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…..
Hi,
I grilled some chicken last night for dinner, and looking to make this recipe with the leftover chicken. How long do I put the chicken in with the rice to cook?
Hi Diya, I hope the chicken isn’t cooked???
I’m getting ready to make this right now but I need help! I need to double this recipe, does everything just get doubled or…? How do I do the rice?
Hi Angel! Use the recipe scaler by clicking on Servings and sliding to double the recipe and all the ingredients will double for you!
I’m sure leaving the skin on would be just as delicious. Correct?
Hi Lativia! It makes the rice VERY greasy with chicken fat. 🙂 That’s why I remove it!
Hi. I’d planned to cook the more elaborate version with the fruit and walnuts, but the sugar content was too high for the diabetics in my community. So we did this one. For rice, I used a Texmati blend of long grain white and brown rice, red rice, and wild rice. Since I wanted to add some dried sour cherries to the mix, I left the paprika out of the rub and used a Provence herb blend in its place. I plumped about 1/4 cup of unsweetened dried sour cherries and added them when I put in the broth and chicken. It was simple and elegant and worth doing again.
That’s so great to hear David! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
Yummmm! I recently found your website and this is the first recipe I’ve tried – it was delicious! Served it with buttered green beans and my bf and I loved it! Super easy and cheap as I had everything on hand except the chicken. Loved the tip of cooking the garlic and onions briefly in butter before adding the rice, what a lovely flavour it gave! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes! Thanks Nagi! <3
I’m so pleased to hear you and your bf enjoyed this Emma! N x ❤️
Hi, was wondering if that will work with BEEF sirloin tip steak instead of chicken? Thanks
Hi Kasia! I’m afraid I haven’t tried, sorry! 🙂 N x
Is it okay to use chicken breasts instead?
You sure can, directions in the notes!
Thank you for this simple delicious meal recipe! my family loved it! I’m quite the novice in the kitchen and even with a big flub (I forgot the water-added it 20 minutes into baking🤦🏼♀️) It came out great!
Can’t wait to try many more recipes! We are a gluten free family and this will become a staple. ❤️
That’s so great to hear Lisa! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
I’m making this and it’s currently in the oven. O can’t wait to try it! Thanks Nagi! I have subscribed to your blog and printed several recipes. I’m putting them in plastic covers, then in a binder for my daughter away at college. Merry Christmas and a very blessed New Year.
Hope you loved it Michelle! Merry Christmas to you too! N x
Hi Nagi, Thanku so much for this recipe. It was 1 of the best dinner dishes I have made for my family. Although I had to double each ingredient for my big family of 7 they absolutely loved it. It was so easy to prepare. The only ingredient I did not add was thyme.This is the kind of dish I like to make its easy affordable and delicious. Well done!
I love hearing that Kelly! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️
I’d like to make this ahead to heat up quickly. Do you recommend cooking halfway then finishing the next night or making it completely then reheating? I only have about 20 minutes to cook right before meal.
Hi Nic! Make the whole thing then reheat 🙂 I would probably microwave to give it a head start then bake briefly to liven up the chicken surface 🙂 N x
Ur recipes are great and so quick and easy that the family does not have to eat takeout anymore thanks
I LOVE HEARING THAT SOPHIE!!! Thank you – N xx
I will be making this with chicken breast about an inch thick. I should still follow the recipe? Add the rice water and stock cook for 25 minutes covered then uncover add chicken cover again for 10 minutes and then uncover for 15?
Hi Danielle, yes that’s right!
For those that are saying theirs turned out still wet/soggy/not fully cooked. I have a solution for you! I also just made this few hours ago and experienced the exact same thing – the broth was still there like a pool, not dried down. I’m thinking it could be the size/space of the baking container, meaning even when we do follow the recipe, if the size of the container is different, maybe it would affect the cooking time and speed? Luckily, I was also baking an apple pie, so I used the temperature and time of baking the apple pie to cook this chicken and rice (*NOTE: therefore, in additional to the recipe, I cooked mine at 400F for another 40 minutes without the foil cover. It turned out perfectly dried which is exactly what I wanted). I also added mine with frozen mixed vegetables and covered everything with grated cheese except for the chicken, and it turned out to be super delicious. Another change I made, due to not having onion powder, I used a tiny bit of curry powder and cayenne powder instead. What an enjoyable meal! I love this recipe, it’s such a keeper and I am sure I’ll definitely be making it again. Next time, I am going to add some mushrooms in it. Yum Yum!
So Anne – you cooked yours for 50 mins total like the recipe and then an additional 40 mins at 400F? I ask because I just pulled mine out after 40 mins to uncover it thinking I’d be eating in 15 mins but it’s still got quite a bit of stock/water. So disappointed. It smells delicious and I can’t wait to eat it. But I want to know for next time so I can time it properly. Thanks for any responses!
Hi CG,
Remember, the recipe said to cook for 35 minutes with the foil, and another 15 mins without the foil.
