Chicken and Pesto Rice With Peas
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Pesto is the hero of this simple chicken and rice dish, infusing it with easy herby flavor. Chunks of boneless chicken thighs are browned in the pan, then removed while garlic and onion cook in its rich juices. Next, chicken stock and pesto — either lovingly made from scratch or picked up at the store — are added along with the rice and chicken before going into the oven to bake, resulting in a fusion of schmaltz and herbs. Peas are tossed into the pot once it’s out of the oven, allowing them to steam alongside the rice while maintaining their bite. A squeeze of lemon, freshly chopped basil and, of course, more pesto perfectly crown your plate.
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Season the chicken pieces with about 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, plus a pinch of crushed red pepper.
Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Let oil heat up for a few minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until the chicken is slightly browned but not fully cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the onion, garlic and about 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper to the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to high. Add the rice, broth and pesto to the pot; stir to combine. Cover until it comes to a boil, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and stir the chicken and any juices into the rice. Place the pot, covered, into the oven and bake until the rice and chicken are fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven and stir in the peas. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving, allowing the peas to cook and the rice to get creamy.
Serve topped with fresh basil, a squeeze of lemon and more pesto.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 677.1666666666666
- Carbohydrate Content
- 70.2 grams
- Cholesterol Content
- 149.3 milligrams
- Fat Content
- 23.9 grams
- Fiber Content
- 3.7 grams
- Protein Content
- 42.7 grams
- Saturated Fat Content
- 4.4 grams
- Sodium Content
- 1123.2 milligrams
- Sugar Content
- 5.6 grams
- Unsaturated Fat Content
- 2.4 grams
