This oven baked Chicken and Rice recipe has captured the hearts of people all around the world! Buttery garlic rice AND juicy seasoned baked chicken thighs, baked together in the same pan with less than 10 minutes of prep.
The rice absorbs the chicken juices as it cooks, adding loads of flavour. It’s like cooking the rice with a homemade stock!
Chicken and rice recipe
This chicken and rice recipe has been a reader favourite for so long, I thought it was about time I updated it with a much improved video and photos!
Readers tell me they love it because:
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it’s a one pan dinner – the raw rice and chicken are cooked together at the same time;
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completely hands off – unlike cooking rice on the stove which requires more attention, you just put the pan in the oven, set the timer and walk away;
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quick to prepare – active prep time is under 10 minutes; and
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it’s very, very delicious!
The chicken is ultra tasty….but the star of this recipe is the garlic butter rice!
So here’s what you get in this chicken and rice recipe – juicy seasoned chicken….
…. AND fluffy rice. GARLIC BUTTER rice, at that!
(And PS, to all the fellow rice snobs out there – this rice is fluffy and perfectly cooked, not soggy and mushy like you’d expect. The trick is to pour HOT liquids over the uncooked rice – gives it a big head start in the oven!)
What you need for this baked Chicken and Rice
Here’s what you need:
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Skin on, bone in chicken thighs is best for this recipe because they take the same length of time to cook in the oven as the rice – 50 minutes in total. However, we remove the skin because otherwise the fat drips down into the rice as it cooks which makes it overly greasy. It’s easy – it’s effortless and takes 5 seconds flat per chicken.
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Uncooked white rice – any “normal” white rice will work just fine here (plain, long grain, short grain, Jasmin, basmati). Steer clear of speciality rices like paella or risotto rice – they cook differently in the oven. Brown rice just needs more liquid and to be cooked a bit longer – directions are in the recipe;
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Chicken seasoning – feel free to use any seasoning you’ve got on hand, pre mixed, or switch up the spices I’ve used;
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Butter, garlic & onion flavour base – this forms the flavour base for the rice and because this recipe is all about convenience, we “oven saute” them – fancy word for just throw it all in a pan and bake instead of sautéing on the stove! See photos below and the quick recipe video.
How to make chicken and rice in the oven
And here’s how to make it. The first 2 steps shown below is the “oven sautéing” of the onion and garlic referred to above. This is what gives the rice the amazing buttery garlic flavour!
The rice is outrageously good. It’s buttery and garlicky, it’s tender but not mushy (I’m of Japanese background, all Asians are snobs when it comes to rice). It’s got all the flavour from the juices of the chicken and you get crispy bits on the edges that I just want to pick off and have all to myself!
What to serve with chicken and rice
Add a big leafy salad on the side with a salad dressing of choice (Balsamic Dressing and Honey Mustard Dressing are on heavy rotation in my life these days). Or add some steamed vegetables and toss with a salad dressing while hot – they’ll suck up the dressing and make otherwise rather dull steamed vegetables infinitely more interesting!
Oh – and in the video, you’ll see this 4 Minute Gravy as a suggested extra. You don’t need a sauce for this because the rice is so well flavoured and the chicken is juicy. But if you have the time, gravy will take it over the top!
Dinner just got real easy. Enjoy! – Nagi xx
Watch how to make it
Oven Baked Chicken and Rice recipe video!
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Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 5 bone in chicken thigh fillets, peel skin OFF , (Note 1)
- 1 onion , chopped (brown, white or yellow)
- 2 cloves garlic (large) , minced
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter (or olive oil)
- 1 1/2 cups (270g) uncooked white rice (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) chicken broth/stock , hot (I microwave)
- 1 1/4 cups (315 ml) water , hot (tap is fine)
Chicken Rub (Note 2):
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Optional garnish:
- Oil spray
- Fresh thyme leaves or finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Scatter onion and garlic in a baking dish (about 10 x 15" / 25 x 35 cm), then place butter in the centre. Bake for 15 minutes (check at 12 minutes, mix if some bits are browning too much).
- Meanwhile, mix together Chicken Rub. Sprinkle on both sides of the chicken.
- Remove baking dish from the oven. Add rice then mix.
- Place chicken on rice. Then pour chicken broth and water around the chicken.
- Cover with foil, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, spray chicken with oil (optional, gives chicken nicer finish), then bake for a further 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
- Stand for 5 minutes, then remove chicken and fluff up rice. Garnish with parsley or thyme if desired, serve and enjoy!
Optional gravy
- Dish is flavoured enough to serve without sauce, but if you want to take it over the top, make this quick Gravy in 4 minutes flat (pictured in video).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Oven Baked Chicken and Rice originally published March 2019, updated April 2020 with improved photos, videos and step photos added. No change to recipe – I wouldn’t dare, readers love it as is!
More popular Chicken and Rice recipes
Life of Dozer
He was squinting, so I lent him my sunglasses 😂
And flashback to the original publication date of this recipe, back when Dozer was recovering from a knee operation:
Caved and splurged on a ramp – got tired of heaving a 40kg/80lb dog in and out of the car multiple times a day…..
