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!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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…..
While chicken and rice are two of my favorite foods to combine, I’m making this recipe tonight with pork chops! Yep, got the onion, garlic and butter in the 350F oven cooking, put some of Penzey’s Ozark seasoning on two quite large but not really thick pork chops, got my cup of rise standing by and some beef broth with water will be going in the casserole dish. Cooking for two tonight, so I cut back on the rice — also, it was all I had on hand – 1 cup. I’ll use foil to seal the dish instead of the lid to seal it well. I’ll check the rice after 30 minutes.
I’m thinking this will be delicious. I’ll post back after dinner on the results.
Oooh…. dying to hear what you think! 🙂 N xx
Hey Nagi!You are truly PSYCHIC!!The spoiled 19 year old was like,”Can you make your lemon chicken,y’know,the one with rice?”As,she is so tired of homemade pasta,carnitas,burritos,more pasta,homemade soup,stroganoff,homemade mac and cheese,(Jens’ recipe);chipotle pork,penne with vodka sauce….Oh and not to forget the Butterfinger Blondies!Wow!So,perfect,easy recipe for me to make for my gang!Thanks!I want Dozers’ life!!
She was tired with ALL THAT??? Does she want to swap places with me??? 😉 N xx
I have had bariatric surgery and for the time being cannot have rice or pasta. If I substitute cauliflower “rice”, how would this affect the cooking time? Thank you 🙂
Gosh Dora, I’m sorry to hear that. Cauliflower rice does not take long to cook so this recipe will not work for it, I’m sorry to say! What you could do is bake the chicken per the recipe with the onion and butter but do not add rice or liquids. Then for the last 10 minutes, add the cauliflower rice and cover it to bake. It will soak up all the delish chicken juices and mingle with the onion – SO GOOD!
I giggled when I read the part about being ‘a Japanese snob’ when it comes to rice (I’m a snob too!) 🙂
This looks really yummy and perfect for when having to multi-task right before dinner prep. Can’t wait to try it out!
By the way, the life of Dozer is my goal in life haha! What a lucky dog! 🙂
I KNOW!~ I want to be reincarnated as him! ?
I just wanted to ask…where did you purchase the bowls shown in this recipe…I LOVE THEM!
I LOVE THEM TOO! 🙂 It’s from a local ceramicist, MH Ceramics 🙂 -> http://mhceramics.net I got them for Christmas, I was thrilled!! (PS That exact bowl the chicken and rice is in is a bowl mould she has labelled as mine!!! So you can literally call and order “Nagi” bowls – I LOVE THAT! 😉 N xx
Hi. Could you please tell me what your measurements are in England, i.e. fl.ozs or ml’s instead of “cups” which I often see in Asian and American recipes. And, would the “cups” in Asian recipes be the same measurement as in American recipes. I’d love to cook this recipe when my 6yr old grandson is staying with me as I’m sure that he would love it but I would like to be sure of my measurements.
Done! 🙂 N x PS Hope your grandson enjoys it! And PPS please do prompt me if I forget to include ml because I do always have good intentions to include them as I sometimes use them myself (in Aus, we swing between cups and weights/ml) 🙂
You clever girl! Such a good recipe to have. One question: if you use drumsticks, can you leave the skin on, as they have less fat than the thighs?
Great question Marlene! Had the answer buried in Note 1, have made it upfront 🙂 Drumsticks will work great, can leave the skin on and no change to cook time or temp! N x
This looks delicious…I’m thinking roasted cabbage for side dish! Thanks
Oooh YES!!!
Hello from a Greek woman living in Cyprus!
I love your blog! Keep up the good work!
Please clarify sth to me…
Since i can only find boneless thighs, how much time to cook the chicken covered in the pan with the liquids and how much time uncovered?
Thank you
Hi Chrissy! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes, thanks! I have directions for that in Note 1 🙂 N x
Thanks for your quick response.
I have already seen the note, but did not understand…sorry but not native english speaker…?
Hi Nagi – Do you ever have problems with some of the rice underneath the chicken not quite cooked? I love the taste of rice baked with chicken but have not made it for a long time because of that experience. I look forward to try your recipe exactly and see if I have success!! Thank you for reminding me of this delicious dish, I’m a definitely a flavored-rice person:)
Hi Sophia! I have never had that problem. One reason may be because I used a baking dish so the rice is actually spread out quite shallow. If it was a small baking dish then the rice would be stacked quite deep and I could imagine that problem happening. 🙂 With a 50 minute bake time, there should definitely be no uncooked rice!
This looks so much like jollof rice, which is a staple in my community. I’ve never tried it in an oven, though. Will have to try this. Thanks for sharing, Nagi!
YES YES YES!!! I love Jollof rice!
Oooh! I love the one pan theory. Now, I’m not a rice connoisseur — so I’m asking an expert. Do you have a particular brand or type other than long grain rice?? And I am determined to learn how to use chopsticks, so I ordered some. Now, I figured if I make dinner and have to use chopsticks I will finish my meal by breakfast. Hubby was stationed in Japan so he’s proficient with the utensils. I’m calling this Marisa’s Chopstick Diet. 🙂 xoxo
Thanks for the question Marisa! I’m pretty relaxed about rice brand, but my preference is long grain rice as a general rule because it’s not as sticky as medium or short grain. Basmati and jasmine will work great too. Forget chopsticks! 😉 N xx
oh yeah!!! This has to be a winner…
I love that you include videos… Takes recipes from “I might try this” to “This HAS to be made”!!!
THANK YOU ROSS!!!!! ❤️
Love such oven recipes and one pot business in kitchen. Rice + all deliciousness in a pot makes me happy
Nicely said Smitha! 🙂 N x
This recipe looks fantastic, but I would like to use brown basmati rice. If you cook the rice as directed, you must cook for 50 minutes, after bringing water and rice to a boil. Would this sort of rice do well for this oven-baked recipe? Thanks for sharing all your wonderful recipes!
Hi Sarah! I actually haven’t used brown basmati before. White basmati will be the same per recipe. How long does brown basmati take to cook on the stove? If it takes the same time as normal brown rice, then follow the directions for brown rice in Note 3 of the recipe. 🙂 Hope that helps! N x
Okay, so I have never made anything like this – but I LOVE the no stove idea! Less clean-up, more time to relaaaax while my oven does all the work. Right? Sounds like a total winning dish for me, I’ll pin this for my weekday meals!
Have a great week 🙂
Exactly right! No worries about scorching anything on the stove, just throw it in and leave it to bake! 🙂
Hi Nagi. Looks like an amazing recipe! Would you happen to know if brown rice could be substituted for white rice? And if so, what adjustments you would need to make to the recipe?
Hi Nathan! Thanks for the question, I updated a note 3 in the recipe for brown rice. If you like tender brown rice, add an extra 1/2 cup of water because al dente brown rice is definitely firmer than white rice. 🙂