Italian Chicken and Rice
Italian chicken and rice is a dish that my mom used to make and is still a family favorite. This is one meal that everyone in the family really enjoys! It is made in one pan and is ready to serve in about 30 minutes. Instant rice instead of regular rice saves quite a bit of time and you won’t know the difference. This dish has great flavors including onion, garlic, lemon and fresh basil. The basil and lemon flavors are what gives this dish such unbelievable flavor. This recipe was originally called Chicken Italia and is from the 1970’s. My mom discovered the recipe on a box of Minute Rice. It is truely a classic, easy and delicious meal that your whole family will love!
Ingredient list for Italian Chicken and Rice:
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slivered pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 cup chicken broth, low salt (I used chicken bone broth)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 heaping tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 1-1/2 cups instant white rice
How to make Italian Chicken and Rice:
- Saute the chicken and onion in butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat until the chicken is starting to brown and onions are transparent and tender, stirring frequently.
- Add the zucchini and garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper and stir together. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Stir in the instant rice and cook covered for about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let everything sit covered for another 2-3 minutes or until all the broth is evaporated and the rice is fluffy.
- This dish is great with a toasty piece of garlic bread. You could even add a little parmesan cheese if desired.
Other quick and easy recipes to try:
- Pineapple Chicken Quesadillas
- Lighter Beef Stroganoff
- Easy Wonton Soup
- Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups
- Pan Seared Branzino
- Angel Hair Pasta With Veggies
Italian Chicken and Rice
Italian chicken and rice is a family favorite that is quick and easy to make in a single pan and takes about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slivered pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp basil, chopped (heaping tablespoons) May use 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups instant white rice
Instructions
- Saute the chicken and onion in butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat until the chicken is starting to brown and onions are transparent and tender, stirring frequently (about 10 minutes).
- Add the zucchini and garlic and cook for one minute.
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper and stir together. Bring mixture to a boil.
- Stir in the instant rice and cook covered for about 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for another 2-3 minutes or until all the broth is evaporated and the rice is fluffy.