Grilled Chicken And Rice

Easy and full-of-flavor, this simple grilled chicken and rice recipe is about to become a part of your regular meal rotation! Juicy, marinated grilled chicken breasts and perfectly fluffy seasoned rice compliment each other beautifully, creating a delicious dish even the pickiest eaters will love.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• This recipe is SO simple and ridiculously easy to make! Taking plain rice to the next level is a lot easier to do that you might think – you only need a handful of pantry-staple spices. The chicken does require a little marinating time but I promise it’ll be so worth it. You can also mix it up a little by swapping out this rice recipe for this chimichurri rice recipe, giving the dish a slightly different flavor overall.
• If you’re looking for a delicious meal prep idea, this recipe is for you! Just grill a couple of extra chicken breasts and make up some extra rice. You’ll have a ready-to-go lunch or dinner for days. Pair it with some veggies or add the chicken to the top of a fresh salad for a perfectly balanced meal.
• This grilled chicken and rice is super family-friendly! As a mom, I know how hard it can be to get picky eaters to eat something nutritious. Don’t worry with this one, though. It’s totally kid-approved.

Chef’s Tips

• Don’t skip the chicken marinade! This step adds so much flavor and juiciness. I recommend 1 to 2 hours minimum, and NO MORE than 24 hours. The marinade is super quick and easy to put together so you could get it ready the day before or morning of.
• There are two CRITICAL STEPS to getting the perfect grilled chicken. 1) Make sure your grill is fully heated before putting the chicken on it. 2) Let the cooked chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before serving it. A hot grill will give you those beautiful grill marks and char flavor. Letting the meat rest will ensure the juices are really locked-in for a delicious, moist chicken. You can also use a meat thermometer to check that the chicken is fully cooked; the internal temperature should be between 160 and 165 degrees Fahrenheit. When slicing, the juices should be clear; if they’re pinkish, the chicken needs to be cooked a little longer.
• And what about perfect, fluffy rice? That’s easy. After you cook it, just let the rice rest, covered, for about 5 minutes. Once it’s rested for a few minutes, fluff it with a fork like you usually would. When it comes to the flavor of the rice, I used parsley as my herb for this recipe, but feel free to use a little thyme or even basil if you prefer.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
• Chicken Pesto Sandwich
• Easy Chicken Pomodoro
• Air Fryer Chicken Legs
• Marry Me Chicken (Chicken In A Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)

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5 from 3 votes

Grilled Chicken And Rice

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 25 minutes minutes

Marinate: 1 hour hour

Total: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Deliciously juicy grilled chicken paired with mouth-watering, fluffy rice for an easy meal the whole family will love!

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4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 large chicken breasts approximately 1 ½ to 2 pounds, see Notes

For the Chicken Marinade

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ½ tablespoon soy sauce see Notes
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper more or less to taste

For the Rice

• ▢ 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice uncooked
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter divided
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried parsley or 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
• ▢ 2 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional, for garnish

Equipment

• large bowl with lid or sealable plastic bag, for marinating chicken
• whisk
• Grill
• fine mesh sieve
• Large pot with lid
• Tongs
• meat thermometer optional
• Cutting board

Instructions 

• Add all marinade ingredients to large bowl and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Add chicken to bowl and turn to coat in marinade, then cover bowl and place in refrigerator. Marinate chicken at least 1 hour, but no more than 24 hours.
  
• When ready to cook chicken, preheat grill to medium-high heat, approximately 375° to 450° Fahrenheit.
• While grill preheats, add uncooked rice to fine mesh sieve and rinse until water runs clear. Set aside.
• Warm large pot over medium heat. When warm, add olive oil and ½ tablespoon butter. Once butter has melted and oil is hot and shimmery, add rinsed rice to pot, then stir in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and dried parsley. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  
• Pour chicken broth into pot and stir well. Increase heat and bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat to low and cover pot with lid. Simmer rice 20 minutes or as directed on rice packaging.
  
• While rice cooks, transfer chicken from marinade directly to grates of preheated grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, then carefully flip chicken over and reduce heat to medium. Cook 6 to 7 minutes more, or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 160° Fahrenheit. Transfer chicken to cutting board and set aside to rest 5 minutes.
  
• After rice has finished cooking, remove pot from heat and let rice sit, covered, 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, add remaining butter and fluff rice with fork.
  
• Slice chicken and plate with rice and any additional sides, if desired. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over rice (optional) and serve warm.

Notes

• If using thick or uneven chicken breasts, tenderize them first. To tenderize chicken, add the chicken breasts to a sealable plastic bag or wrap them plastic wrap. Use a meat tenderizer, rolling pin, or the bottom of a saucepan to pound the chicken until it’s an even thickness all the way across.
• Marinating Chicken: To marinate the chicken in a sealable plastic bag instead of a bowl, mix together the marinade in a bowl or measuring cup. Add the chicken to the bag, then pour the marinade over it. Carefully seal the bag, pushing out as much air as possible, then shake the bag and massage the marinade into the chicken.
• Cook Time: Cook time will vary depending on size and thickness of chicken. Keep an eye on the chicken and check the doneness with an internal meat thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked once internal temperature reaches 160°-165° Fahrenheit. When slicing the chicken, the juices should be clear. If they’re pinkish, return the chicken to the grill and cook it a little longer.
• Soy Sauce: You can also use 1 tablespoon coconut aminos or 1 tablespoon water instead of soy sauce.
• Make it Dairy Free: Use ghee instead of butter.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 605kcal | Protein: 54g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Total Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.4g | Net Carbs: 39g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 1073mg | Potassium: 1027mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik