Chicken Scampi Garlic Parmesan Rice (Printable)
Tender lemon-garlic chicken over buttery parmesan rice — a zesty Italian-American comfort meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken & Marinade
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
04 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
05 - 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
06 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
→ Garlic Parmesan Rice
07 - 1 tbsp unsalted butter
08 - 1 tbsp olive oil
09 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
10 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
11 - 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
13 - Salt and pepper to taste
→ Scampi Sauce
14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
15 - 2 tbsp olive oil
16 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
17 - Juice of 1 lemon
18 - 1/4 cup dry white wine (or additional chicken broth)
19 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
# How-To:
01 - In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken strips with olive oil, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Toss to coat evenly and set aside to marinate while preparing the rice.
02 - Heat butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the grains are lightly toasted.
03 - Pour in the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from heat, fold in the grated Parmesan, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
04 - While the rice simmers, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken strips and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute over medium heat. Deglaze the pan with dry white wine (or chicken broth), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley, then return the chicken to the skillet, tossing to coat evenly in the sauce.
06 - Spoon the garlic Parmesan rice onto plates and top with the chicken scampi and pan sauce. Garnish with additional Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The rice absorbs all that garlicky parmesan goodness and becomes almost risotto like without the constant stirring.
- Everything cooks in two pans, which means dinner is on the table in under an hour and cleanup is surprisingly painless.
02 -
- Do not skip letting the rice sit covered off the heat for those five minutes, that residual steam finishes the grains and the parmesan melts evenly rather than turning stringy.
- Crowding the skillet with chicken drops the pan temperature and steams the meat instead of searing it, so cook in two batches if needed.
03 -
- Pull the chicken off the heat when it is just barely done because carryover cooking will finish the job and you avoid dry rubbery strips.
- A tiny pinch of sugar in the sauce balances the lemon acidity without anyone knowing it is there.