Chicken and rice is a combination that spans cultures and cuisines, and has won hearts across the world. It’s a comforting, flavorful, and often economical pairing which takes two commonly available ingredients and makes them greater than they would have been alone. In fact, chicken and rice are such an amazing duo that they’re featured heavily in Starch Madness 2023, Serious Eats’ yearly event which has 64 rice dishes competing to see which reigns (starchly) supreme.
Below, we’ve put together a list of our favorite chicken with rice recipes, suitable for cooking any time of year. Your dinner table has never looked better!
Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice With White Sauce
The chicken is marinated with herbs, lemon, and spices; the rice golden; the sauce, as white and creamy as ever.
Hainanese Chicken Rice Set
This dish is a Singaporean staple made up of moist chicken, aromatic rice, and tender bok choy, finished with chile garlic sauce and kecap manis, a type of Indonesian sweetened soy sauce.
Dak Juk (Korean Chicken and Rice Porridge)
Warm, comforting, and deeply satisfying, this Korean rice porridge is perfect for when you’re sick (and when you’re not).
Samgyetang (Korean Rice-Stuffed Chicken Soup)
Instead of shreds of chicken and vegetables, this classic Korean chicken soup offers up whole small birds stuffed with sticky rice and aromatic goodies.
Galinhada Mineira (Brazilian Chicken and Rice From Minas Gerais)
This deeply comforting, one-pot meal consists of chicken and rice and is chock full of peas and carrots with plenty of garlic and onion.
Creole-Style Red Jambalaya With Chicken, Sausage, and Shrimp
This New Orleans classic is loaded with meat, seafood, and tomatoes.
Katsudon (Japanese Chicken or Pork Cutlet and Egg Rice Bowl)
Katsudon is a Japanese comfort food classic that smothers fried cutlets with seasoned dashi and lightly cooked egg.
Nicaraguan Arroz con Pollo
This deeply savory version of chicken and rice gets studded with smoked sausage, ham, olives, capers, carrots, and peas.
Grilled Paella Mixta (Mixed Paella With Chicken and Seafood)
This famed seafood-and-meat paella may not be traditional, but it’s a favorite for good reason, as is our chicken and pork version.
Oyakodon (Japanese Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl)
Quick and simple, this popular restaurant dish is easy to make at home.
Bengali Rice Porridge With Lentils and Chicken
This chicken-potato-red lentil porridge is bright with turmeric and seasoned with ginger, a pungent hit of mustard oil, and a garnish of spicy green chutney.
Hashweh (Palestinian Spiced Rice and Meat)
Spices bloomed in ghee add complexity to this celebratory Palestinian dish.
Maqlubeh (Palestinian “Upside Down” Meat, Vegetables, and Rice)
Maqlubeh features layers of meat, fried vegetables, and spiced rice flipped over to reveal a complete and festive meal.
Classic Chicken and Rice Soup
The beauty of this comforting classic is all in the details.
Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken and Rice Soup)
A hearty, congee-like chicken soup topped with eggs and crunchy fried garlic.
Chicken Donburi (Japanese Rice Bowl) With Spinach
This well-seasoned rice bowl is topped with crisp-skinned strips of chicken and sautéed spinach, along with shredded nori and fried garlic nubs which provide interesting texture and flavor.