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:
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it’s a one pan dinner – the raw rice and chicken are cooked together at the same time;
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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;
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quick to prepare – active prep time is under 10 minutes; and
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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:
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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.
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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;
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Chicken seasoning – feel free to use any seasoning you’ve got on hand, pre mixed, or switch up the spices I’ve used;
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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…..
Absolutely love the flavours in this recipe and so easy to do, all in one baking pot in thr oven. I used boneless thighs so cooked rice for a bit before adding the thighs and come out really tasty and rice was cooked.
This came out perfect! I added mushrooms and bell peppers to the onions and garlic and I used Cajun seasoning on the chicken. I used drumsticks and followed your instructions and it came out exactly the way I wanted. My husband was really impressed.
Nagi,
A Facebook page called Homemade Recipes has posted this recipe on their page without acknowledging you. The have just copied the photo, ingredients list and instructions from your website and posted it to their Facebook page. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have used more of your recipes too.
I usually try out your recipes as they have never failed me before but I must admit when I looked at the ingredient list I was like ‘where’s the flavour?’ I mostly used this recipe as a guide to measurements in terms of ratio of rice/water and time. I added my own twist with frying up some celery and carrots with onions in a pan of oil and butter then added the rice before transferring to an oven dish and adding the liquids. After 30 mins I added the boneless thighs and noticed the rice was undercooked and the liquid had gone (despite being covered) so I added a cup of water . Another 30 mins covered WITH the chicken resulted in cooked but mushy rice and tender chicken but altogether still without much flavour. I should have added more salt or maybe an extra chicken cube with that extra cup of water. Yes this recipe has too many variables for it to be perfect for everyone (rice type, chicken bone on/off, size of dish) however one thing is for sure is that it lacked the ooomph for flavour. But thank you nevertheless for blessing us with all the many other flavourful recipes and congrats on your book! x
Yum yum yum! Kids love this one. We add bacon and mushrooms to the pan at the beginning. We use boneless chicken thighs as it’s easier for the kids. Finish off with lashing of gravy – perfect winter warmer!
I really liked this recipe, one pot, no mess, nothing that wasn’t already in my pantry. So quick and delicious. I followed instructions to the letter and it came out great.
I’ll be using this often especially on nights when I really don’t have time or energy. May try to spice up the chicken a bit more next time but everything else is on point! Thanks for this!
Usually make Nadiya Hussain’s version of this but since I cook a Nagi recipe most nights (and just bought the book) thought I’d compare this one. Correct size dish, homemade stock, used boneless skinless thighs so followed the instructions…when I went to add the chicken the rice was undercooked but there was no liquid left. Had to keep adding time and liquid to cook the chicken through. Texture of chicken was lovely but hardly any flavour considering all the spices and the rice was tasteless. V unusual outcome for a RTE recipe 🙁
First time I made this and Yumm, I wanted more!
Easy. Delicious. And leftovers for my man and myself. Can’t wait to see what I do with the leftovers. Cannot be anything but great with this as a base.
What more can anyone ask for?
Thank you to Nagi and her team and a doggy treat for Dozer.
Very easy Sunday lunch full of flavour. A great success as always with your recipes. I’m a big fan and I do most of my shopping based on your recipes. Our family favourite is the pork belly. I tried the marinated baby octopus and roast chicken last week and they were absolutely delicious.
Do you wash the raw rice out first and drain well? I’m Chinese, I can’t bring myself to use unwashed rice grains!
I’m the same. I’ve got to wash the rice. I tried it tonight and the dish was still really watery after the recommended time. I had to let it cook another 15 minutes. The rice was really soggy (like risotto), and the chicken was overcooked. Next time I’ll either not wash it, or wash it and reduce the water. Nagi, what do you think?
I made this it was great I added chopped fresh broccoli and belpepper to pan while browning in oven to give it more color. And made sure to add a bit more broth to keep from being dry. It was great easy recipe. Will make it again.
I like recipes only for 2 people for 5 it is no good . I wanted chicken with rice
Absolutely delicious!!! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and jasmine rice. I baked the rice mixture for 30 min covered, then added the seasoned thighs and a small can of mushrooms. Don’t stir the rice when adding the chicken. I added about 1/4 cup more water on top of the rice sections and put it back in the oven uncovered until the thighs had an internal temp of at least 185 degrees, probably about 30-35 more minutes. The rice was perfectly cooked and full of flavor! Definitely making again soon! So easy!
Delicious! The rice was perfect. Fluffy, tender and flavorful. It will be in our regular rotation.
Thank you for such a great recipe Nagi! I love all of the extra notes and find them so useful – I made w/ skinless/boneless thighs and mix of rices – the garlic and onion step at the start really ramps it up and makes this recipe sing! Making again today 🙂
This recipe is WONDERFUL. I just made it for dinner tonight. Even my picky toddlers loved it. The rice is incredibly flavorful, chicken came out great as well.
This will be put into my regular rotation. What a perfect weeknight meal!
Thank you!
This was excellent! Plus it was easy. I was a little skeptical because several people said their rice wasn’t getting done. Mine was perfect, in fact my husband who really doesn’t care for rice raved about it.
Will make this again.
It seems silly to skin the chicken because it is too greasy and then add butter to the recipe. If you left the skin on 2 thighs it would be the same amount of fat as the 2 tablespoons of butter. But if you left the skin on the chicken and then discarded it after cooking (shredded the meat) it would be much less still Chicken fat is what makes chicken and rice so good. Of course there is room for variations in any recipe. The traditional chicken and rice recipe depends on chicken fat for flavor. I am sure your recipe is delicious and that is just my 2cts worth and even with inflation it is probably worth even less than that. :))
perfect
Great recipe!