One Pan Peri Peri Chicken and Rice - Easy Weeknight Dinner

One pan, big flavour, and barely any washing up, this is the kind of weeknight dinner that makes you feel like an absolute LEGEND in the kitchen. We're taking humble chicken legs and jasmine rice and giving them the most incredible peri peri Mediterranean treatment. Homemade peri peri sauce (I promise it takes about 10 minutes), smoky roasted peppers, juicy tomatoes, briny olives, and a squeeze of lemon, all cooked together in one pan until the rice has absorbed every single drop of that glorious sauce. It is PACKED with flavour, great value, and there will absolutely be leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Winner winner chicken dinner doesn't even cover it!

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes (including 15 minutes resting)
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Serves: 4 
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Large wide pan with a lid, air fryer or oven, stick blender or small food processor, meat thermometer (optional but handy!)

The secret to this dish is the homemade peri peri sauce base, and before you scroll past thinking it's too much effort, hear me out. You're roughly chopping a few things, chucking them in the air fryer for 10 minutes, then blending them with your stock. That's it. That roasted, slightly charred depth of flavour is what makes this dish. The rice cooks directly in that spiced, tomatoey sauce and absorbs every bit of flavour as it goes,  by the time it hits your bowl it is OUTRAGEOUSLY delicious and juicy. No dry, sad chicken rice here!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• One pan wonder: Everything cooked together = maximum flavour, minimum washing up
• Homemade peri peri sauce: Simple to make and SO much better than anything from a jar
• Budget friendly: Chicken legs are one of the most economical cuts going, and rice is a pantry staple
• Packed with flavour: Smoky, spicy, herby, briny, every single bite delivers
• Great for leftovers: Makes plenty and reheats beautifully for lunch the next day

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:

• 8 chicken legs
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped and roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 4 cloves garlic, grated (2 for the marinade, 2 for the base)
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to season

For the Peri Peri Sauce Base:

• 2 dried red chillies
• 400g fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes)
• 2 large jarred roasted red peppers
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Good glug of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the Rice:

• 1 medium onion, cut into small dice
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 100ml white wine
• 300g jasmine rice
• 700ml chicken stock
• Peri peri sauce (blended from above)
• A good handful of green olives
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds
• Fresh oregano, to finish
• Salt and pepper, to season

Instructions

1. Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken legs in a large bowl. Add the chopped rosemary, oregano, grated garlic, smoked paprika, olive oil, and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Toss everything together well until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside while you get the sauce ready, even a short marinade makes a big difference!

2. Make the peri peri sauce base: Soak the 2 dried chillies in a cup of hot water for a few minutes until softened, then tear in half. Pop the jarred peppers, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, a good glug of olive oil, and the soaked chillies in a bowl to mix. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast in the air fryer at 200°C for 15 minutes until slightly charred, or in the oven at 220°C (200°C fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7) for 15–20 minutes.

3. Blend the sauce: Tip the roasted vegetables into a jug or deep container. Add about half your chicken stock (approximately 350ml) and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. You should have a beautifully smoky, spicy, deeply flavoured liquid, this is going to be the soul of your dish!

4. Sear the chicken: Heat a large wide pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sear the chicken legs for 3–4 minutes each side until golden and nicely coloured. You're not cooking them through here, just building colour and flavour. Remove and set aside.

5. Build the base: In the same pan (don't wash it out, all those sticky bits are FLAVOUR!), add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced onion and garlic over medium heat. Cook for 5–6 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the tablespoon of tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble and reduce for a couple of minutes until mostly evaporated.

6. Add the rice and sauce: Add the 300g of jasmine rice and stir to coat in all that lovely base, After a few minutes add the tomatoes. Pour in the blended peri peri sauce plus the remaining chicken stock, about 900ml total liquid. Stir to combine and season well. Tuck in the lemon slices and scatter over the olives.

7. Cook low and slow: Nestle the seared chicken legs on top of the rice, skin side up. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, pop the lid on, and cook for 20 minutes. The rice will absorb all that gorgeous sauce and the chicken will cook through beautifully. If you have a meat thermometer, the chicken is done at 72°C internal temperature.

