Herby Chicken and Rice Soup with Crispy Chicken Skin
Updated Nov 02, 2025, Published on Nov 30, 2024
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There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of chicken soup, but this Herby Chicken and Rice Soup with Crispy Chicken Skin takes comfort food to the next level. It’s cozy, flavorful, and layered with richness, yet brightened by fresh herbs.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs do double duty here: they create a silky, full-bodied broth, and their crispy golden skins add a crave-worthy topping that makes every bite irresistible. The rice gives the soup heartiness, while the herb sauce cuts through with freshness. One spoonful and you’ll see why this is the kind of chicken soup you’ll want on repeat all season long.
Love cozy chicken soups? Try my Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Soup or Chicken Tikka Masala Soup next!
Watch how to make it here!
Recipe Ingredients
See the full list of ingredients with exact quantities on the recipe card below.
Herby Chicken and Rice Soup (Step-by-Step Instructions)
See the recipe card below for the full list of instructions.
- Add herb sauce ingredients to a container, immersion blend until smooth (or blend/food process), then drizzle over the soup to serve.
- Start the chicken thighs skin-side down and flip.
- Remove the chicken skin and bake until extra crispy.
- Start with the vegetables, create a roux, add fresh herbs, pour in the broth/water, and season.
- Add the uncooked rice part-way through cooking. Shred the chicken before serving.
- Drizzle with the herb sauce and crumble on the crispy chicken skin and fresh chives.
Ready to try it? Scroll to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and full instructions.
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Herby Chicken and Rice Soup with Crispy Chicken Skin
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- Immersion Blender or food processor or blender
Ingredients
Soup
- 2 teaspoons Avocado Oil, or neutral oil of choice
- 1 ½ pounds Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs, I used 5 chicken thighs
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 medium Yellow Onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup Carrots, diced
- ½ cup Celery, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 4 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 4 cups Unsalted Chicken Bone Broth, or chicken broth/stock of choice
- 2 cups Water
- 1 bundle Fresh Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme, I tied a couple sprigs each of these fresh herbs
- 2 Bay Leaf
- ¾ cup White Rice, uncooked (I used Jasmine Rice)
Herb Sauce
- ¼ cup Fresh Basil
- ¼ cup Fresh Parsley
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest, adjust to taste
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper, adjust to taste
Toppings
- 5 pieces Crispy Chicken Skin, crumbled (or however many chicken thighs used)
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Chives, thinly sliced
Instructions
Herb Sauce
- While the soup cooks, combine basil, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper in a container. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth (or use blender/food processor). Taste and adjust as needed.
Soup
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat avocado oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, place skin-side down, and sear until golden (about 10 minutes). Flip, cook 2 minutes more, then transfer chicken to a plate.
- Remove the skin from the chicken and place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Bake until crispy, about 25 minutes, flipping halfway (longer if not using an air fryer oven).
- In the Dutch oven with the reserved fat, cook onion, carrot, and celery for 7 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Push veggies to one side, melt butter, and stir in flour to make a roux. Cook 2 minutes, then mix into the vegetables.
- Add chicken broth, water, herb bundle, and bay leaves. Return chicken thighs and their juices. Season with another pinch of salt and pepper, cover, and simmer over medium-low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice, cover, and cook 15 minutes until tender. Stir every few minutes.
- Remove chicken to shred, discarding bones. Remove herb bundle and bay leaves. Return shredded chicken to soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve the soup in bowls topped with herb sauce, crumbled crispy chicken skin, and fresh chives.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
