There are nights when I love cooking. Properly love it. I’ll happily chop vegetables for half an hour, make sauces from scratch and fuss over timings.
And then there are nights when I just want dinner to happen with as little effort as possible.
That’s exactly the sort of evening this one pan peri peri roast chicken and rice was designed for!
Everything cooks together in the same roasting dish – the chicken, the rice, the corn on the cob – so you get a proper dinner with bold flavour and barely any washing up afterwards.
It’s loosely inspired by the classic Nando’s combination of peri peri chicken, spicy rice and corn on the cob, but simplified into something that works beautifully at home.
Once the chicken is in the oven, the rest of the meal almost takes care of itself.
If you enjoy easy chicken dinners like this one, you might also like my guide to 25 Easy Chicken Dinners for Busy Weeknights, which is full of simple chicken meals that don’t require a huge amount of effort, or my 25+ Easy One-Pan Dinners for Busy Weeknights.
Why I Love One Pan Chicken Dinners
One pan dinners are one of the best tricks in a busy kitchen.
Instead of juggling three or four pots and pans, everything cooks together in one dish, which means the flavours build naturally and the washing up stays manageable.
In this recipe, the chicken starts roasting on its own so the skin can brown and develop flavour. Then the rice goes into the same pan along with a smoky tomato broth.
As the chicken finishes cooking, all those delicious juices drip down into the rice underneath.
By the time it comes out of the oven, you’ve got:
• juicy roast chicken
• smoky, slightly spicy rice
• sweet peas
• tender corn on the cob
all from one roasting dish.
It’s the sort of dinner that looks like you’ve put in much more effort than you actually have.
If you enjoy this kind of cooking, you might also like my One Pan Mediterranean Roast Chicken and Vegetables with Garlic Yoghurt, where the vegetables roast underneath the chicken in the same way.
A Quick Word About Peri Peri
Peri peri is one of those flavours that just makes chicken taste brilliant.
Traditionally it’s made with chilli, garlic, lemon and spices, which means you get a lovely balance of heat, smokiness and freshness all at the same time.
In this recipe I keep things very simple and use peri peri seasoning rubbed straight onto the chicken.
As the chicken roasts, the seasoning mixes with the juices and flavours the rice underneath. It’s a very easy way to build lots of flavour without needing a complicated marinade or sauce.
If you like these bold flavours, you might also enjoy Chicken Balti or Thai Red Chicken Curry, which are two other easy chicken dinners packed with spice.
The Secret to Cooking Chicken and Rice Together
Cooking rice underneath a roast chicken is one of my favourite kitchen shortcuts.
Normally rice is just a side dish. In this recipe it becomes part of the whole meal.
As the chicken cooks, the juices drip down into the rice, which means the grains absorb all that flavour as they soften.
The smoked paprika and tomato purée in the broth help along too, creating that gently spicy “Nando’s-style” rice that’s so good with chicken.
It’s a simple trick, but it makes a big difference to the finished dish.
Ingredients, Substitutions and Helpful Swaps
One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it’s very forgiving. You can change quite a lot depending on what you have in the fridge.
Chicken
A whole chicken works perfectly here and gives you plenty of flavour. Anything around 1.6–2kg is ideal.
If you’d prefer not to cook a whole chicken, chicken thighs would work beautifully as well.
Peri peri seasoning
Use your favourite shop-bought blend or make your own if you’re feeling enthusiastic. Some blends are much spicier than others, so it’s worth tasting a little first.
Rice
Long grain rice works best because it stays fluffy and separate as it cooks.
Peas
Frozen peas are perfect here. They add a bit of sweetness and colour to the rice.
Corn on the cob
Corn and peri peri chicken are such a natural pairing. As the corn roasts, it becomes sweet and slightly caramelised.
A Few Tips for Cooking Roast Chicken
Cooking a whole chicken sounds much more intimidating than it actually is.
Once you’ve done it a couple of times, it becomes one of the easiest dinners you can make.
A few small tips help things along.
Give the chicken a head start
Roasting the chicken on its own first allows the skin to brown before the rice is added.
Use a roasting dish with high sides
This helps keep all the rice and broth contained once it goes into the pan.
Let the chicken rest before carving
Ten minutes of resting makes a big difference to how juicy the meat is.
More Easy Chicken Dinners to Try
If you enjoy this recipe, there are plenty more easy chicken dinners here that follow the same philosophy: big flavour, simple cooking.
Some favourites include:
• Chicken Chow Mein – a fast noodle stir fry that’s better than takeaway
• Chicken Balti – a bold, quick curry cooked in one pan
• Thai Red Chicken Curry – fragrant, warming and perfect with rice
• One Pan Mediterranean Roast Chicken – chicken roasted with vegetables and garlic yoghurt
You can also browse my full collection of Easy Chicken Dinners if you’re looking for more ideas.
One Pan Peri Peri Roast Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1.8 kilograms whole chicken approx weight
- 3 tablespoons peri peri seasoning
- 20 grams butter
- 300 grams rice
- 800 ml boiling water
- 3 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 200 grams frozen peas
- 4-6 corn on the cob
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Putting the chicken in a high sided roasting dish and rub all over with 2 tablespoons of the peri peri seasoning. Cut the butter into small cubes and dot over the chicken. Put in the oven, uncovered, for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and pour the rice around the chicken. In a jug, mix together the water, tomato puree and smoked paprika. Pour this over the rice. Cover tightly with tin foil and put back in the oven for another 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Take the chicken out and put on a plate to rest. Cover with the foil. Put the corn on the cob on top of the rice and sprinkle over the remaining tablespoon of peri peri seasoning. Put back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the corn is cooked.
- To serve, carve the chicken and put on plates with a spoonful of the rice and a corn on the cob.
Video
Notes
What to Serve With Peri Peri Chicken
This dish is already a full meal, but a few little extras never hurt. Peri peri mayo is a classic choice and lets everyone adjust the spice level to their liking. You could also add: • a crisp green salad• grilled peppers
• warm flatbreads
• a spoonful of yoghurt or garlic sauce Or just serve it exactly as it is — it’s pretty satisfying already.
Storage and Leftovers
Leftover chicken from this recipe keeps well in the fridge for up to three days. You can reheat the rice and chicken gently in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of water to loosen it up. Leftover roast chicken is also brilliant in other dishes the next day.
delicious and easy!