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:
it’s a one pan dinner – the raw rice and chicken are cooked together at the same time;
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;
quick to prepare – active prep time is under 10 minutes; and
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:
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.
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;
Chicken seasoning – feel free to use any seasoning you’ve got on hand, pre mixed, or switch up the spices I’ve used;
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…..
Can olive oil be used instead of butter ? Or another substitute?
It sure can! (Thanks for the question will update the recipe!)
Thank you so much ! Two more questions, with your permission – how can the recipe be adjusted to 7-8 chicken thighs ? Also, how about bone-in chicken thighs – do they work for this recipe ?
Hi Mark! So, if you want to keep the rice amount the same, you can just increase the spice mix but use the same recipe for the rice. Or you can scale up the recipe. Use the scaler (hover over servings) to scale up the recipe! And yes to bone-in thighs, they are the BEST!
Hi Nagi,
Can I ask what kind of baking dish you’re using in this recipe?
Mine is in the oven as we speak and I’m using a glass dish about the same size as you’ve suggested for this recipe.
Only change I’ve made is I’m making 6 thighs instead of 5 thighs and it’s been in the oven for over an hour and a half now and the rice is still very soggy…..
I’m also looking for an all around multi purpose baking dish.. would you suggest the kind of baking dish that you’ve used in this recipe as an all around multi purpose baking dish?
Thank you for your help, Nagi! ?
Hi Maggie! This is a el-cheapo one I picked up from a seconds store! It is a basic white ceramic dish and it just happens to be the perfect size and depth for baked dinners 🙂 Errr….. 1.5 hours??? Ummm, I’m sorry to say that something seems to have gone very wrong! Are you sure the liquid measurement was right? And is your oven working ok?? For a multi all purpose baking dish, I would definitely recommend something more heavy duty that’s made of metal not ceramic. Ceramic isn’t great for things like roasting veg or making crunchy potatoes, metal heats up faster and is better for things like that 🙂 I use Scanpan, if that helps! N xx ❤️
Could I use chicken breasts instead of thighs? I’m not crazy about thighs but I think the recipe sounds great! !
Hi Vicki! You sure can, please see note 1 for directions 🙂
This turned out really nice. I used a small whole chicken that I cut into pieces. I removed any excess skin. I mixed up the seasonings a little allowing for what I had on hand, also added a little saffron to the stock. I used a saute dish with a lid to cook it in and cooked the first part on the stove then transferred to the oven. I just love one pot recipes. Thanks for your recipes I’m really enjoying trying them. Next on the menu is your mother’s Chicken Macaroni Gratin.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Jenny! And I do hope you like the Gratin… 🙂 Definitely a fave from my childhood! N x
Tried it but it didn’t come out. Not sure what I did wrong but the rice was not cooked through in pockets. So disappointed. I used a 9×13 pan as I didn’t have the size pan you listed. Would that have made a difference?
Hi Patricia – how odd that there would be uncooked patches of rice! Where there any particular places or random patches??
Seemed to be throughout. I added about 1/4 cup more water and let it cook for 15 minutes more covered. It cooked through. I used a metal roasting 9×13 pan maybe that was the problem. I will try it again. 🙂 Just had to be an off day for me. Keep up with the great recipes!
Hope you do Patricia! It is odd that there were patches throughout with uncooked rice. 🙂
Approximately what size baking dish would you use for this?
Hi Sam! It’s about 10 x 15″ / 25 x 35 cm. Thanks for the question, I’ll update the recipe!
OMG perfect timing! Just about to go make dinner now, will update how it turns out (although I’m sure it will be amazing!)
Just finished polishing off our plates… Delicious just like every other meal you have on here! Definetly going to make this again (and again and again…)
AWESOME! I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this one Sam! Hope you have a great weekend – N x
Hope you love it Sam! 🙂
OMG Nagi, I made this last week and it was divine! Hubby and toddler gobbled it up and there’s a request for more this week. I added a few veggies with the rice and used boneless thighs so added the chicken about 20-25 mins into the baking. Turned out beautifully, fluffy delicious rice and tender chicken. I’m drooling again! ? Thanks so much for sharing x
Fantastic to hear Natalie! Thanks for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed it! N x
Hi Nagi,
Sounds delicious and so easy to make so I’ll definitely be making this soon and will report back. ?
