of the chicken thighs, the rice may need a few additional minutes of cook time. Simply tightly re-cover the pan with foil and return to the oven for 10 more minutes (if you find that the rice is underdone).
