15 Perfect Sauces for Chicken and Rice

Finding the perfect sauces for chicken seems easy enough, but what about when it’s paired with the top side dish? A chicken and rice dish is the best meal combo to date. The thousands of dishes that evolve around them are proof of just that. They use some of the tastiest sauces for chicken and rice around. Maybe it’s a creamy sriracha mayo sauce or a spicy chicken sauce recipe. Whatever it is, you’ll always be spoilt for choice, so let me help you.

The best sauces for chicken and rice are teriyaki sauce, white wine sauce, curry sauce, pesto sauce, and creamy mushroom sauce. But this isn’t all you can sauce chicken and rice with, so let’s go over them all!

📌 Popular Chicken and Rice Dishes

Chicken Biryani: A fragrant South Asian dish featuring aromatic basmati rice layered with spiced chicken, caramelized onions, and a blend of exotic spices, creating a harmonious and flavorful one-pot meal.

Arroz con Pollo: A Latin American dish where chicken and rice are simmered together with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and a variety of herbs and spices, resulting in a comforting and vibrant one-pan meal with rich, savory flavors.

Chicken and Rice Casserole: A classic comfort food dish featuring tender chicken, rice, and vegetables baked in a creamy sauce, creating a hearty and satisfying meal with a golden, crispy top.

Chicken and Rice Soup: A nourishing and comforting soup made with tender pieces of chicken, rice, and vegetables in a flavorful broth, providing a warm and satisfying meal, especially during colder months.

Chicken and Rice Skillet: A quick and easy one-pan meal where chicken, rice, and assorted vegetables are cooked together with savory seasonings, offering a convenient and delicious dinner option for busy weeknights.

💡 Best Sauces for Chicken and Rice

Barbecue Sauce

You can’t go wrong with a classic BBQ sauce mix. As common as it sounds, it’s one of the most convenient and tastiest sauces for chicken and rice. It’s a classic pairing of tangy, smokiness, and spice with a fusion of a bit of everything. You can find mixes with molasses, mustard, ketchup or tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and more. You can even use some ways to thicken BBQ sauce for that perfect chicken and rice coating.

Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

You can snatch elegance and flair with this delicious little sauce. Garlic lemon butter sauce is just the sauce chicken and rice need. Tangy goodness and ever-so-rich buttery smoothness. What’s better than that! A splash of fresh lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and melted butter will layer your chicken and rice meal with enough flavor for every rice granule.

Teriyaki Sauce

Any good Teriyaki sauce can bring the best flavors to chicken with every bite. The sweet and savory deliciousness is exactly why it’s a true chicken and rice sauce classic. The soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and occasionally mirin or sake glossy coating your dish gets will be packed with flavor in every bite. Use the best ways to thicken teriyaki sauce for that perfect glossy consistency. You can even throw in some sesame seeds, and you’re all set.

Mornay Sauce

For that quick, cheesy touchy, you can make one of the easiest cheese sauces around. Just toss some grated/shredded cheese into a béchamel sauce, and you have a mornay cheese sauce. The sauce normally uses cheeses like Gruyère or Emmental cheese, which gives it a fantastic rich and nutty flavor. With the base being so easy to make, you won’t have a problem making this sauce. 

Alfredo sauce

Any leftover Alfredo sauce from Italian Night can make for a delicious coating sauce for chicken and rice. It’s a simple but absolutely delicious creamy sauce made with butter, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. The thick, rich coating your dish will get is exactly why it’s one of the best sauces for chicken and rice. You can even use different ways to thicken Alfredo sauce to create that perfect creamy coating that suits you.

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

What’s tastier than chunks of delicious mushroom soaked in a rich and velvety sauce. The answer is nothing! Creamy mushroom sauce is the sauce to use for chicken and rice. It has all the creaminess and earthy texture you can ask for from a sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and cream blend. Enjoy simplicity made creamy and delicious with this sauce.

Pineapple Salsa

A fruity salsa is just what the chicken sauce doctor ordered. The refreshing dip of a pineapple salsa will never not taste good. Diced pineapple, bell peppers, onions, cilantro, and a splash of lime juice. You get all the fruity, fresh, and tangy zing from this power combo. Just a dollop on the side of any chicken and rice dish will give the best tropical twist your taste buds need.

Pesto sauce

When in doubt, make an Italian classic. You just can’t slip up with the fresh and tasty flavors of Italy. The flavor and nutty deliciousness pesto sauce has is a prime example. Just the simple mix of basil, pine nuts, garlic, and olive oil alone is one of the reasons to use it. A good coating of this on top of that crispy chicken breast will have you drooling for more.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

You and I know you can’t get enough of that sweet flavor, so why not embrace it with a sweet and sour sauce? Merge the best of both worlds with a flavor-packed honey, lime, and rice vinegar combo. It’s a real treat that embodies delicious sweetness with a zesty tanginess all in one. Even the simplest sauces for chicken and rice can make for the tastiest ones.

White Wine Sauce

Bring your chicken and rice dish a step closer to the red carpet with this fantastic white wine sauce. It’s elegance and delicious creaminess all in one bundle. The simple fusion of white wine, butter, shallots, and heavy cream gives it that nice subtle acidity while still having a rich buttery texture. Just a spoonful of this poured onto your chicken will make it certifiably tasty.

Buffalo Sauce

If you want the certified tangy and spicy king, then add a dollop of buffalo sauce to your chicken and rice meal. How can you not love the delicious kick of spicy and zesty elements this sauce brings to chicken. It coats them in a sheen of orange flavor, with each bite delivering that hot sauce, vinegar, and butter combo. You can make the sauce twice as tasty by adding some great techniques for thickening buffalo sauce.

Curry Sauce

Nothing beats a classic curry sauce. Smothering chicken and rice is what this sauce lives for. It’s a simple sauce that you can even repurpose leftover curry with to make. Each ingredient used helps bind the taste with spice and creamy richness. Just perfect for pouring on your dish. You can even throw in some mangos to create a fantastic Mango Coconut Curry Sauce that’s as tasty as it is fruity.

Chimichurri Sauce

There’s no place like tangy and fresh home. Chimichurri sauce takes you there with its flavor-packed combo of herbs and citrus. It packs a vibrant and zesty herb base that’s flavorful on so many levels. It uses a basic blend of parsley, cilantro, garlic, and olive oil to create an incredible burst of herbaceous goodness.

Soy Sauce Glaze

If you’re craving that umami richness, then a classic soy sauce glaze is just the way to go. It perfectly coats the chicken in a layer of rich umami and sweet goodness. The sauce uses a mixture of soy sauce and added sugars like honey and brown sugar to create a perfect glaze. Different soy sauce swaps can be used, like light soy sauce substitutes and dark soy sauce substitutes, to create varying flavors for the glaze.

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