Thanks for another yummy and easy recipe!
I look forward to hearing what you think! 🙂 N xx
Great recipe Nagi, it’s a kind of rice pilaf baked in the oven.
I can see that it is better to bake the onions and garlic first just like we do when we make this kind of rice on a stove top.
I bet the taste is great! Plus it’s so easy to make 🙂 And we can add vegetables too, like diced carrots and/or peas. Great! 🙂
You’re absolutely right Malika 🙂 And YES to loading it up with veggies! N xx
Oh wow Nagi, that rice must taste wonderful.
Thank you Tania! 🙂 Hope you had a lovely weekend! PS I am sure I saw an email from you, am a bit behind on my emails at the moment!
I see this as a WINNER in my house!
How hard would it be to double the batch? The reason I ask is that, come April, we are going to be spending a week with J Daddy’s entire family on the Gold Coast – 6 adults, 4 kids, and this is the kind of meal that I know EVERYONE will love. Plus I want to show off your recipes to them and take over the kitchen in the big house my in-laws have rented. 🙂
You’re feeding an army!!! Doubling the recipe will be fine, use a large pan 🙂 Doesn’t need to be double the size, just a decent sized one, like a roasting pan. N xx
Hi Nagi, I was just wondering, if I was to make this for two people (I would probably use three chicken thighs) would it simply be a matter of halving the rice and liquid ratio and maybe reducing the butter?
Thanks.
Hi Kate! Yes but also please use a small baking dish, otherwise the rice will be spread out so thinly the liquid will probably evaporate too quickly 🙂
Briliant! Just the Way I Like IT. One pot no FUSS no mess, coul Not be better. Thank YOU kindly.
Absolutely delicious and sooo easy, thank you Nagi. I used basmati rice (I washed it first in cold water) and boneless, skinless breast filet (cut 2 into 4 pieces) as that is all I had, but it was really excellent. I will make it again for sure.
Hi Nagi.
I had chicken thighs brining in the fridge when this recipe arrived in my inbox…Wow, great timing.This dish was absolutely fantastic.You always deliver ?.
Thanks again Nagi.
Phil from Scotland 😉
Hi Nagi
This sounds so good and easy. I have to check because of my poor English, sometimes difficult to understand. Using skinless boneless thighs or breast, do you mean 25 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered in the oven?
Hi Nagi. Chicken and rice makes me happy. I made Spanish rice with baked chicken thighs the other night. Made Mexican seafood cocktails for dinner tomorrow night.
Dxo
Oooh……Spanish rice and chicken….. mmmmmm…… 🙂 N xx
Marlene has already asked the question I was going to ask, but no answer as yet Nagi. Can you please enlighten us on whether drumsticks can be used and at what temp. and how long if they can be used.
Still loving all your recipes.
Hi Josephine! Drumsticks will work GREAT, and not too much fat either. Whenever I do other one pot baked chicken and rice dishes, I can’t brown the drumsticks properly because of the shape so very little fat is rendered out in the browning process, but rice is not greasy. 🙂 Same temp, same cook time. I will update the recipe now!
Thanks Nagi! Much appreciated! 🙂
Nagi, I’m not sure why, but after 35 minutes there was still a lot of liquid. I raised the temperature to 375F and will put it in for another 20-30 minutes. Hopefully this will come out ok! Any idea why there would be so much liquid?
I’ve read that a lot of water can come out of the chicken, particularly if it has been frozen at some point. It may be raw when you buy it, but often it’s been frozen in storage or during transit to the store.
Good point Jeanne, I didn’t think of that! Hoping we hear back from Rebecca and it was all good! 🙂
Hi Rebecca! When the foil comes off the rice there is still liquid, it bakes out 🙂 Did it work out ok for you??
I had the same thing happen, too much liquid after 30 minutes bake time so I baked the rice and pork chops another 10 minutes, then let it sit in oven for 5 minutes while I heated some green beans. The dish turned out perfectly – no dry rice or pork chops, no excess liquid.
So, the pork chop and rice bake turned out really good – especially the rice, really yummy. I baked the pork chops and rice for about 45 minutes. I’ll make this version again! And try the chicken version soon!
WOAH! That was amazingly fast, I am so glad you enjoyed it Teresa! 🙂