Chicken One Pot Wonder Dinner (GF, DF)

Love cooking delicious food but hate washing up? Well you are going to enjoy this chicken one pot wonder recipe, which is made in a single pan! Any dish that minimises the post-dinner fall out is alright by me.

My gluten free chicken one pot wonder does all that and so much more, as it is packed with delicious Mediterranean flavours. Crispy-skinned chicken thighs nestle in a bed of rice, flavoured with sundried tomato, oregano and basil, it makes one seriously tasty dish.

Perfect for cooler autumn evenings, this dish is one that works both for family dinners or for dinner parties. I tend to serve it with a big side salad, but for something more substantial try adding a side of garlic bread too. I’ve a great homemade gluten free garlic bread recipe, which you can find here.

Gluten Free Chicken One Pot Wonder (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients

1 small red onion
small courgette, grated
200g basmati rice
2 tsp dried oregano
5 tsp sundried tomato paste
450ml veggie stock
100 ml white wine
1 large sprig basil, leaves removed and torn into small pieces
6-8 bone-in chicken thighs
150g baby plum tomatoes, halved

Method

First pan fry the chicken (skin-down) in 1 tbsp olive oil for about 10 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden. Use some tongs to move and rotate then during the cooking so that all of the skin gets nice and crispy. Then turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side to seal the meat. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Finely dice the onion and then fry gently in a high-sided lidded frying pan with the oil from the chicken. Soften for 5 minutes then add the minced garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes over a low heat.
Add grated courgette and oregano to the pan and cook for 5 minutes over a low heat.
Add the rice to the pan with the onion and courgette, pour in the white wine and allow it to simmer for a couple of minutes until the wine has been absorbed into the rice.
Make the stock and add the sundried tomato paste to the stock itself. Stir to combine then pour the stock and tomato paste into the pan with the rice. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to low, place the lid on the pan and leave to simmer.
After 10 minutes about half of the stock will have been absorbed by the rice. Remove the lid and place the chicken pieces into the remaining stock, skin-side up, so that the sides of the chicken are completely covered. Cook over a low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes (until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice).
Once all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, scatter the tomatoes over the top and press them gently into the rice. Simmer for a further 10 minutes. There is no need to stir at all, we are aiming for a nice crispy rice base :).
Before serving, cut into a piece of chicken and check the centre to ensure it is cooked through (if not continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, then sprinkle the basil leaves over the top of the dish and serve!