Skillet-Baked Curry Chicken Breast and Rice

This skillet-baked curry chicken breast and rice is a flavorful and wholesome meal prepared in just one pot and baked in the oven! Made with chicken breasts, bell peppers, onions, garlic, fluffy rice, and plenty of flavorful spices, it is satisfying and delicious (& made without coconut milk). It comes together around one hour with prep time included, and reheats well if you have leftovers. Take advantage of the colorful and punchy garnishes to bring out all the flavorful nuances of the dish!

The best curry chicken and rice

Chicken and rice is one of those quintessential dishes that has graced all our dinner tables at some point during our lives.

This recipe is everything you love about that classic dish, but with a vibrant, curry-hued twist to amp up the flavors and add some appetizing color to our plates.

It’s a comforting one pot meal that bakes in the oven for 30 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time to prep the garnishes and throw together a side dish if you want to serve something else alongside it.

It is also naturally gluten free and dairy free which makes it a real weeknight dinner winner at our house!

If you love this recipe be sure to check out some of our other flavorful chicken recipes like this 30 Minute Baked Chicken Breast, Bacon Wrapped Chicken, or these Sheet Pan Shredded Chicken Tacos!

Recipe testing notes

From start to finish, this recipe should take 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes to make. That includes chopping the vegetables and aromatics, measuring the spices, and resting the dish after it comes out of the oven (more on that later!).

Baking chicken and rice > making it on the stovetop

I found that the rice turned out the most fluffy, and the protein cooked the most evenly when made in the oven instead of on the stovetop.

This is because the heat is circulating all around the skillet in the oven instead of just from underneath it. On the stovetop you risk the rice sticking to the bottom of the pan while the grains on the top don’t cook all the way through.

Properly cooking the chicken

Because we’re using lean chicken breasts for this recipe, I wanted to make sure I did everything I could to keep them from drying out as they cooked.

I tested this recipe two ways with this thought in mind.

First, by adding the chicken to the rice mixture when it first goes in the oven to cook for the whole 30 minutes. And also by allowing the rice to bake in the oven for a short period of time before adding the chicken breast.

I preferred the option where the chicken is in the oven for less time. It stayed more moist but still cooked all the way through.

If your chicken breast pieces are thicker and you’re worried about them cooking all the way through in 20 minutes, you can add them immediately to cook for the entire 30 minutes.

Keeping in mind that they will continue to cook with the residual heat during the 10 minutes you let the dish rest after removing it from the oven.

Resting the dish before serving

Sometimes we are in a hurry to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible. But I highly recommend taking the extra 10 minutes to rest this dish before serving.

This something I always do when cooking any rice. And it has almost 100% eliminated the disappointment of underdone or improperly cooked rice.

The steam released during that resting time ensures the rice comes out fluffy and the chicken perfectly cooked!

A note on garnishes

A simple garnish can take a meal from good to great.

I think they’re often overlooked as something that food bloggers use to style food to make it look lovely (which it does, but why not also bring that beauty to your dinner table?!), not a necessary part of the dish.

In many of the recipes I make, the garnish is a part of what makes it so delicious, especially in recipes like this curry chicken and rice.

So, if you can include them, I highly recommend it!

Ingredients

This curry chicken and rice is made without coconut milk! You can find the full list of ingredients, along with measurements, in the recipe card below. These are my ingredient notes and recommendations!

Chicken breast

When cut crosswise into thirds or fourths, the chicken breast pieces cook evenly in a short period of time. You could use whole, boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.

Dried spices

Curry powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper make a flavorful spice blend for the chicken and rice mixture.

Some curry blends can be spicy, so look for a mild option if you prefer a low-spice meal.

Olive oil

Used to sear the chicken breast pieces and sauté the vegetables and aromatics.

Bell pepper, onion, and garlic

These aromatics and vegetables provide a flavor base for the rice.

I have also used thinly sliced mini bell peppers, which are delicious too!

Rice

For the best flavor I prefer to use jasmine or basmati rice for this recipe.

Broth

Chicken broth and vegetable broth both work well!

Garnishes

To take this chicken and rice to next-level-delicious, I suggest using some or all of the recommended garnishes. 

We love serving it with Quick Pickled Red Onions, thinly sliced almonds, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

All of these items bring their own special touch to the meal. There’s acidy, texture, crunch, and a bit of bright green flavor!

How to make curry chicken and rice

This recipe is made using just one pot and baked in the oven until the rice is fluffy and the chicken is perfectly cooked. Taking the time to prep and measure all your ingredients before you begin helps the flow of cooking. And I always suggest reading through the recipe at least once before you start.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Step 2: Mix spice blend

Mix curry powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. I prefer using a little more salt (2 teaspoons), but 1 1/2 should also be sufficient if you’d like to use less.

Step 3: Sear chicken pieces

Add cut chicken breasts to a bowl and sprinkle with a portion of the spice mixture. Toss to coat thoroughly. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof skillet. When oil is shimmering, add chicken pieces and cook on each side until chicken is lightly seared. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 

Step 4: Sauté veggies

Add the remaining olive oil to the same skillet with onion, garlic, and bell peppers. Sauté until onions are translucent and veggies start to caramelize. 

Step 5: Add rice and bake

Add rice with the remaining spice blend to the skillet. Stir to thoroughly coat the rice in oil and spices. Pour in the broth and stir well, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.

Place the lid over the skillet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and nestle chicken pieces into the partially cooked rice. Cover and return to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes.

Step 6: Rest and serve

Remove skillet from the oven and allow to steam with the lid on for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and fluff the rice with a fork. Return chicken to the top of the rice and garnish with cilantro, pickled red onions, sliced almonds, and lime wedges if desired.

Storage and reheating

This curry chicken and rice reheats really well for leftovers if it doesn’t all get eaten!

Storage:

To store in the refrigerator, allow it to cool completely and transfer to an airtight container before moving to the fridge. It should keep for up to 5 days.

Reheating:

To reheat on the stove top: Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to a medium-sized skillet and warm it over medium heat. When the water is hot, reduce the heat to low and add the rice and chicken. Warm with the lid on for 4-5 minutes until heated through.

To reheat in the microwave: Add rice and chicken to a microwave safe bowl. Dampen a paper towel and place it on top of the rice, tucking it in around the edges. Heat for 1-2 minutes, until warmed through.

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

And be sure to check out our other chicken recipes for more inspiration!

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