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One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice with Herb Butter. Quick, easy, colorful, and delicious! Pan-seared chicken with cajun seasoning and lemon butter. All cooked together with rice pilaf and peppers for an all-in-one dinner. Take that extra step and serve with a drizzle of delicious herby garlic butter. A dinner that everyone at the table will love. 

chicken and rice in skillet with herb butter and pepper on table

I’ve always loved a skillet dinner, but when the days get really busy, that’s when I really count on skillet recipes. And this one has quickly become a new favorite.

This doesn’t surprise me, it has all of the flavors my family loves most. Just about anything with rice and they’re sold on in seconds, so I knew this would be a hit. 

The way this was created reminded me of the way my dad used to cook when I was a kid. He’d pull out the contents of the fridge and just start making dinner with what we had. He’d throw in a little of this and a little bit of that. 

They never turned out bad, and to this day, it’s my favorite way to create new recipes. 

I only had a few things on hand and I knew that Creighton wanted something with a southern flair. Lots of seasoning, lemon, peppers, and rice. 

Thankfully, I always have a cabinet full of spices, lemons, tons of peppers, and rice. I also knew there was chicken was in the freezer. So from there, I really did just throw everything into a skillet. The second all the yummy seasonings hit the chicken, I knew it had potential. 

homemade cajun seasoning in bowl

The details

Everything starts with the chicken, which is southern-inspired and seasoned simply with my homemade cajun seasoning. Simply chicken, olive oil, and seasonings, all pan-seared in a skillet and then finished with lemon and butter. 

Once the chicken has been seared, I toss in the rice and spaghetti.

Using a combination of broken pasta and rice makes this almost more like a Rice-A-Roni or rice pilaf bake, it’s such a nice addition. And perfect if you have an almost empty box of pasta just sitting in the pantry waiting to be used.

Allow the rice and pasta to get a little toasted. You want things to be smelling just a little nutty at this point. 

raw chicken cooking in skillet

Add the onions, bell peppers, and chicken broth, then slide the chicken in. Bring everything to a boil and allow the rice to simmer before transferring the entire skillet to the oven to finish cooking. 

As the dish cooks in the oven, you’ll find that some of the rice and pasta on top get a nice little crisp. Which we think is pretty delicious! 

chicken, rice, and lemons in skillet cooking in broth

Finish it up

Since this already has so much flavor, I didn’t think the dish needed a sauce. But at the same time, I wanted to add a saucy element. So I browned a little butter with garlic and fresh herbs to spoon over the warm chicken and rice. 

Best idea. I know it doesn’t seem like much to add a small drizzle of herby butter, but it really finishes the dish so nicely. The rice especially…so delicious with some nutty herby garlic butter. 

chicken and rice in skillet with spoon

What’s great about this one-skillet chicken rice bake is that it incorporates a variety of flavors and textures. Yet it’s all made simply in ONE skillet, using a lot of pantry staples. Have to love that!

This is already in my rotation of “back pocket” recipes. It’s just so good, and it’s different, which is really nice! Creighton gave it a double thumbs-up, so hey, it’s got that going for it too! 

chicken and rice on plate with fork

Looking for other skillet dinners? Here are my favorites: 

One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake

Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce.

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole

Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 547 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
    2. In a large oven-safe skillet, combine the olive oil, chicken, and cajun seasoning, toss to coat. Set the skillet over high heat. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add 1 tablespoon of butter and lemon slices. Remove everything from the skillet.
    3. Add the rice and pasta. Cook until the rice is toasted, about 1 minute. Add the onion and peppers and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes, then pour in 3 cups broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
    4. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it. If needed add more broth. Bake, uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
    5. Meanwhile, melt together 5 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook until the butter is browning. Stir in the mixed herbs.
    6. Serve the chicken and rice drizzled with garlic butter and topped with fresh herbs.

Notes

Homemade Cajun Seasoning: mix 2 1/2 tablespoons smoked paprika, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Makes 3/4 cup. 
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chicken and rice in skillet with herb butter and pepper on table
4.89 from 148 votes (80 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this. Liked it very much. Used a combination of wild rice and rice pilaf along with broken linguine. It was good, maybe I over salted it a bit. Will make again.
    ,

    1. Hi Lisa,
      Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your review:)

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe is yummy and simple. I only had beef bone broth and it still turned out wonderful. I love one skillet options.

    1. Hi Erin,
      Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xx

  3. 5 stars
    I made this tonight albeit a little differently. I didn’t have lemon so I just omitted that, and I didn’t feel like baking the dish so I just toasted the rice + pasta extra well. I added a little Parmesan with the butter and herbs at the end which was one of my better ideas 😉 even with these modifications this was delicious, and so easy!! Husband loved it too.

  4. This looks delicious! Any ideas on subbing out the white rice for brown rice? And is your cajun seasoning recipe on your website anywhere?

    1. Hi Sara,
      You can use brown rice, it’s just cooking to cook differently so you would need to make adjustments for that:) The cajun seasoning recipe is above in the recipe notes. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT

  5. 5 stars
    Love this recipe so much! Comes together quickly, easy to play with the flavors depending what I have on hand, and family always loves it.

    1. Hi Rachel,
      Fantastic!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad it was delish! Have a great weekend:) xx

  6. This is definitely going to be a regulars in our dinner rotation! Also, I subbed the long pasta for orzo (cause I was to lazy to break it all up, haha!) and it was really yummy!!

    1. Hey Hollie,
      Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) 🐣🍭

    1. Hey there,
      I am delighted to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)

  7. Hi! Looks delicious – Can I skip the butter sauce, or is there a substitute for butter that you recommend?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Rachel,
      Could you use ghee or dairy free butter? Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT

  8. I absolutely will say, there is a complete disconnect from your “tik tok” video to the laid out instructions you give on this website. I couldn’t understand why everyone was so confused based off of just reading the recipe alone. Therefore, I decided to alter the recipe to what I thought best, and watched your videos afterwards, and realized that was probably the better way to portray your instructions. I’d suggest to follow the video if you want the exact way to cook as most ingredients (the rice) will burn if you put in before some ingredients

    1. Hi James,
      Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear you had some issues with the directions. Is there something specific I should fix as I feel they are pretty much the same. Let me know how I can help! xT