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Apple Cranberry Chicken and Rice Skillet Dinner

This easy skillet dinner is loaded with dried cranberries, fresh apples, celery, and chicken, all simmered together with brown rice for a delicious and wholesome meal!

This 30-minute skillet dinner is loaded with dried cranberries, fresh apples, celery, and chicken simmered together with instant brown rice. #cranberry #apple #chicken #rice

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You know I’m all about quick and easy meals, and one-skillet dinners are my favorite kind. When there’s a product that can make a quick dinner even quicker, I can’t resist trying it! Take instant rice for example. Instant white rice is ready in just five minutes, and now you can get instant brown rice that only takes ten minutes. You can’t beat that with a stick!

I like the hearty texture and nutty flavor of brown rice and other whole grains like barley, but I don’t love how long it takes to cook them.  The instant brown rice takes less than 1/4 of the time of regular brown rice. Now we can get all the benefits of whole grains without waiting 45-60 minutes for them to cook!

This 30-minute skillet dinner is loaded with dried cranberries, fresh apples, celery, and chicken simmered together with instant brown rice. #cranberry #apple #chicken #rice

How do you feel about celery? I really don’t like it raw, but I think it adds a nice flavor to dishes when cooked and used in moderation. If you love the crunch and taste of raw celery, you could stir it in with the rice to keep more texture. I, for one, like it to be well cooked :)

Are you ready for the taste of Fall yet? I sure am! I had the holidays in mind when I combined the flavors of cranberry, apple, and celery in this easy skillet dinner, but I’d be happy to enjoy these flavors all year round. This meal is very good leftover and perfect for lunch boxes. Some kids might be a little suspicious about fruit in their dinner, but I’m sure they’ll come around after the first bite. I hope this dish is a hit at your house like it was at mine!

This 30-minute skillet dinner is loaded with dried cranberries, fresh apples, celery, and chicken simmered together with instant brown rice. #cranberry #apple #chicken #rice
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This 30-minute skillet dinner is loaded with dried cranberries, fresh apples, celery, and chicken simmered together with instant brown rice. #cranberry #apple #chicken #rice

Apple Cranberry Chicken and Rice

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews
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This 30-minute skillet dinner is loaded with dried cranberries, fresh apples, celery, and chicken for a hearty, wholesome, delicious meal!

  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion diced
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or more to taste
  • 1 apple peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 ribs celery chopped
  • 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups instant brown rice
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, cranberries, apple, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
  2. Add chicken, poultry seaoning, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes until chicken is mostly cooked on the outside.
  3. Stir in uncooked rice and broth, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 3 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 10-12 minutes longer until liquid is absorbed.
  4. Sprinkle additional dried cranberries over individual portions if desired.

Notes

Check the label of your instant rice to make sure it calls for equal amounts of rice and water. If you need a different ratio, be sure to adjust the amount of water or broth in the recipe.

  • Author: Andi
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Category: Main

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Comments

    • Andi says

      So often I accidentally make very similar recipes to friends around the same time (or the other way around). Great minds think alike I guess! I’m sure your salad was delicious, and your soup looks great too. Merry Christmas, Heather!

      Reply

    • Andi says

      Hi, Meg! I usually think of something with a lot more cheese involved when I think comfort food, but you are right that a warm, hearty meal like this fits the bill too. Thanks!

      Reply

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