8. Rest before serving: After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the lid on for a further 15 minutes. DO NOT be tempted to lift the lid! This resting time is what makes the rice perfectly tender and lets everything come together.

9. Finish and serve: Scatter over plenty of fresh oregano, bring the whole pan to the table, and serve straight from the pan. Absolutely no further garnish required, though a little extra glug of olive oil never hurt anyone!

Chef's Tips

Use legs or thighs, always: The fat and juices that render out of dark meat as it cooks go directly into the rice. This is what makes it SO juicy and flavourful. Breast meat will dry out and just won't give you the same result.

Don't skip the sear: That golden crust on the chicken adds huge depth of flavour to the whole dish. Three or four minutes each side is all it takes and it is absolutely worth the extra pan.

Trust the liquid ratio: 300g jasmine rice to 900ml liquid is the sweet spot for this dish. It might look like a lot of liquid when you put the lid on but the rice will absorb it beautifully, especially with that 15 minute rest at the end.

Check your seasoning before adding the rice: Once the rice goes in it's hard to adjust. Taste your sauce base and make sure it's well seasoned before you add the rice.

Got a probe thermometer? Chicken legs at 72°C internal temperature = perfectly cooked, safe, and juicy. It takes all the guesswork out of it and is well worth having in your kitchen drawer!

Jarred peppers are great value: You'll often get better bang for your buck buying jarred roasted peppers than fresh, they're already peeled, roasted, and ready to go. Keep a jar in the pantry and you've always got this dish on hand.

Substitutions & Variations

No wine: Don't worry, the dish will still be delicious.

No fresh tomatoes: One 400g tin of chopped tomatoes works perfectly in the sauce base.

No dried chillies: Use ½–1 teaspoon of chilli flakes instead, adjusting to your heat preference.

Want it milder? Reduce to one dried chilli or leave them out entirely and just lean into the smoky paprika flavour.

No olives: Leave them out or swap for capers for a similar briny hit.

Make it with stock cubes: If you don't have homemade stock, a good quality stock cube dissolved in 700ml of hot water works just fine. Check out my Homemade Chicken Stock Cubes recipe if you want to make your own from scraps!

Storage

Fridge: Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavour actually gets even better overnight!

Reheating: Add a small splash of water or stock when reheating to loosen the rice, it will have absorbed more liquid as it sits. Reheat thoroughly until piping hot all the way through.

Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use chicken breasts instead? A: I'd really encourage you not to! Chicken breast will dry out during the 20-minute cook and won't release the gorgeous juices that make this dish so saucy and flavourful. Legs or thighs every time for this one.

Q: My rice is still a bit firm, what do I do? A: Pop the lid back on and leave it for another 5–10 minutes off the heat. If it's still firm after that, add a small splash of hot water, put the lid back on, and cook on very low for another 5 minutes.

Q: Can I make the peri peri sauce in advance? A: Absolutely, make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. It also freezes well. Having it ready to go makes this an even faster weeknight dinner.

Q: I don't have an air fryer, can I make the sauce base in the oven? A: Yes! Roast at 220°C (200°C fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7) for 15–20 minutes until charred and softened. Or char everything in a dry pan on the hob if you prefer.

Q: Is this dish spicy? A: It has a gentle warmth from two dried chillies, but by the time it's diluted into the full dish it's more background heat than blow-your-head-off spicy. Adjust the chillies to your taste!

You Might Also Like

Easy Piri Piri Sauce - Want to make a bigger batch of that piri piri sauce on its own? Here's the full recipe!

Whole Roasted Greek Chicken - Easy Weeknight Dinner - Another big-flavoured, herb-marinated chicken dinner that's perfect for a weeknight!

Yoghurt Marinated Chicken Thighs - Tender BBQ Recipe - More juicy, flavour-packed chicken thighs that the whole family will love.

Homemade Chicken Stock Cubes from Kitchen Scraps - Make your own stock from bones and scraps to use in this very dish — zero waste and SO worth it!

Del x

This one pan peri peri chicken and rice is the weeknight dinner that has absolutely no right being this delicious for the effort involved. Eight chicken legs, jasmine rice, a quick homemade peri peri sauce, olives, lemon, and one pan, that's all it takes. Make it on a Tuesday, eat the leftovers on a Wednesday, and feel smug about it both times.