Foolproof Chicken and Rice - Cooks Illustrated

Published March 1, 1998.

Here is how to solve the twin problems of unevenly cooked chicken and heavy, greasy rice.

The Problem

The problem with most of the recipes we tested was that they resulted in dry breast meat and heavy, greasy rice.

The Goal

Chicken and rice make for a complete and pretty-easy-to-make one-dish supper. We wanted to develop a recipe that would give us a dish that was moist, flavorful, and clean tasting as well as easy to make.

The Solution

The problem of overcooked breast meat was easy to solve. We simply added it to the pot about 15 minutes after the legs went in. Solving the problem of heavy, greasy rice was a little more vexing. We finally solved it by reducing the amount of liquid (a combination of white wine and water) added to the rice. Although we tried (and liked) basmati rice, we settled for long grain rice as being most appropriate for this wholesome, satisfying dish.

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America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.