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…..
perfect
Great recipe!
It’s been 1.5 hours and the rice still hasn’t fully cooked. Followed the recipe to a T but this is the first recipe of rte that’s failed for me.
This actually turned out really good with a few tweaks!
Used all chicken stock instead of water, added chopped leek to the garlic and onion and frozen veg to the rice, increased cooking time by 10 min (probably needed a touch more for the rice) and left out the thyme as hubby doesn’t like it and also made the gravy to go with it which was delicious! 100% making this one again thank you!
So very easy and delicious ❤️
Love a one tray meal.
Have to use brown rice.
Do you bake rice 30 min before adding chicken to keep from drying out? 1 hour 30 min seems long for chicken.
Sounds delish.
I followed the recipe but had to add 20 minutes cooking time and it still wasn’t enough. I checked the calibration of my oven after this. It was fine. It smelled so good. The flavor was awful. Four of us for dinner and not one of us could stomach it. So disappointing. First RTE fail. Won’t be making this dish again but there are so many other great recipes here. Looking forward to your book.
Great recipe. Thanks Navi – I was looking for easy and something that appealed to adults and fussy kids. The rice is brilliant. I did two trays, full quantity in each but multiplied rice and stock by 1.5. And most was eaten! I did find that when I revoked the foil, I needed to add more stock – about 1 cup for one tray and half for the other. Next time I might add a couple of extra thighs too for the hungry eaters – two of the kids wanted more. Played a bit with the spice & herb mix, as I do not have onion or garlic powder, but easy to improvise on this. I will be doing this again, and the small amount of leftover rice will be gone tomorrow!
Yum!!
Fantastic recipe and method.
Chicken seasoning can easily be adapted.. next time ill try a honey soy version for the kids.
–Used more chicken stock instead of adding water for a full on flavour
Hello, Nagi! So I cheat. My chicken is well-seasoned so all my pan drippings are as well. I cook my rice separately. After I remove the chicken to rest, I mix the rice into the drippings and back it goes into the oven for 12-15 minutes. Delicious. Why waste all that good flavor from the drippings and one doesn’t always want gravy! Lol!
Thanks again!
If you’re lucky, you might end up with some okoge (scorched rice). That’s always a treat!
Love your recipes, but this one didn’t pass the muster. Followed the recipe and ensured liquids for the rice were steaming hot, but I too found the rice undercooked and the chicken overdone. Once timer went off, I had to remove the chicken and continue cooking the rice seperately (covered in the microwave). Love so many other of your recipes tho!
Both rice and chicken were undercooked for us even after adding 20 minutes.
This recipe was fabulous! I stumbled upon it and tried it and my husband and I loved it! It was quick and easy and I will be trying more of your recipes – thank yoU!
Hi Nagi…..I love this oven rice dish I’ve made it a dozen times times I’ve even taken it to friends in need of a meal because of sickness, just wondering because I’ve been using the organic chicken cubes it says it makes 3 cups using 1 cube , I used 1 1/2 but I’d still like a stronger flavor. Or do you think I should use the liquid ?
This recipe is amazing. However, you must take into account variables. Your oven, the vessel size, if the chicken is on or off the bone and the type of rice. Once the onion cooked there was no browning, so I knew my oven wasn’t calibrated as hot. I then adjusted my recipe for 10 mins longer. I didn’t separate the leg from the thigh, it took 13 mins longer to cook. Longer cooking time, I should have used long grain rice. My vessel was smaller and a bit taller so the heat was deflected a little. No recipe is exact, even baking. So if I were to use the same chicken leg/thigh, longer cooking 10 – 15 mins, longer cooking means longer grain rice. Shorter cooking, shorter grain rice. All other measurements were great. LOVE this recipe, my husband went back for thirds. Lol.
Rice came out a little plain, wanting flavor. Next time I would use all chicken stock, no water. (And I was using very flavorful homemade chicken stock).
Chicken was excellent, but I also thought the rice was too plain. I will be re-trying with using chicken-flavored “Better than Boullion” and adding in shallots and mushrooms to the rice, maybe swapping out cooked wild rice for part of the rice.
For Step 6, if we decide to spray the chicken after 30 mins of baking, do we cover it back with the foil after or leave uncovered?
Have made this several times and it’s always a big hit. I even use the chicken dry rub for other meals.
Have had an issue once when baking this at a friends’ house and using brown rice. Even after following the brown rice instructions it did take longer than recommended to cook the rice. I would say this is dependent on the oven and baking tray used though as I’ve done this successfully in my kitchen.
Another bomb recipe!
This was a bit of a fail for me. Followed the instructions but the rice was seriously undercooked. Ended up taking out the chicken and cooking the rice after.
I mixed the broth and water together and microwaved until hand-hot (probably around 50C). I’d guess it has to be close to boiling to get the rice started cooking.
In the end it tasted fine, but just a little extra work.
Same exact experience.
LOVE this!!!! Thank you so much Nagi. You bring joy to our family meals and our little whippet sends love to Dozer 🙂 xx
This, like all the other recipes I’ve tried of yours so far, is excellent!!! Such an easy dish but the depth of flavor is incredible!! Not expensive either which is great plus easy to throw together on a busy weeknight or hearty enough for the weekend