Description
Creamy Peri Peri Chicken with Rice is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring tender, spiced chicken breasts cooked in a rich, creamy peri peri sauce. Paired with perfectly cooked fluffy white rice, this meal combines bold spices and a luscious sauce for a satisfying dinner that’s easy to prepare on the stovetop.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 2 boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon peri peri sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon butter
Rice
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Heat the skillet: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil, preparing it for cooking the chicken.
- Season the chicken: Evenly season both boneless chicken breasts with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper for balanced flavor.
- Cook the chicken: Place the seasoned chicken breasts in the hot skillet and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side, ensuring they become golden brown and are fully cooked through.
- Set chicken aside: Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set aside to rest while making the sauce.
- Prepare the sauce base: Using the same skillet, add peri peri sauce, heavy cream, chicken broth, and lemon juice to the pan.
- Simmer sauce: Stir the sauce mixture, bringing it to a gentle simmer while scraping up any browned bits left from the chicken to incorporate flavor.
- Thicken sauce: Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly, intensifying its creaminess.
- Add butter: Stir in the butter until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce for richness and smooth texture.
- Reintroduce chicken: Return the cooked chicken breasts to the skillet, coating them well with the creamy peri peri sauce.
- Simmer chicken in sauce: Let the chicken simmer in the sauce for an additional 3-4 minutes to absorb the flavors deeply.
- Rinse the rice: While the chicken simmers, rinse the long grain white rice under cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.
- Cook rice: In a separate pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, then add the rinsed rice.
- Simmer rice: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the rice cook for 18-20 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
- Fluff rice: Once cooked, fluff the rice with a fork and keep it covered until ready to serve.
- Plate the dish: Serve the creamy peri peri chicken over the bed of fluffy rice, spooning extra sauce on top for added flavor.
- Garnish and enjoy: Optionally garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro, and enjoy this rich, spicy, and creamy meal.
Notes
- Make sure chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for safety.
- Adjust peri peri sauce amount for more or less spiciness.
- Using chicken broth adds depth of flavor to the sauce; vegetable broth can be substituted.
- Rinsing rice is important to avoid sticky texture.
- Butter adds richness but can be omitted or replaced with olive oil for a lighter version.
