One-Pot Spinach and Artichoke Chicken and Rice
I love a one-pot meal for many reasons – they always come together quickly, it gives the flavors of a dish an opportunity to really mesh together, and of course I don’t have a million dishes to do at the end. This one-pot spinach & artichoke chicken and rice recipe the perfect one-pot meal. It’s SO delicious, full of protein and veggies, and will have you coming back for seconds! This one is from my March 2024 grocery series where I turned a $50 grocery haul into five meals, and it’s already one of my new go-to recipes!
Recipe Ingredient Notes:
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: A flavorful and tender protein that stays juicy during one-pot cooking. Thighs hold up well to longer cooking times compared to chicken breasts. They soak up seasoning beautifully and add richness to the dish.
Raw cashews: Used to create a creamy, dairy-free sauce when blended with water. They provide a subtle nutty flavor and luscious texture. This base mimics cream without the heaviness or lactose.
Artichoke hearts: Mild and slightly tangy, they add a Mediterranean-inspired flavor and tender texture. Their brininess balances the richness of the cashew cream and chicken. They’re convenient and nutrient-rich, especially when canned and prepped.
Nutritional yeast: A plant-based ingredient that adds savory, cheesy flavor without dairy. It’s packed with B vitamins and enhances the creaminess of the rice. Often used in vegan cooking to replicate the taste of cheese.
One-Pot Spinach and Artichoke Chicken and Rice
4
servings20
minutes40
minutesI love a one-pot meal for many reasons – they always come together quickly, it gives the flavors of a dish an opportunity to really mesh together, and of course I don’t have a million dishes to do at the end. This one-pot spinach & artichoke chicken and rice recipe the perfect one-pot meal. It’s SO delicious, full of protein and veggies, and will have you coming back for seconds! This one is from my March 2024 grocery series where I turned a grocery haul into five meals, and it’s already one of my new go-to recipes!
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Ingredients
1/2 cup raw cashews + 1 cup boiling hot water
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt + additional to taste, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
3 teaspoons garlic powder, divided
3 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 large yellow onion, small dice
1 1/2 cups basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)
2 ounces baby spinach
15 ounces can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and quartered
Directions
- Place the cashews in a glass bowl or jar and cover completely with the hot water. Soak for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, complete steps 2 through 4.
- Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons oregano, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season on all sides with the spice mixture.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When the oil is shimmering, add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, until brown and crispy on the outsides. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Note: The chicken will be only partially cooked at this point.
- In the same skillet, add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly translucent.
- While the onion cooks, add the soaked cashews and water to a food processor or blender. Blend on high speed until smooth (if needed, add additional water 1/4 cup at a time to smooth). You should have about 1 1/4 cups of cashew milk. Set aside.
- Add the dry rice to the skillet with the onion and stir to combine. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, and the nutritional yeast.
- Mix in the cashew milk , broth, 1 1/2 cups water, and the lemon juice. Stir in the spinach and add the chopped artichokes on top. Place the chicken back in the skillet, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked, the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F, and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Note: if you are using a gas stove or your stove tends to run hot, you’ll want to reduce heat to low to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan as it cooks. Stir halfway through if needed.
- Remove from the heat and evenly divide among 4 plates.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: From refrigerator, microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or heat in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, about 10 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, then heat as instructed.
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This was so good, my whole family enjoyed it. The recipe is very straightforward and easy to follow.
What temperature do you use for the oven?
It cooks on the stovetop, not in the oven.
I needed almost a whole extra cup of liquid added as the rice cooked to make this work. A little too salty as written for us too. Other than that a yummy healthy dish!
This was really delicious will definitely make it again 😋
Super easy & delicious!
This was a rich recipe, so much flavor. My husband and I loved this recipe. The cashew milk made it taste great! I have never used cashew milk, and it made it so savory. My hussband said that it would good as a stuffing! Will make again.
This was delicious. I added a lot more spinach and artichokes to give it more veggies
I used 2 cans of artichokes and doubled the spinach. I zested lemon over the finished dish. It’s delicious
I really want to make these, but my partner has a severe cashew allergy…any substitute suggestions? They are literally JUST allergic to cashews 😞
I also can’t tolerate Cashews and wondered the same?
The flavors in this recipe were so goood! Tasted like a spinach artichoke dip meets chicken and rice. Yum! I did have to also add about an extra cup of water to get the rice to cook all the way. Next time, I’ll probably just use 1 cup uncooked rice instead of 1.5 cups and leave the rest of the recipe as-is!
My bottom rice burnt before the top was done…any tips? Maybe my cashew milk was too creamy?
Hi Diana! I have a note included in this recipe to help solve this: to prevent sticking and burning, reduce the heat to low and give it a good stir a couple of times while cooking! This should prevent that from happening in the future!
If I didn’t want to use cashew milk what else could I try?
I’ve cooked this twice now and love it!
My husband said this was his favorite thing that I’ve ever cooked!!
This was delicious!! I added sliced mushrooms in the step with the onions and used only 1C rice per some of the comment suggestions. Definitely will be on the regular rotation!
Very delish! I think it was too much rice for the amount of chicken (I even used 1.5 lbs of chicken). Next time I will use 1 cup of rice instead of 1.5.