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…..
family hates onions but i have onion powder or maybe i could puree the onion, thoughts?
You could try pureeing it Pilar, but the flavour will be stronger than chopped so use a bit less! N x
One of my favs. Made many times and always comes out superb. I’m making again tonight but with bone in checkin breasts.
I am making this dish for dinner. My question is can I used a 13 x 9 in pan;: I don’t know a 10 x 15 casserole.
I use a pan slightly larger than 9×13 so that the broth is shallower and the rice cooks fully. You can try a 9×13 but it might take a bit longer to cook. N x
I made this following the regular recipe with skinless boneless thighs (I didn’t see the other instructions) and short grain sushi rice, and it was perfect! I will definitely be making this again and checking out her other recipes! Thank you!
Woo hoo!! I am glad that you liked it Holly and welcome to RecipeTin!! N x
I tried this recipe and the chicken was moist and the rice was delicious however the thighs did not have the nice browned crust as shown in your pics. My chicken looked rather white and unappealing. Is this because I have an electric oven? Is there a recommendation on how to make my chicken to look nicer?
An electric oven shouldn’t be a problem Elaine. Do you have a top element in your oven? Was it on? Did you spray the chicken to help it brown? Ovens can vary so you might need to play with settings on yours to find what works best! N x
Made this tonight using drumsticks – so easy and the flavour in the rice is amazing.
I’m new here but will be looking for more recipes after trying this amazing dish. It was so simple and it turned out great. I’ve never had rice turn out so good and buttery. Thank you for sharing
This recipe is the best chicken and rice recipe I have EVER made!! And I’m old so ive made many chicken and rice recipes!!😂
My question is, can I use this recipe for pork chops?
This gives the rice a nice texture, and different than the traditional way I cook rice. I think the rice must steam the chicken, because the meat was incredibly tender. I will make this again!
you really know your rice..i love chicken and rice but was always greasy or clumpy..yours was PERFECT..forgot to spray with oil when removed foil..but very tasty..thanks for sharing.
I am happy that you enjoyed it Deanna!! N x
This recipe was tasty! The top layer of rice got a little crunchy. It didn’t ruin the meal or anything, but I was a little disappointed. Any tips to prevent this going forward?
I came here to see if someone had the same issue of crunchy rice at the top.
If using brown rice you say to bake for 1 hour. Won’t that dry out the chicken? Can I bake w/0 chicken for 30 and then add chicken for 3o and continue? Thanks! Love this recipe!
Because it’s covered I did not have a problem with that Nan – it is basically steaming so it should be fine. If you remove the cover 30 minutes in to add chicken then your rice might not cook all the way through. N x
My daughter asked me to make 32 chicken breasts for a function. I found your recipe and used it as the basis for the chicken. Because of the number, I seasoned the breasts and cooked them in two batches in the sous vide the day before. Then I put them on the bed of rice to serve. They turned out perfect and everyone raved about them asking for the recipe. I love using your recipes because they never let me down! Thank you for all the awesome recipes and your detailed clear instructions.
What can I subsitute for garlic or what can I do for the rice if I don’t have any garlic cloves?
You can leave it out Brianna and add a bit of extra onion or 1/2 tsp garlic powder if you have that on hand! N x
Love this recipe, started making it regularly and began to modify it even – try thai red curry paste to marinade the chicken/coconut milk in the rice stock, try chilli and allspice with beans in the rice for something approximating Jamaican rice and peas etc. It’s really versatile and hard to get wrong 🙂
Thanks for those tips Ian! N x
When using boneless skinless thighs do I add the liquid to the rice parking lot for that 30 minutes before the chicken
Talk text got to love it parking lot was not supposed to be in there that was from the TV LOL
I was wondering a bit when I read that! Yes you do add the liquid at the beginning then add the thighs later as directed! N x
If I am preparing this for a freezer meal, do I need to adjust any of the directions?
No Heather – you can just freeze it after you make it! N x
So easy,so much flavour,I used basmati rice,whole family loved it…when I’m looking for inspirational recipes I always go straight to yours ..can’t wait for your cookbook 👏🏻👏🏻
Could you tell me how to convert the time and temperature for a 9×13 glass casserole dish? I imagine there are a few of us who don’t have a ceramic baking dish.
Hi Robin – I have done this successfully in ceramic, metal and glass but if your 9 x 13 isn’t deep it might not be big enough – it needs a 10 x 15 inch pan. N x
This was really good. I always have trouble getting the rice to cook perfectly without being underdone or overdone. I never thought of heating up the stock/water first. Thank you!
The recipe calls for 2 TBSP of butter, but in your video, you used more than 2. Can you please clarify the correct amount of butter? Thanks!
Hi Amanda – it’s 2 Tbsp/30 grams – that’s what I used in the video cut into smaller cubes! N x
Hi Nagi, is it possible to use less butter and keep the skin on? Would it still be too greasy? Also do chicken legs/ drumsticks cook at the same time or would they require more cooking? Kind regards
Charlotte
Wonderful easy meal! My whole family loved it. Finger licking good 👍 thank you for sharing!!