Chicken and rice casserole in the oven

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!

Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Servings5

Tap or hover to scale

Recipe VIDEO above. Made entirely in the oven (no stove!), the rice in this recipe is outrageously delicious! It's buttery and garlicky, tender but not mushy. The secret tip is to briefly bake onion with garlic and butter before adding the rice, liquids and chicken - it adds a great flavour base! 

• ▢ 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

• 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).

If scaling recipe up, use multiple pans. If scaling recipe down, use a smaller pan. Scale recipe using slider - click on Servings.

1. Chicken - Bone in thighs is best because cook time is the same as rice and stays super juicy. Skin must be removed otherwise the rice will be too greasy. Just pull it off with your hands - it comes off easily.

Drumsticks will also work great with this, no need to remove the skin and no change to cook time or temp.

Boneless skinless thigh fillets or breast - put the rice in the oven covered with foil WITHOUT chicken. Bake for 30 minutes per recipe, then remove pan, take foil off, top with chicken then return to oven (no foil) for a further 20 - 25 minutes or until liquid in the pan is absorbed, per recipe. 

2. Chicken Rub can be substituted with any seasonings you want! Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Italian Herb Mix - just use what you have.

3. Rice - Any normal white rice works great here. Long grain white rice will yield the fluffiest rice. Short and medium grain will work fine too but by its very nature, is a bit stickier. Basmati and jasmine are terrific too - same cook time.

Brown rice - add an extra 1/2 cup hot water. Bake covered for 1 hour then bake uncovered 15 minutes until rice is tender. 

Rice not suitable - Minute Rice, Risotto or Paella Rice.

4. Nutrition assumes all the rice is consumed which it probably will not be.

Serving: 318gCalories: 574cal (29%)Carbohydrates: 47g (16%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 29g (45%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 153mg (51%)Sodium: 766mg (33%)Potassium: 448mg (13%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 255IU (5%)Vitamin C: 6.6mg (8%)Calcium: 42mg (4%)Iron: 1.9mg (11%)

Keywords: baked chicken thighs with rice, Chicken and Rice, chicken and rice recipe

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…..