This One-Pan Chicken and Rice Skillet Is for Dill Pickle Lovers

It gets its flavor from dill pickles, pickle brine, and fresh dill.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published October 01, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Cooked chicken thighs on a bed of rice with chopped pickles and herbs in a skillet

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Some might see the recent obsession with pickles, from Popeye’s pickle menu to an ever-growing number of pickle-focused recipes around the internet, as just a trend—here today, gone tomorrow. I don’t. I’ve been a pickle lover since I was a kid.

My school lunch every day all the way through high school? Mini bagels with cream cheese and sliced pickles. Even now, at any given time I’m likely to have at least five different types of pickles in the fridge.

Whenever I can find a way to work pickles into a recipe, I do. I recently developed a recipe for a five-ingredient, one-pan rice bake, and as I was testing it I had a thought: a rice bake would be a great vehicle for dill pickle flavor!

And so, this one-pan dill pickle chicken and rice bake was born. It’s a fun and delicious ode to the pickle in the form of fluffy, chicken fat-coated steamed rice, crispy chicken thighs, and, of course, plenty of pickles.

A skillet with dill pickle chicken and rice garnished with fresh herbs accompanied by a cutting board with dill and pickles

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Making the Recipe Your Own

This recipe is great as is, but there are a few ways you could switch it up and make it your own. Here are some of my favorites:

  • Bone-in chicken: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of boneless. Just check the temperature to ensure they’re cooked all the way through (they should reach 170°F).
  • Go meatless: Crisp up a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or 1 pound of your favorite plant-based ground meat in some olive oil before moving on to step 2.
  • Pickle swap: Use your favorite pickles—extra garlicky or even hot pickles would be delicious here.
  • No fresh dill? No sweat: If you don’t have fresh dill, use frozen dill or substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill for every tablespoon of fresh.
  • More flavor: Amp up the flavor by adding whole or ground spices to the mix. I like whole coriander seeds, chili flakes, fennel, or a bay leaf.
A skillet with chicken rice and chopped dill pickles served alongside plated portions and a bowl of extra pickles

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

More One-Skillet Dinners for Busy Weeknights

Dill Pickle Chicken and Rice Skillet

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 3 to 4

I recommend using a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof pan at least that size or larger. You can also use a Dutch oven, but you may need to brown the chicken in batches and/or cook longer for the liquid to fully absorb.

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Ingredients

For the skillet

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 4 large boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds)

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle brine

  • 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed well under cold water in a fine sieve

  • 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

For the dill yogurt sauce

  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

  • 2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles

  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle brine

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Brown the chicken:

    Heat the oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken thighs and sprinkle generously with salt. Let cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown. Flip and let cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from the pan; the chicken will not be cooked through.

  3. Bake:

    Add the scallions and garlic to the pan and let cook for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add the pickle brine and scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the basmati rice, chopped pickles, dill, and black pepper. Pour the broth over the rice and stir well to combine.

    Arrange the browned chicken on top of the rice and cover the skillet with a piece of foil or an oven-safe lid. Carefully transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and the liquid has been absorbed.

  4. Make the yogurt sauce:

    While the skillet is in the oven, mix the Greek yogurt, dill, pickles, and brine in a bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper and a bit more brine if needed to get a tangy, bright sauce. Set aside.

  5. Serve:

    Remove the skillet from the oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving with the yogurt sauce on the side.

    Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge; store the yogurt sauce and rice bake separately. Reheat the chicken and rice as desired until hot all the way through.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
620 Calories
30g Fat
32g Carbs
56g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 620
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 253mg 84%
Sodium 1198mg 52%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 5%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 56g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 770mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.