Herbed Chicken and Wild Rice One-Pot Pilaf

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-01 · Updated 2026-05-01

A comforting one-pot meal combining tender chicken thighs with nutty wild rice, fresh herbs, and aromatic vegetables. This international-inspired one pot ready in about 65 minutes pairs bone-in chicken thighs, wild rice blend, chicken broth for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 pieces (about 2 lbs) bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium, diced yellow onion
• 1 large, diced carrot
• 2, diced celery stalks
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon zest

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat. Season 4 bone-in chicken thighs with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, then brown skin-side down for 5 minutes until golden and crisp; flip and cook 3 more minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. Step 2: Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pot. Sauté 1 diced medium yellow onion, 1 large diced carrot, and 2 diced celery stalks over medium heat for 6 minutes until softened. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, cooking 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Step 3: Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups wild rice blend, scraping up any browned bits from the pot bottom. Nestle the browned chicken thighs on top, then cover and transfer to the oven.
4. Step 4: Bake for 45 minutes uncovered, checking at 40 minutes. Remove chicken when internal temperature reaches 165°F and rice is tender. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp lemon zest, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper over the rice. Serve warm with chicken on top.