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Garlic Butter Chicken with Parmesan Rice

Garlic butter chicken with Parmesan rice featuring golden seared chicken thighs and creamy, herbed rice cooked until tender and saucy. The pan drippings soak into the Parmesan rice for a rich, skillet-style weeknight chicken dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to taste
Searing and Aromatics
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
Parmesan Rice
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice
  • 2 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 Fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F, and remove to a plate.
Toast rice with garlic butter
  1. Melt butter in the same skillet, scraping up browned bits. Cook minced garlic for 1 minute, then add long-grain white rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring until fragrant.
Simmer rice
  1. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 18 minutes until the rice is tender.
Make creamy Parmesan rice and finish
  1. Stir in Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and dried thyme until the rice is creamy and saucy. Return the seared chicken to the pan and nestle it into the Parmesan rice.
Garnish and serve
  1. Top with fresh parsley for garnish and serve hot.

Notes

For maximum flavor, let the chicken rest on a plate for 3-5 minutes while you start the garlic-butter rice so juices redistribute. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of chicken broth. Freezing is not recommended for the creamy rice texture. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (still add Parmesan for richness).