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 i use parboiled rice to make this? thanks!
I haven’t tested that Victoria so don’t recommend it, sorry! N x
I’ve shared this recipe with my food group on Facebook with full credit to you of course and several people have cooked it and loved it too, so thank you, this rice and chicken has become the most cooked recipe in the group!
I am so glad you enjoyed it Deb! N x
Done this twice now and both times came out perfect. I can’t wait to try the lemon and oregano Greek version next!
Hi from California! So I followed this recipe but my rice and chicken were not cooked through. I set my oven at 450 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. Everything came out just like the photo. 🙂 I made 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of stock/broth to match which worked out. I also used 3 more thighs. The chicken was very yummy! I will definitely make this again but with my own heat setting and probably a bit more salt for the rice since it could have used it. Thank you for the idea of cooking rice in the oven!
Hi! Yes ovens can vary quite a bit and so can the cook times on rice depending on the brand – once you find a brand and determine the time that works in your oven, then make a note and use that every time! N x
Easy recipe and everyone loved it! I doubled the recipe, added mushrooms and used boneless thighs.
Sorry, I’m confused. I know you cook onions and butter in oven for 15 minutes at 180 degrees, but then when everything is added and put back in oven, do you continue at 180 degrees? Doesn’t seem like high enough temp for only 30 minutes
Hi Carolyn – it cooks for a total of 65 minutes at 180 Celcius / 350 Farenheit (15 minutes then 30 then another 20). That’s plenty of time to get it done! N x
It’s 350 degrees.
Carolyn,
After 30min at 180 Celsius (350F) you remove the foil and proceed to cook the rice and chicken for another 20 minutes. Hope that helps 🙂
That’s 180 Celcius, for us it would be 350 Fahrenheit.
180C= 350 F
Can you add fresh broccoli and carrots to cook with the rice and chicken?
I don’t see why not. Only problem is that they might’ve a bit soggy with the cooking time. What I like to do is put the broccoli in a microwaveable bowl with one table spoon of water. Place a saucer or plate over it to cover and microwave for just three minutes (if you like it crunchy) or four minutes and let it sit for a minute or two if you prefer it softer. Works for carrots too. That veg done in 5 minutes! Chop it up and add to the rice before serving. Job done 🙂
Sorry for my typing mistakes :-/
Can this dish be prepared, baked and then frozen?
I followed the instructions perfectly but the rice turned out only semi cooked and was still hard and chewy. Is there something I could’ve done wrong?
Hi Nicholas – what size and type of pan did you use and what type of rice? N x
Had to cook everything for an additional 30 mins. Chicken was still raw.
Hi Nagi! If I’m using skinless & boneless chicken thighs instead, when do I add in the chicken broth? Do I put it in right away to cook with the rice or do I add it in once I put in the chicken to cook?
Yes it goes in with the rice…it is the liquid that the rice cooks in then you add the boneless chicken as per the instructions in Note 1. N x
Very delicious and easy. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and decrease thyme to 1/2 teaspoon.
Hey Vanessa! I plan on using boneless & skinless chicken thighs as well. When did you add in the chicken broth to the dish? Was it right away with the rice or once you added in the chicken thighs?
Hi Nina…it needs to be added with the rice as you need the liquid in there to cook it! N x
I would love to make this tonight and I’m trying to make it work but I only have whole grain brown rice and chicken breast. There are two different instructions one for Rice and then one for chicken. Can you clarify what I need to do and how long I need to cook if I’m using a different rice and type of chicken then originally in the recipe
I realize this is 2+ months old, but in case this comes up again..I too had brown long grain rice and chicken breast, boneless/skinless…so I followed the instructions for the brown rice, added extra 1/2 cup hot water, covered with foil and baked 1 hour, then added chicken and baked another 25-30 min uncovered and was awesome!!
Thanks for that feedback Jessica! N x
Hey! We loved this recipe. I used brown rice, but the extra liquid may have taken too long to absorb. I needed to cook it for a lot longer than an hour and 15 min. No worries though. I also added a jack Daniels sauce on top of the chicken. During the last few minutes. That’s what I originally had a taste for, but I needed an easy one pit dish cause I was tired. This worked out well! I served it with broccoli and garlic bread.
Love the blend of spices used for the chicken. Thanks Nagi
My 7 year old literally told me how much she loved this dinner 50 times. I haven’t heard the end of it yet! Very nice, as are all your recipes 😍 I forgot to wash the rice, but was fine. Also adjusted for 4 ppl, the gram measurements seemed very low for the rice so I had to add more.
I’m so glad it worked well! Nx😀
I love this recipe but I had an issue. The rice didn’t cook well even though I cooked it longer. The chicken was delicious and so was the rice flavor. Can I use instant rice? Maybe use boneless chicken so it cooks faster.? I really want to try it again.
Hi Helen…I am sorry you had a problem…we have tested this many times so I would just double check that your oven temperature is correct and that you used the correct size pan and type of rice. I wouldn’t suggest instant rice for this one…not as much flavour! Nx
I love this recipe but I had an issue. The rice didn’t cook well. It was crunchy and hard even though I cooked it longer. The chicken was delicious and so was the rice flavor. Can I use instant rice? Maybe use boneless chicken so it cooks faster.? I really want to try it again.
Hi Nagi,
Do you wash the rice first?
Thank you!
I made this for dinner and it was just fabulous! I did make just a few alterations with adding frozen peas and carrots and a 1/4 cup of Cream of Chicken soup. This would be great when guest come for dinner because it represents comfort food that is homemade.
This came out delicious! I’m a rice snob, the rice came out fluffy and separated not at all mushy. This recipe was easy and so tasty! Thank you!