One-Pot Whole Roasted Chicken and Rice

By Naz Deravian

Published April 12, 2023

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
2 hours
Rating
5(2,844)
Comments
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Cooking a whole chicken with rice in the oven makes for a fun and cozy meal that is also fantastic for entertaining. You need an oven-safe pot that is large enough to accommodate the chicken – a 6-quart Dutch oven works well, for instance. The rice cooks in the same pot as it soaks up a turmeric- and saffron- stained broth. Just make sure that the rice grains are fully immersed in the liquid. This is not a dish where the chicken skin is meant to be crispy, but do take care not to pour the water on top of the chicken when adding it; drizzle in the water from the sides of the pot instead. Serve with a tangy arugula salad or a side of fresh herbs, like mint and basil.  

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • Small pinch saffron threads (optional)

  • Pinch granulated sugar (optional)

  • 1 whole (4- to 5-pound) chicken, trimmed of excess fat

  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

  • 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric

  • 1 ½ cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • Green herbs, such as parsley or cilantro, as garnish (optional) 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

43 grams carbs; 150 milligrams cholesterol; 705 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 40 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 678 milligrams sodium; 41 grams protein; 1 gram sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 375 degrees. If using the saffron, bring 2 tablespoons of water to a boil and let stand for 2 minutes to allow the temperature to drop slightly as you grind the saffron. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron with the sugar to a fine powder (you should have a scant ¼ teaspoon), then add the hot water, gently stir, cover and let steep until ready to use. This is the saffron water.

  2. Step 2

    Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously all over (inside the cavity as well) with 5 to 7 teaspoons of salt, depending on the weight of your bird, and about 2 teaspoons pepper. If your chicken is smaller, adjust seasoning accordingly. (This can be done up to 24 hours in advance and the chicken kept in the refrigerator, uncovered. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.)

  3. Step 3

    In a large (6-quart) Dutch oven (or similar oven-safe pot), heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle the onion with a little salt, add the garlic and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn the heat off and transfer the onion mixture to a small bowl. Don’t wash the pot.

  4. Step 4

    Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon of turmeric all over the chicken. In the same pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high, and carefully place the chicken breast side down in the pot. Cook the chicken on the stovetop until the breast side is golden, about 5 minutes. If the heat is too strong, reduce to medium. You’re not completely browning the skin, just getting some color on it. Very carefully, with the help of tongs and a wooden spoon, or using your hands, turn the chicken over and cook the back side until golden, another 5 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Scatter the onion mixture around the chicken, avoiding the top of the chicken, and pour 2½ cups water around the sides of the pot. (Do not pour the water over the chicken.) Bring to a quick boil, cover and place in the oven for 50 minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Carefully remove the pot from the oven, and using a spoon, add the rice evenly to the liquid around the side of the pot. If any grains end up on top of the chicken or tucked into wings, gently scoot them into the liquid, otherwise they won’t cook properly. Drizzle the lemon juice and saffron water (if using) over the chicken, cover and place back in the oven for 30 minutes, until the chicken and rice are cooked through. Remove from the oven and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with herbs, if using.

  7. Step 7

    It’s best to carve the chicken right in the pot and serve along with the rice. But you can also gently lift the chicken out and place it on a board and carve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,844 user ratings
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Comments

Aleta

During the cooking of this, my visiting mother set the microwave on fire, I accidentally dropped the Dutch oven pulling it out of the oven to check on it and spilled a good amount of liquid, and I burned my hand on the pot. The meal turned out SO GOOD (the flavor is incredible!) that we forgot all woes we went through to make it. It’s like childbirth- it was horrible going through it but the end result was totally worth it. This meal will become a regular rotation in our house. Childbirth won’t. Make this. Don’t set your microwave on fire.

Rivka Warshawsky

Iraqi Jews,including my Jewish community in India, make a wonderful Sabbath dish, Hamim, akin to the European Jewish Cholent, that is very similar to this recipe, but even more fragrant. It cooks on a very low flame all night but it can also be cooked for a short time like this recipe, Just add a large stick of cinnamon, a few pods of green cardamon and 2 or 3 cloves when you fry the onions, add a lot of chopped ripe tomatoes, a spoon of tomato puree, add water after they soften.

Denise

This is a joy to cook and satisfyingly delicious to eat as an Autumn dinner. (I live in Tasmania.) I added diced carrots, corn kernels and peas to the rice for extra colour and basically so I didn’t need to cook extra vegetables. That made it a total dinner in a pot. Absolutely yum. Next time I might even add a cinnamon stick and a cardamom or two to add more spice.

jp

Made per the recipe except used broth; added thawed frozen peas when it came out of the oven. Everyone loved it, including our 13 month old grandbaby who gobbled the rice and chicken.

Barbara

Made this tonight. Salted & peppered the chicken two hours before I started to cook. As suggested, I added a cinnamon stick, three cloves, and four green cardamom pods. While sauteing the rice with the spices, I crushed the cardamom pods just enough to open them up. I used jasmine rice. Other than that, everything was per the recipe. It was perfect and will now go on regular rotation.

Small Wins

This was phenomenal! BUT I made some adjustments to increase flavor… added diced carrots and celery to onion mixture for color and flavor. Placed a lemon half and thyme in cavity of chicken. Used chicken bone broth instead of water. Added more garlic and salt because that’s how I role. Ended up being a gorgeous family dinner:)

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