Description
This Oven Baked Chicken and Rice recipe delivers a flavorful, tender, and buttery meal made entirely in the oven without stove use. The secret to its rich taste lies in briefly baking onions, garlic, and butter before adding rice, broth, and skinless bone-in chicken thighs. The dish is perfectly cooked with juicy chicken and fluffy, garlic-infused rice, ideal for a comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken and Rice
- 5 bone-in chicken thigh fillets, skin removed
- 1 onion, chopped (brown, white, or yellow)
- 2 cloves large garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp (30g) butter or olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups (270g) uncooked white rice
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) hot chicken broth or stock
- 1 1/4 cups (315 ml) hot water
Chicken Rub
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Optional Garnish
- Oil spray
- Fresh thyme leaves or finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F) to get it ready for baking.
- Bake onion, garlic, and butter: Scatter the chopped onion and minced garlic evenly in a baking dish (about 10 x 15" / 25 x 35 cm). Place the butter in the center, then bake uncovered for 15 minutes, checking at 12 minutes and stirring if any bits start browning excessively. This step builds a flavorful base.
- Prepare chicken rub: While the vegetables bake, combine paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to create the chicken rub. Sprinkle this seasoning generously on both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Add rice and liquids: After removing the baking dish from the oven, add the uncooked rice and mix it with the onion and garlic mixture. Place the seasoned chicken on top of the rice evenly. Pour the hot chicken broth and water around the chicken, ensuring the rice is submerged but chicken stays on top.
- Cover and bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. This allows the rice to cook and absorb the liquids while the chicken starts to bake.
- Finish baking uncovered: Remove the foil, optionally spray the chicken with oil for a nicer finish, then bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes. Bake until the liquid is completely absorbed and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Rest and serve: Let the dish stand for 5 minutes after baking. Then remove the chicken pieces, fluff the rice gently with a fork, garnish with fresh thyme or parsley if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
- If scaling up the recipe, use multiple baking pans; for scaling down, choose smaller pans accordingly.
- Bone-in chicken thighs are preferred because they cook evenly with the rice and remain juicy. Skin must be removed to avoid excess grease in the rice.
- Chicken drumsticks also work well without needing skin removal and with no change to cooking time or temperature.
- For boneless skinless thighs or breasts, bake rice covered without chicken for 30 minutes, then add chicken and bake uncovered for an extra 20-25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.
- The chicken rub spices can be substituted with alternatives like lemon pepper or Italian herb blends based on preference.
- Any regular white rice works well; long grain rice yields the fluffiest results. Basmati and jasmine rice also perform excellently with the same cook time.
- For brown rice, add an extra 1/2 cup hot water and extend covered baking to 1 hour, then bake uncovered for 15 minutes until tender.
- Minute rice, risotto, or paella rice are not recommended for this recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
