Calling all pumpkin lovers, this One Pot Chicken and Pumpkin Rice is for you! Delicious, hearty, creamy and ready in a flash not to mention it’s all made in one pot!
Pumpkin Rice – A Caribbean Favourite
Pumpkin rice is a popular dish throughout the Caribbean, probably more so in Jamaica where it’s often served alongside Jerk Chicken.
A couple weeks ago that’s exactly what I had planned for lunch; pumpkin rice and jerk chicken, but then somehow I ran out of time.
I was in such a hurry to throw lunch together that I decided to combine the rice and chicken in one pot and so came about this One Pot Chicken and Pumpkin Rice.
This dish starts on the stovetop and finishes off in the oven for a moist and flavourful dish. Cooking in a cast iron skillet allows you to do this with ease.
What type of pumpkin is best for this dish?
Not all pumpkins are created equal. The larger pumpkins you find at the pumpkin patch are perfect for carving into jack-o’-lanterns but they’re the worst for cooking and baking.
When shopping for pumpkins, to cook and bake with look for those labeled as sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins. They’re naturally sweet and flavorful.
Butternut squash is also a very good choice.
Cooked pumpkin or raw?
I have used raw pumpkin for this recipe. Luckily my supermarket sells peeled, chopped pumpkin. Yours just might too. So look out for it on your next visit.
If you’re not so fortunate the easiest way I have found to peel a fresh pumpkin is as follows.
How do you peel a fresh pumpkin?
This method will require a sharp Chef’s Knife
Slice your pumpkin in half
Scoop out the seeds from the inside with your hands or a dough scraper
Slice the pumpkin into thin wedges
Peel each slice from one end to the other and cut up into cubes
Microwave / Oven Hack for peeling fresh pumpkin
- Slice your pumpkin in half
- Scoop out the seeds from the inside with your hands or a dough scraper
- Place the pumpkin pieces, cut side down, on a microwave safe dish with a little water in it.
- Microwave your pumpkin until the skin can be peeled away easily. About 8 – 10 minutes. You don’t want to cook the pumpkin, just soften the skin so that is comes off easily with a knife
- Let the pumpkin cool down so it won’t burn your fingers
- Slice away the skin
- Cut up into cubes
What type of rice is best for this dish?
I actually use paella rice to make this dish. But that’s because I live in Spain and paella rice is easy enough to come by.
Any short to medium-grain rice like Arborio will give the best (creamiest) result but that said I have made this dish with ‘regular’ white rice and it’s just as delicious.
How to make One Pot Chicken and Pumpkin Rice
- Preheat oven to 350F / 180ºC
- Season chicken with salt, pepper and sweet paprika
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and cook chicken pieces until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add additional olive oil to the skillet and cook onions for about 2 minutes then add garlic, grated ginger, thyme and pumpkin. Cook for 10 minutes.
Add rice and stir to combine.
Add stock and transfer skillet to the oven. Cook for approximately 30 minutes.
- Remove skillet from the oven and add in chicken pieces.
- Cook for another 10 minutes then check for rice doneness.
- Add additional water or stock, if rice is too dry or uncooked.
Garnish with jalapeños and avocado.
Its #nomnom !!!
This dish came together in a flash and received a big thumbs up from my family.
Give it a try and let me know how you like it!
One Pot Chicken and Pumpkin Rice
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
- 1 cup white rice short to medium grain
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups raw, peeled, diced pumpkin sugar or pie variety pumpkin or butternut squash
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
- olive oil
- salt black pepper, sweet paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F / 180ºC
- Season chicken with salt, pepper and sweet paprika
- In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and cook chicken pieces until no longer pink. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add additional olive oil and cook onions for about 2 minutes then add garlic, grated ginger, thyme and pumpkin. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add rice. Stir to combine then add stock.
- Transfer skillet to the oven. Cook for approximately 30 minutes.
- Remove skillet from the oven and add in chicken pieces. Cook for another 10 minutes then check for rice doneness. Add additional water or stock, if rice is too dry or uncooked.
Healthy delicious and quick!!!! That’s great
Thank you Coreen!
Such an interesting recipe! Loving the savory pumpkin 🙂
Simple one-pot meals are the best! 😀 This looks super tasty! <3
I love the idea of mixing chicken with pumpkin! I normally do sweet pumpkin recipes, but I’m starting to venture off into the savory dishes. Savory pumpkin recipes for the win!
Hi Krystal,
This sounds delicious, healthy, and hearty. I love anything with chicken especially when you add all those spices. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted.
Hi Krystal! This looks absolutely delicious! I love one pot meals … this seasonal chicken and pumpkin rice sounds so comforting and yummy. Thank you so much for linking up and sharing it at Savoring Saturdays! Hope to see you next week too.
Just stopping by again to let you know I’ll be featuring these at Savoring Saturdays this week. Love this recipe!
Oh that’s awesome! Thanks Emily!
This looks amazing…I can’t wait to try it!!
This looks delicious and I love that it’s healthy too! I’ll have to make it sometime soon!
Visiting from Best Of The Blogosphere
Pretty sure this needs to be my dinner tonight, YUM!
It looks delicious, Krystal! Thanks so much for sharing this at Savoring Saturdays! I’m going to be featuring it at this weekend’s party – hope to see you there! 🙂
I’ll be there for sure. Thanks a lot!
Hi Krystal,
I love the look of this recipe….I have never used anything but canned pumpkin…How do I choose a pumpkin to use to cook with? Thanks for any help! Jen
Hi Jen, pumpkins labelled sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin are best. Butternut squash is also great. Hope you like it!
I have a question, do you use a lid to cover the pot during any of the cooking?
No I do not Kimberly.
That looks a lot like either okra or some kind of pepper in the photo — but neither is listed in the ingredients…..
Help!
Hi Earl, I garnished the finished dish with sliced jalapeños.Hubby and I like our food with a bit of a kick 😉
Ha! I’ll give that a try.
Thanks.
Home in a week or so and then I can make it and report.
Excellent!
Is the pumpkin raw when you cube it? How to you get the skin off it if it is?
Hello. Yes the pumpkin is raw. I peel the skin off with a knife.
Hi Krystal,
My husband is often on the internet searching for recipes. He came upon yours. I noticed that you substituted butternut squash instead of pumpkin. We love squash. I’m giving it a try tonight. Will keep you posted! Thank you for sharing.
Yes, I use squash when I can’t get pumpkin and it turns out just as tasty. Hope you like it !
I made half as much of this, since I was cooking for only my boyfriend and me. Unfortunately, I cooked it almost as long as the full portion, and the rice was, if not burnt, definitely crunchy. Still, we will definitely try this again. Thank you for posting!
Hi Tyler, definitely give it another try. Different brands / types of rice absorb liquid at different rates as well. So I suggest tasting it half way through and if the rice is very crunchy add in a bit more stock .
What is the nutritional info for this recipe? Watching carbs more now.
hi – you say to use the turmeric paste in this recipe – how much would i add??? -i cant find any indication – i want to make this sometime this week if possible – thanks
Hi Liz, I usually just eyeball it, a teaspoon or so should do depending on how much you like the taste.