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Turmeric Chicken Thighs And Rice Recipe – simple to make, flavorful and nutritious one pot meal. Ready in 40 minutes, great for busy families and kids.
Turmeric rice with chicken
This Turmeric Chicken Thighs And Rice Recipe is one of my favorite meals to make when I don’t have a lot of ingredients in my fridge and pantry. Luckily all you need is boneless skinless chicken thighs and rice.
Add some turmeric and cumin, salt + pepper and top with dill or parsley (optional).
It is a great weeknight one pan stove top meal and my child loves it.
It is frustrating trying to come up with quick and easy recipes, when you have some picky eaters at home (speaking of my husband and child).
My philosophy about cooking has also recently changed. I’ve been trying to research and test the best kid friendly recipes I can make for my boy, going to the store (farmers market) to get the best fruits and veggies, spending hours cooking and he is not interested in most of the foods at the end. This is just the phase he is at right now!
This has made me be more gentle on myself and stop stressing out about what to cook. It may sound weird from a food blogger, but this is the truth.
I do have a ton of recipes, but all he wants is crackers, bread and strawberries at times. Some smoothies work, but not always. So cooking fancy meals has been a waste of time at times. Instead I’ve chosen to spend the time with him playing or if he is napping get some rest.
This is where simple meals like this Turmeric Chicken Thighs And Rice Recipe come in!
I make this dish very often. I love rice!
Adding chicken thighs to the dish enhances the flavor and it tastes so much better that if you use chicken breast. Chicken breast meat is not a great choice here, since it may make the dish a little bland.
I’ve tried the recipe with both white and brown rice and it works great with either one. Brown rice may require a little more time cooking and also some more water. Make sure you taste doneness, add more water and cook longer if needed.
The simple combination of cumin and turmeric brings rich, comforting flavor to the dish, that pairs well with the thighs meat and rice.
Adding the dill is optional. I know that some people simply do not like it! But this is a great way to add color to the dish and hide some greens in it. It also brings some fresh flavors.
Parsley could be substituted if you’d like, but the taste will differ.Use some dried dill or parsley if you don’t have any fresh.
Turmeric Chicken Thighs And Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice, regular rice could be used
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/4 tsp fresh turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 cups water, or more
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3-4 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet (dutch oven or a braised could be used) over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and cook for 2 minutes per side, until golden.
- Add chopped onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.Add salt, pepper, cumin and turmeric. Add rice. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked (30-40 minutes). In the process of cooking, add more water if needed.
- Add the dill at the end. Cook for additional minute. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Turmeric Recipes:
- Grilled Turmeric Chicken Salad
- Turmeric Roasted Potatoes Recipe
- 21 Recipes Using Turmeric
- Turmeric Papaya Smoothie
I love the sound of this dish, Mira! So easy and I love the use of turmeric in here, something that I need to cook more with! My husband can be picky sometimes too, but I know he’ll love this. Pinned!
Yummy! I love the combination of chicken and rice, Mira! What kind of onion do you use for this recipe?
How much rice needs to be added and what kind?
1 1/2 cups brown rice (not quick cooking brown rice, regular)
The flavors in this recipe are outta this world amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
easy recipes are the best! this looks so hearty and comforting!
Thank you my friend!
My family loved it!
I never repeat recipes but I have made this 4 times this year! It’s similar to the classic cream of chicken and rice casserole, but it’s so so much healthier. Personally I love the flavor with the tumeric and dill. Thank you for the recipe!
OMG, so glad you liked it! I love this recipe as well and so does my son!
I did this recipe in a cast iron skillet, and it was amazing!! I used Italian style rice, upped the water to 4 cups, and threw in some frozen peas at the end. The flavours in this recipe are wonderful. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you for sharing. 🙂