To sum it up, for what I did, cook it at 350F for 35 minutes, take foil off and cook for another 15 minutes at 350F. Then higher the temperature to 400F, and cook it WITHOUT the foil for another 40 minutes. (Therefore, you only need to cover it with foil for the first 35 minutes at 350F)
Nagi is probably right that the rice should be cooked already by 50 minutes, I still think it varies depending on the size of baking dishes. I mean, yes, the rice is probably already cooked, but the water is still there, and if the rice is already cooked, it doesn’t need the extra water. That is why it is important to remove the foil after the rice is cooked, so that the water can evaporate. Basically, after cooking for another 40 minutes at 400F, mine turned out as if the rice was just cooked from the rice cooker.
Baking time not only varies depending on the size of the baking dish, but also varies depending on how you like your rice to be – soggy, soft, dry or a bit hard.
Another trick, if you have a little (not a pool) of water/broth left after the whole cooking, is to turn off the oven, leave your food and let it stay in the oven for awhile, don’t open the oven door just yet. The idea is to use the heat that is still in the oven to help with the evaporation.
I also used this same recipe last week, but changed it to the shrimp version.
For the shrimp version, because shrimps get cooked very fast, and the portion is not as much as the chicken, it does not need as much water and broth. I cooked it with 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of broth. Instead of covering the shrimps with the spices, I just mix the spices into the broth. The broth slightly covered the shrimp that were on top of the rice, and it was the perfect amount to cook both the rice and shrimps . I cooked my shrimp version at 400F for 40 mins WITH the foil on (yes, I was making apple pies again, so that I can make 2 dishes in the oven at the same time). Again, the rice turned out as if it was just cooked from the rice cooker. My apple pies and the shrimp rice were both cooked and can be enjoyed at the same time. The shrimp version is just as good as the chicken. How lovely!
The wonder of this recipe is how you can use it with any meat and seafood you want. It is why I love it! Have fun experimenting with it. Maybe one can cook noodle/pasta with it, who knows until one tries. Enjoy this recipe and wishing you all Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
HI CG! What rice are you using?? Ordinary white rice really should be cooked and fully absorbed by the liquid by 50 minutes. In fact, without chicken, it can be done in 35 minutes 🙂 N x
Hi Anne! Thanks so much for those tips! I will add some notes in the recipe – the amount of liquid in the pan after the initial covered time will vary from pan to pan but it doesn’t matter, as long as it’s absorbed by the end 🙂 So glad you enjoyed this! N xx
Speaking of baking dish sizes……….I made this a few months ago for a group of 10 friends. Everyone loved it and it was so easy to make! I am now making it to bring to a friend recovering from surgery and will make the recipe as originally posted with 5 thighs. I have have 2 different baking dishes – one is a 9 x 13 and one a 11×15. Any suggestions as to which would be best to use? 11 x 15 seems closer to the size indicated in the recipe but am worried that the rice will get too dry. 9 x 13 might make it too soggy? The first time I made it I thought the rice was a little sticky but I altered the quantities for a larger group and that may have impacted my outcome.
Hi Becky! Scaling this recipe will have affected it. Either of those dishes will be fine! 9 x 13 is always a safe bet, it is what I base most of my baked recipes on 🙂 N x
I’m currently making this, when I pulled the foil off I still had a lot of water? Is that normal? Help!
Hi Kimberly! Have faith, just pop it back in 🙂 Most of the water should be absorbed when the foil comes off but it’s fine if it’s not, it will absorb! N x
Me too!!! Just out back in oven and hope it soaks liquid up!
It will! Don’t worry! 🙂 N x
Needed a quick meal for tonight’s dinner. Made this for the first time…Amazing. My family loved it. I love that it is quick, easy and there is very little clean up afterwards. Will definitely make it again.Thanks Nagi.
Family requests to have this meal again tonight. Cooking dinner now. This is definitely a winner winner chicken dinner 😁.
Loni
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback Lonie, I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this! N x ❤️
All I have are chicken wings. I cut them into drums and flats. What would I need to cut the cooking time to?
The whole time will be fine, the flesh will be lovely and tender!
Also how many drums and flats can I use so that it won’t completely cover the rice?
Not sure sorry, depends on the size 🙂
Hi, does the time in oven change based on the material of the baking dish? What kind of baking dish did you use…glass….ceramic?
Thanks
Hi! I’ve used all sorts of pans for this recipe and the time didn’t change 🙂 N x
I just realized my chicken thigh filets are boneless however, luckily skinless too. I know it calls for bone-in. Is this okay and how would I adjust the cooking for boneless? Thanks!
That’s fine Heather, see Note 1 for adjusted cooking times! N x
I’m not sure what I did wrong, but mine turned out awful! The chicken took 40+ minutes to cook, the rice was soggy and not cooked all the way. I did sub with chicken breast but followed the rest of the recipe exactly as stated. #cookingsnotforeveryone
I’m sorry to hear that Charlene. Do yo know what type of rice you used??