Chicken Scampi Garlic Parmesan Rice (Printable)
Juicy chicken in lemon-garlic butter sauce over cheesy parmesan rice. A comforting Italian-American favorite.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken & Marinade
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut 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 chicken broth)
19 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
# Directions:
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.
03 - Stir in the rice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly toasted. Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from heat, fold in the Parmesan cheese, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
04 - While the rice rests, 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. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, add the remaining garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with white wine (or chicken broth), scraping up any browned bits, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly reduced. Reduce the heat, stir in the lemon juice and 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. Garnish with additional Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The rice cooks in broth and finishes with parmesan, so every grain carries real flavor instead of sitting blandly on the plate.
- Everything comes together in under an hour, which means you can pull this off on a weeknight without feeling like you ran a marathon.
02 -
- Do not stir the rice while it simmers, every time you lift the lid you let steam escape and risk gummy uneven grains.
- The chicken keeps cooking in the residual heat of the sauce, so pull it from the skillet when it is just barely done and it will be perfect by the time you plate.
03 -
- Let the chicken sit untouched in the skillet for the first three minutes, moving it too early tears the crust off and defeats the purpose of the sear.
- Grate your parmesan while the rice is simmering so it is ready the second you need it, the cheese melts best when added immediately off the heat.