Ready in under an hour, inexpensive and pantry friendly, these one-pot rice dinners are infinitely riffable and a dependable workhorse in our weekly meal rotation. With variations found around the globe, this preparation easily absorbs a range of flavors from punchy tomatoes and fresh dill to homey flavors of the Midwest.
While the recipe is immensely flexible, its success hinges on a key ratio of two parts rice to three parts liquid as well as properly cooked protein. After preparing a quick pilaf on the stovetop, the pot spends just 25 minutes steaming in a piping hot oven, so whatever proteins or veggies that are added need to be in the appropriate size or state to cook in that time. Boneless chicken thighs or thin pork chops are a good choice, as opposed to bone-in thighs or drumsticks which would be undercooked. Likewise, some delicate ingredients that would be overcooked in 25 minutes need to be added in the last few minutes that the pot is in the oven, such as baby spinach. Fillets of fresh fish can either be added to the pot in the last 10 minutes of cooking, or they can go in completely frozen and cook for the full 25 minutes, a useful feature when there’s nothing thawed for dinner. For vegetarians and vegans, the task is easy. Simply swap out the chicken or fish for a can or two of rinsed beans or cubed tofu or tempeh.
Mushroom-smothered pork chops
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat
4 pork shoulder steaks, cut in half
½ teaspoon seasoning of choice (I use Riley’s)
1 ½ pounds sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
1 teaspoon salt, divided
½ cup sherry or white wine, optional
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 ½ cups basmati rice
2 ½ cups boiling chicken stock
Chopped parsley, to serve
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat the oil or fat in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops and brown them on both sides, then transfer to a plate. Add the mushrooms, rosemary and 1/2 of the salt and sauté until their released liquid has cooked away, then add the sherry if using and sauté until almost fully evaporated. Transfer the cooked mushrooms to a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining chopped vegetables and the remaining salt to the pot and sauté until fragrant, then add the rice and stir to coat. Pour in the boiling stock and then top with the browned pork chops along with any of their juices. Smother the pork chops with the mushrooms then place the lid on the pot and bake for 25 min. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Dilled salmon with burst cherry tomatoes
Ingredients:
For the salmon and rice:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more as needed
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ pounds cherry tomatoes
1 ½ cups basmati rice
Freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley, dill and green onion
2 ½ cups boiling water or stock
4 frozen boneless salmon fillets (6 ounces each), do not thaw
Half a lemon, thinly sliced
For the cucumber-yogurt sauce:
⅔ cup plain Greek-style yogurt
¼ cup minced cucumber
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons each minced dill, parsley and green onion
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon of the salt and sauté until the onion is fragrant and just beginning to soften, then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the white wine and sauté until the liquid has almost entirely evaporated, then stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, cherry tomatoes, rice, chopped herbs and black and red pepper to taste. Pour the boiling water over the rice mixture. Sprinkle the frozen salmon fillets with salt before arranging them on top of the rice mixture, then place thin slices of lemon on top of the salmon pieces. Place the lid on the pot then transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
While the rice bakes in the oven, combine the yogurt sauce ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside until ready to serve.
After 25 minutes, remove the pot from the oven and let it rest with the lid on for 10 minutes. Serve warm, with the yogurt sauce on the side.
Curried chicken and coconut rice
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more as needed
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut the thighs in half if they’re large)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup minced shallots or onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup golden raisins, optional
1 ½ cups basmati rice
1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
¾ cup water or stock
Chopped cilantro and toasted sliced almonds, to serve
Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and set aside while the oven preheats to 450 degrees. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides, working in batches if necessary.
Transfer the browned chicken to a plate. Add the cumin seeds to the remaining oil in the pot and cook until the seeds just begin to sizzle, then add the onion or shallots and ½ teaspoon of the salt and sauté until fragrant and softened, about two minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, bell pepper, curry powder and black pepper and sauté for another minute or two until fragrant. Add the raisins, if using, along with the rice, coconut milk, water or stock and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Arrange the browned chicken thighs over the top of the rice and pour in any juices that accumulated.
Ashley Meyer is a chef, freelance writer and mom of two based in Springfield.
This article appears in January 15-21, 2026.
