Name: One Pot Tandoori Chicken and Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 800 g chicken breast (diced); 250 g rice (dry weight); 400 g chopped tomatoes (1 can); 500 ml chicken stock; 2 small onions (sliced); 3 cloves garlic (crushed); 2 chillies (finely sliced, optional); 1 1/2 bell peppers (sliced); 3 tsp tandoori spice; 3 tsp garam masala; 2 tbsp natural yogurt; 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped); 1 tbsp olive oil (or cooking spray)

You know those evenings when you’re craving something deeply spiced, warming, and satisfying — but the idea of ordering a takeaway feels like an unnecessary expense and the thought of making three separate pans feel equally exhausting? Yeah. I’ve been there more times than I can count. That’s exactly where this one pot tandoori chicken and rice comes in and honestly? It might be the most-made dinner in my rotation right now.

We’re talking bold tandoori spices, tender chicken, fluffy rice, sweet peppers, and a cooling yogurt finish — all cooked together in one single pan. Minimal washing up. Maximum flavour. And it comes in at just 453 calories a serving with 49g of protein, so it genuinely hits different when you’re trying to eat well without sacrificing an ounce of satisfaction.

This is the kind of meal that tastes like it took real effort. It didn’t. But we don’t have to tell anyone that.

Why This Recipe is Going to Become a Regular

If you’ve ever made a cheesy queso chicken and rice or a chipotle chicken burrito bowl for meal prep, you already know how good the one-pan, everything-in-together approach can be. This tandoori chicken and rice follows the exact same principle — you build the flavour base, add everything into one pan, and let the magic happen.

Here’s why it works so well:

One pan, zero drama. Everything cooks together — no draining, no transferring, no second pot bubbling on another ring.
The macros are genuinely impressive. 453kcal, 49g protein, 56g carbs, 5g fat per serving. If you’re tracking, this is an easy win.
It tastes like a proper Indian fakeaway. The combination of tandoori spice and garam masala with tinned tomatoes and stock creates a rich, restaurant-worthy sauce that absorbs straight into the rice.
It’s endlessly adaptable. More chilli, less chilli, extra peppers, different rice — this recipe holds up through all of it.

What Goes Into It

Nothing complicated, nothing you’d need to hunt down in a specialist shop. Here’s what you’ll need for 4 servings:

The main players:

800g chicken, diced
250g rice (dry weight)
1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
500ml chicken stock (1 stock cube dissolved in boiling water)

The aromatics:

2 small onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 chillies, finely sliced (optional — leave them out if you’re cooking for kids or spice-sensitive folks)

Veg and flavour:

1.5 peppers, sliced
3 tsp tandoori spice
3 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp natural yogurt
Fresh coriander to finish (or 1 tsp dried if that’s what you have)

A Word on the Spices

The double spice combination here is worth paying attention to. Tandoori spice brings that smoky, earthy warmth you’d expect from a proper Indian restaurant — it’s typically a blend of cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and a few others. Garam masala layers on top with something a little more fragrant and rounded — cinnamon, cardamom, clove notes that deepen as they cook.

Together they create a flavour that tastes far more complex than the ingredient list suggests. Don’t skip either of them, and don’t be tempted to reduce the amounts — they need to work through a full pan of rice and liquid, so they need a bit of volume.

How to Make One Pot Tandoori Chicken and Rice

Step 1: Build the base. In a large frying pan with a spray of fry light (or a light drizzle of oil), fry the sliced onions, chillies, and crushed garlic for a few minutes until softened and just starting to colour. Add the diced chicken and the spices — all of the tandoori spice and garam masala — and stir everything together. Brown the chicken for around 3–4 minutes. It doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point, just sealed and coated in those spices.

Step 2: Add everything else. Tip in the sliced peppers, the chopped tomatoes, the stock, and the dry rice. Give it all a really good stir to make sure the rice is distributed evenly and nothing is clumped. Bring it up to a boil.

Step 3: Low and slow under a lid. Once it’s boiling, drop the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pan — either with a tight-fitting lid or a sheet of foil pressed down around the edges. Leave it to cook for 15–20 minutes, lifting the lid every 5 minutes or so to give it a stir and check the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom.

