Chicken Scampi Garlic Parmesan Rice (Printable version)
Juicy chicken in lemon-garlic butter sauce over cheesy parmesan rice, ready in 45 minutes.
# What you need:
→ Chicken & Marinade
01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - ½ tsp salt
04 - ¼ tsp black pepper
05 - ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
06 - Juice of ½ 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 - 2¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 - ½ cup 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 - ¼ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
19 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# How To:
01 - In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken strips with olive oil, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice. Toss until evenly coated 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 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the grains are lightly toasted.
03 - Pour in the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, 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, re-cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
04 - While the rice rests, melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken strips in a single layer and cook for 3–4 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 minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute over medium heat. Deglaze the pan with white wine (or additional chicken broth), scraping up any browned bits, and cook for 1–2 minutes until slightly reduced. Lower the heat, stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley, then return the chicken to the pan, 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 chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The garlic parmesan rice alone is worth making, and it soaks up every drop of that lemon butter sauce like a sponge.
- It comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have sitting in your pantry.
02 -
- Do not rush the rice toasting step, those two minutes of stirring raw rice in garlic butter are what give it a slightly nutty, popcorn like flavor.
- Letting the parmesan rice rest covered off the heat for the full five minutes is the difference between creamy and gummy.
03 -
- Pat the chicken strips dry before adding them to the marinade so the seasoning actually sticks instead of sliding off.
- Use the zest of that lemon in the marinade alongside the juice for a flavor layer that juice alone cannot provide.