Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken & Rice
on Jan 12, 2026
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Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken & Rice: A healthy one-pan meal with hidden protein from cottage cheese and fresh broccoli.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Looking for a weeknight dinner that feels like a gourmet hug but takes less than 30 minutes to prep? This Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken and Rice is the answer. It’s zesty, comforting, and packed with hidden protein thanks to a secret ingredient: cottage cheese.
If you’re tired of dry chicken and bland rice, this one-pan wonder will quickly become a staple in your meal prep rotation.
Ingredient List
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil– Graza from Costco is my new favorite kind
- Onion– we want this to be finely chopped onion
- Chicken– provides the essential amino acids needed for muscle repair with lots of lean protein.
- Garlic– a garlic press is the absolute best way to get lots of fresh garlic
- Kosher Salt
- Rice– Extra Long Grain White Rice is used un this recipe
- Broccoli– Lemon juice and broccoli are powerhouse sources of Vitamin C, supporting your immune system.
- Chicken Broth– Vegetable broth or water with a bouillon cube can be used
- Lemon Juice– fresh lemon juice is best so you can get the zest as well
- Cottage Cheese– remains an excellent source of casein protein, which keeps you full longer
- Parmesan Cheese– as always measure the cheese with your heart
Pro Tip
- For an ultra-smooth sauce, toss your cottage cheese into a blender for 30 seconds before adding it to the pan. You’ll get all the creaminess of an Alfredo sauce with a fraction of the fat!
- Minimal Prep: With just a bit of dicing and mincing, you can have this meal bubbling away on the stove in under 10 minutes.
Chicken Recipes For Everyday Night
Lemon Parmesan Chicken & Rice
Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken & Rice: A healthy one-pan meal with hidden protein from cottage cheese and fresh broccoli.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil divided
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 1.5 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup uncooked extra long grain white rice
- 1 large bunch of fresh broccoli
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Parsley to top
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Start by sautéing onions in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Once onions have started to soften, increase heat to medium-high and add chicken to pan.
- Brown chicken breast pieces, then add minced garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes.
- Push chicken to one side of the pan and add additional tablespoon of olive oil to other side.
- Saute uncooked rice in olive oil until rice starts to take on a golden color, 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, cottage cheese and lemon juice to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour broth mixture into pan, bring to a boil, and stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to low and cover.
- Cook chicken and rice mixture covered for about 12 minutes.
- While chicken and rice are cooking, remove florets from broccoli, cutting into bite-sized pieces.
- Stir in broccoli and continue cooking covered another 8 minutes on low, or until broccoli and rice are both tender.
- Sprinkle cheese on top, place cover back on the pan and let cheese melt, 2-3 minutes.
- Top with chopped parsley and lemon zest.
Nutrition
Calories: 617kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 56g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 1240mg, Potassium: 1358mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1116IU, Vitamin C: 145mg, Calcium: 280mg, Iron: 3mg
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