Step 4: Finish and serve. When the rice has absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through, take the pan off the heat and stir in the natural yogurt. This is what softens the whole dish and adds that cooling, slightly tangy contrast to the spice. Divide between four bowls and scatter over the fresh coriander.

Tips for Getting It Right Every Time

Use a wide, deep pan. The rice needs space to cook evenly, and a cramped pan is the most common reason it sticks or cooks unevenly. A large deep-sided frying pan or a wide-based sauté pan both work well.

Cover it properly. Steam is what cooks the rice here — if too much escapes, the rice won’t cook through before the liquid runs out. If your lid is loose, use foil instead, or combine both for a tighter seal.

Stir but don’t overdo it. You want to check for sticking and redistribute the rice every 5 minutes or so, but stirring too frequently will make the rice go gluey.

Check your stock ratio. The 500ml in this recipe is calibrated for 250g of dry rice. If you scale up the recipe, keep that 2:1 ratio (liquid to rice) consistent.

Don’t skip the yogurt at the end. It might seem like a minor step, but it genuinely transforms the dish — bringing a creaminess and slight tang that balances the spice beautifully. Add it off the heat to prevent it splitting.

Serving Ideas

This is absolutely a complete dinner as it stands, but if you want to take it a little further:

A simple cucumber raita on the side keeps things feeling fresh and cooling — especially if you’ve gone heavy on the chillies.
Warm flatbreads or naan for scooping are never a bad idea.
A little mango chutney alongside adds a sweet contrast that works brilliantly with the smoky tandoori flavours.
A quick side salad with sliced red onion, tomato, and a squeeze of lemon if you’re after something lighter.

If you enjoy big-flavour bowl meals like this, you’d also love this pineapple chicken rice bowl or the high-protein spicy garlic beef bowl for a change of pace.

Meal Prep and Storage

This one pot tandoori chicken and rice is brilliant for meal prep. Cook a full batch on Sunday and you’ve got lunches or dinners sorted for the next few days without any extra effort.

Fridge: Let it cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. It keeps well for up to 4 days. Reheat on the hob with a splash of water to loosen it, or in the microwave.

Freezer: Portion it into individual freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

One small note: the rice does change texture slightly after freezing — it stays perfectly edible and delicious, just a touch softer than when freshly made. For packed lunches or next-day meals, the fridge version is ideal.

The Macros (Per Serving)

This recipe is from the brilliant Fit Foodie Jade and the numbers speak for themselves:

453kcal | 49g Protein | 56g Carbs | 5g Fat

For a meal this satisfying and filling, those stats are honestly exceptional. It’s the kind of dinner that makes eating in a calorie deficit feel completely effortless — which is a huge part of why recipes like this one are worth having in your permanent rotation.

If you’re into high-protein, flavour-forward meals that actually keep you full, you might want to check out this high-protein honey BBQ chicken mac and cheese or the high-protein beef burrito bowl for more ideas along the same lines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use chicken thighs instead of diced chicken breast? Absolutely. Boneless, skinless thighs will work beautifully — they’re slightly more forgiving on cooking time and add a bit more richness to the dish.

What if I don’t have tandoori spice? You can approximate it with a mix of cumin, ground coriander, paprika, turmeric, and a small pinch of cayenne. It won’t be identical but it’ll still be delicious.

Can I make this without chillies? Yes — they’re listed as optional for a reason. Leave them out entirely for a milder dish that’s still full of flavour from the spices.

My rice is sticking to the bottom — what went wrong? Either the heat was slightly too high or the lid wasn’t trapping enough steam. Make sure you’re on a genuine gentle simmer once the lid goes on, and stir every 5 minutes.

Is this suitable for freezing? Yes — see the storage section above. It freezes well for up to 2 months.

Once you make this one pot tandoori chicken and rice, I can almost guarantee it’ll go straight into the regular dinner rotation. It’s one of those recipes that delivers every single time — deeply flavourful, genuinely satisfying, and done in under 30 minutes of active work. The kind of weeknight dinner you actually look forward to coming home to.