By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 8
423 cal · 50 min
Cilantro Chicken and Rice Stew
Recipe GLPR02cfa3840c94ab
A comforting Nordic-inspired stew combining tender chicken with fragrant long-grain white rice, brightened by fresh cilantro. This one-pot meal is ready in under an hour and serves eight, making it perfect for family dinners or meal prep.
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Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups water
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not allow the garlic to brown.
Add the cubed chicken to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the exterior is no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
Stir in the long-grain white rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to coat the grains with oil.
Pour in the water and add the kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro. Fluff the stew with a fork and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt as needed.
Ladle the stew into bowls and serve hot.
Comments
This is a straightforward stew with rock-solid ingredient availability—all items are standard at any Charlotte grocer, making it a true one-stop shop. The real cost driver is chicken, but at current prices across Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Walmart, this runs roughly $1.50–$2.00 per serving, which is reasonable for a main dish. The 50-minute claim is honest: browning chicken, sautéing aromatics, simmering rice, and finishing with cilantro genuinely takes that window. It reheats beautifully and works well for family meals or meal prep, though it's fairly plain—the ingredient list is minimal, which keeps it cheap and simple but also means it's more of a weeknight workhorse than a showstopper.
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