Description
This Oven Baked Chicken and Rice is an easy one-pan meal that’s perfect for a busy weeknight! Juicy chicken thighs are baked on a bed of fluffy rice with onions and garlic, creating a flavorful and satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 5 bone-in chicken thigh fillets, skin removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
- 1 1/2 cups hot chicken broth/stock
- 1 1/4 cups hot water
Chicken Rub:
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
Optional Garnish:
- Oil spray
- Fresh thyme leaves or finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Bake Aromatics: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Scatter onion and garlic in a baking dish (approx. 10 x 15 inches), place butter in the center, and bake for 15 minutes. Stir if needed to prevent burning.
- Season Chicken: While the aromatics bake, mix together the Chicken Rub ingredients. Sprinkle generously on both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Assemble and Bake: Remove the baking dish from the oven. Add rice and stir to combine with the onions and garlic. Place chicken thighs on top of the rice. Pour hot chicken broth and water around the chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and Finish: Remove the foil, spray chicken with oil (optional), and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the chicken is cooked through.
- Rest and Serve: Let the dish stand for 5 minutes, then remove the chicken and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with parsley or thyme, if desired.
Optional Gravy:
- The dish is flavorful enough on its own, but you can make a quick gravy if desired (see notes).
Notes
- Scaling: Use multiple pans if scaling up, or a smaller pan if scaling down. Adjust cooking time as needed.
- Chicken: Bone-in, skinless thighs are ideal for this recipe. Drumsticks can also be used. For boneless, skinless thighs or breasts, bake the rice covered for 30 minutes before adding the chicken and finishing uncovered.
- Chicken Rub: Substitute with your favorite seasonings.
- Rice: Any long-grain white rice works well. For brown rice, add ½ cup extra hot water and bake covered for 1 hour, then uncovered for 15 minutes. Minute Rice, Risotto Rice, and Paella Rice are not suitable.
- Nutrition: Nutritional information is an estimate and assumes all rice is consumed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with 1 cup rice
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 150mg