Jacinta says
I made this tonight adding some dill (my favourite spice) and dried chives.
I also added nuttelex instead of butter because I needed the dish to be lactose free. I doubled the rice and fluid content and it still worked out nice and moist and hubby and I enjoyed it. Have added to my favourite food pins on pinterest. Thanks
Judy says
I have made this three times now. The spice combination is fantastic, it’s easy and my family loves it. I hope for leftovers so I can enjoy it again the next day!
Tishira says
Love this recipe….it is genius!!! Easy and quick as well as tasty. I made two pans in one day and they didn’t last 24 hours. My kids were fighting over it!!!
thandiwe banda says
can you please teach me how to make a nice chicken.
Cheryl Cason says
Nagi, I am cooking this for a crowd tomorrow, can you tell me please, does it need a sauce or is it moist enough. My entire luncheon is being cooked from your site. Love it
Nagi says
Hi Cheryl, I’m so sorry I missed this message 🙁 If made fresh, it is definitely moist enough and also the rice is seasoned 🙂 If someone really needs sauce, I’d probably make a simple pink sauce – have a look on my Beef Kebabs recipe 🙂 N x
Melissa says
Made this with 2 bone in chicken breasts (that’s how many fit in my 9×13 pyrex) and it came out perfect! So glad I found your recipe, thanks!
Nagi says
Thanks for the feedback Melissa! Glad you enjoyed this 🙂 N x
Raven says
What happens if you mistaked your boneless thighs for boneless and did not see the adjustment for this in the notes? Asking for a friend 🙃
Nagi says
That’s ok! Even boneless is still juicy – it should be fine! 🙂 N x
Seraphina says
This was the first thing I made from your site and it’s so good and easy! I only regret making it for my work lunches, and not eating it straight away because the rice became slightly mushier over the days. It freezes well too, by the way, in case anyone is interested. I’ll definitely be making this again, probably for a dinner with friends.
Nagi says
That’s great Seraphina! Thanks for letting me know! – N x ❤️
Isak says
Can I use a deep dish iron skillet
Jessica says
The chicken was really good but I used 1and a half cloves of garlic and it was very overpowering ..next I’ll use just a little garlic for the rice.
Nagi says
GIANT garlic cloves?? 😂
Juliet says
Can this be made with boneless skinless breasts instead?
Nagi says
Hi Juliet! Please see recipe notes 🙂 N x
Jodi says
Could I use chicken with the skin on if I seared it first?
Nagi says
Absolutely! Put it in a cold pan and turn onto medium, the gradual heating will help melt the fat under the skin 🙂 N x
Tish says
This dish is so good! I use bone broth as my only liquid, and a brown rice/quinoa/lentil blend for the rice. It makes the whole family happy!
David says
I cooked this tonight for eight people in two Pyrex baking dishes with five thighs in each. Our dishes were a little longer than the ones in the pictures, and I would have liked to have had the thighs closer together and the rice a little deeper. But the results were super anyway. For liquid, I used a mixture of 20% Sauvingon Blanc, 40% packaged chicken broth, and 40% water. It was a hit. I served it with green peas on the side, baked tomatoes stuffed with Panko with garlic, parsley, shallots, olive oil, and grated parmesan, and a green salad. No complaints here.
Nagi says
That’s wonderful to hear David! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
Marie says
Would this recipe work with leg quarters? Sounds delicious!
Nagi says
Do you mean Marylands?? ie the thigh and drumstick still connected? If so, then yes it will but I’d give it an extra 10 minutes in the oven. don’t worry the rice won’t overcook, it just gets more of a golden crust on the surface! N x
Danielle says
Making this tonight and have a question – Could I sub the water for additional chicken stock?
Nisha says
Hi Nagi,
I will be making this recipe tonight for my family. We use parboiled rice religiously in our family an I didn’t see cooking notes about parboiled rice in particular. Do you have any suggestions on how to best cook the recipe using 8 chicken legs and parboiled rice?
Nagi says
Hi Nisha! I’m terribly sorry but I don’t know the answer to that. It depends how far it’s been cooked so I really can’t guess. Sorry!
Ana says
Hi! I’m a complete new cook with 0 knowledge, so I just follow recipes…
For the chicken breasts, you say to put the rice first before the chicken. Do I put the liquids before the chicken too? Thank you.
Nagi says
Hi Ana! That’s right – put everything in except the chicken then put the chicken in later. See the recipe notes for chicken breast directions! N x
Amelia says
That’s some tasty tasty rice! I used drumsticks and unfortunately they didn’t turn out as brown and appealing as your photos, but still yum. I had to increase the cooking time by 10 mins to get the rice done. I mixed the leftover rice with grated tasty cheese and baked it. Would recommend!
Nagi says
Hi Amelia! For drumsticks I would cook it uncovered the whole time to make sure you get that browning 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the rice though! N x
Laura says
One should not use hot tap water because of leached lead from pipes. Use cold tap water.
BK says
Lead is not an issue. Water heaters don’t use lead and and homes don’t have lead pipes anymore. The reason you shouldn’t use hot water to cook with is that your water heater collects sediment from corrosion. Though unless you have a really old water heater, it really isn’t an issue.