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…..
Found this recipe yesterday and decided to make it for today’s dinner. O M G!!!!! So Good. I had boneless thighs so followed your instructions on that. I’m not a big rice eater, but, I tell you I had 2 servings of the rice!!!! Only thing I did different, because I was out of regular onion, I used about a 1/4 cup of chopped fresh chives from my garden. Bottom-line, recipe is awesome and I will definitely be making it over and over again.
Added some grated carrot and parsley to the cooked rice for some colour . Easy & delicious dish! Rice is tremendously fluffy and full of flavour, chicken is tender and moist . Such a beautifully simple “one pot wonder” recipe, absolute crowd pleaser .
This was so delicious. I made it exactly according to the recipe but added 2 cups of frozen veggies in the last 20 minutes which made it a complete meal and it was beautiful! I left the skin on 2 of the thighs
I followed yger recipe but sauteed the chicken thighs to burn off the fat…i added celery,green pepper,an green olives while using white basmatic rice….then topped it with cilantro an 2 limes quartered….i like lots of stuff in my dishes…an it was delicious
I’m curious why the note says remove skin while the images show chicken thighs with skin on?? I did skin on and just removed some excess…
The video shows SIX table spoons of butter, but the recipe lists TWO table spoons … so which is it, two or six? Thanks
Delicious!
I used 2 thighs with skin, and 2 thighs without. The flavour was unbelievable! My family loved it.
This recipe is now on my toplist, a true gem for week nights.
Thanks for sharing Nagi 🙂
Can you make this in a dutch oven and instead of using foil, just put the top on it?
I thought I’d reply to you as that’s what I’m doing tonight, using a Corningware casserole dish with a lid, that I’ve had for years, as I’m sure it would be the same in theory.
If I add fresh vegetables (carrots, celery etc) should I increase the liquid?
Hi! I loved the recipe and will def make it again, but if you use deboned thigh fillets, just add it with the rice – mine took an additional 20min to fully cook. (To be fair, I enlarged the portion, but the rice was hopelessly overcooked by the time the chicken was done)
I am currently cooking it and have found this to. Rice is well cooked however the thighs r nowhere near cooked.
Oh goodness! This recipe was perfection. I made it exactly as directed (well, doubled the garlic) in a cast iron skillet. I could not believe how simple and delicious it was. I cannot wait to make it for friends and family! Thank you!
Hi, I want to make this with brown basmati rice & boneless chicken breast/thighs. Is the bake time before adding chicken the same? Also, how long to cook after adding chicken to brown rice? Thanks and I looking forward to making this!
This was really good just as you presented it. I didn’t change anything and my family only gave its praises. I love the flavor of sauteing the onions and garlic in the oven stepped up the flavor profile. Thank you for sharing.
I have made this 3 times in a week. Each time using a different spice rub or herbs and it’s been amazing every time! I’m making it as a single serving with just 2 drumsticks or a Maryland and it’s been so easy.
Made this first time tonight and after the 30 minutes mark, our home was filled with the most delicious aroma that one can imagine! Insanely delicious, definitely on our weeknights rotation. Thanks so much Nagi for this incredible rice dish.🥰
I don’t know what I did wrong, but I had to increase the cooking time for another half hour to get the chicken cooked all the way. I followed the recipe exactly and the rice was flavorless and bland. I like the theory of this recipe (one pan) but next time I’m going to have to up the spices in either the rice or on the chicken.
Hi Nagi!
I love your recipes. However these one pan meals with rice cooked in the dish never seem to work out for me. The rice is cooked around the outside, but the rice in the middle is not cooked at all. I cook in a cast iron dish as that’s all I have. I’m not sure where I go wrong. I would love your input if you have any thoughts.
Thank you for sharing!
This is sooooooo good! My former mother in law made something similar and for a lot of years, I was beating myself up because I didn’t ask for the recipe while I was married to her son. Thank you so much!
Well I am glad that you have found another version you like Jeannette!! N x
Loved the recipe especially the seasoning. Smelled so good. I had boneless, skinless thighs and brown rice so read your notes, but miscalculated using 3/4 cup too much liquid. Would’ve been perfect if my math was better. Will definitely make again. Son loved it too!
That’s fantastic Sue! I am glad that you liked the dish – even with the extra liquid!! N x
I made this tonight with homemade tortillas …(also my first time making those)
It was amazing! Definitely making again! Thank you .. it was stunning and soooo easy!