Southern Chicken and Rice
This classic Southern chicken and rice recipe is a simple dish that is easy to make, budget friendly, and packed with flavor!
Servings: 8
Calories: 377 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken with the gizzards removed
- 4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons Black Pepper
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 8 Cups Water you may need up to 12 cups
- 2 Cups White Rice use 1 cup rice for each 4 cups of water used
Instructions
- Add the chicken, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves to a large Dutch oven pot.1 Whole Chicken, 4 teaspoons Kosher Salt, 2 teaspoons Black Pepper, 3 Bay Leaves
- Add enough water to barely cover the chicken. I used 12 cups for a 5 pound chicken.8 Cups Water
- Bring the pot to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook for 50-60 minutes until the chicken is fork tender and falling apart. Turn off the heat and let the chicken rest in the pot for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the hot chicken from the pot and pull the chicken meat from the bones. Discard the bones and remove any skin pieces.
- Remove the bay leaves from the broth. Use a strainer to remove any skin pieces that might be floating in the broth.
- Add the pulled chicken back to the pot and return to medium heat. Once the broth is simmering, add the rice and give it a stir to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pot. Do not rinse the rice.2 Cups White Rice
- Stir occasionally. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. The rice should soak up most of the broth and the remaining broth should be thickened from the rice starch.
Notes
- What kind of pot? I recommend a 7.5 quart Dutch oven pot for this recipe.
- What size whole chicken? I typically use a 4-5 pound chicken.
- How much water? You'll need enough to barely cover the chicken. Start with 8 cups. I had to use 12 cups to cover a 5 pound chicken.
- How much rice? This depends on how much water you have used. For 8 cups of water, use 2 cups rice. For 12 cups of water, use 3 cups rice.