Baked Chicken and Rice
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Chicken and Rice – a flavorful recipe including tender, pan seared chicken thighs and seasoned white rice all cooked together in one pot in the oven!
Easy One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
This is a quintessential chicken dinner that’s perfect for busy days and lazy days. It’s a classic meal made with basic ingredients that’s always set to satisfy!
One pot dinners are some of my favorites. Not only are they a breeze but I love how the flavors of everything really just melds together so well.
And this chicken and rice recipe is no exception. The chicken thighs, along with the aromatics infuse so much flavor into the rice as it all simmers together in the oven.
Then when it’s topped off with a bright pop of fresh lemon and finished with a fair sprinkling of parsley you know it’s destined to be delicious!
Another comfort food staple for the recipe book!
Chicken and Rice Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on thighs for this recipe.
- Olive oil: Another neutral flavored oil will work fine here.
- Salt and pepper
- Red onion: Yellow onion works great here as well.
- Carrots: Dice these up small.
- Celery: Also dice the celery small.
- Garlic: Stick with fresh for best flavor. As always be careful not to burn it or it can taste bitter.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Another option for even more flavor is to use homemade chicken stock. I always make it out of leftover rotisserie chicken bones and skin, usually in the crockpot.
- Long grain white rice: I usually just use standard long grain white rice but jasmine rice would be another delicious option.
- Lemon juice: If you have fresh go with that for best flavor. Lime can be substituted in a pinch.
- Italian seasoning: Such a great all-purpose herb seasoning blend. If needed just use 3/4 tsp dried oregano 3/4 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp thyme.
- Paprika: I just use sweet paprika but if you’d like a smokey flavor to the dish then smoked paprika may be used.
- Parsley: Preferably go with fresh but if needed 1 Tbsp dried can be used.
Scroll below for ingredient amounts and directions.
How to Make Baked Chicken and Rice
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat olive oil a large oven safe pot over medium-high heat (I use a 6 quart enameled pot).
- Dab thighs dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place thighs in pot skin side down, leaving space around each thigh. Let cook until slightly browned, about 3 – 4 minutes. Turn and continue and cook 2 – 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
- Drain off most of the fat then return pot to medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery, saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl stir together Italian seasoning and paprika. Season both sides of chicken with seasoning.
- Add rice into pot once broth reaches a boil, give it a quick stir. Remove from heat, place thighs on top of rice mixture. Cover pot with snug fitting oven safe lid.
- Bake chicken and rice in pot until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
- Remove thighs from rice, add parsley to rice and fluff with a fork. Serve warm.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts?
With some modification this could work with bone-in, skin on chicken breasts as well you just won’t be able to fit as many. Maybe 4 at the most if they are on the smaller side. Then you may want to remove early if needed, as always just check temp to 165 degrees in center.
Is it Healthy?
If you trim thighs of excess fat and pull off the chicken skin before eating then you’ve got yourself a pretty healthy chicken and rice dinner.
What Goes with Chicken and Rice?
A side dish like a salad, or steamed vegetables are a great option here.
Tips for the Best Baked Chicken and Rice
- Don’t skip browning the chicken before baking. This adds lot of flavor.
- Add fresh lemon and garlic. This really brightens up an otherwise bland chicken and rice dinner.
- Season chicken with herbs and spices to add extra flavor.
- Wait to add the spices until after you’ve seared the chicken, otherwise it will just blacken.
Possible Variations
- Switch up the seasoning: Try other seasoning blends or herbs.
- Add a Tex-Mex flavor: Season rice with lime juice, finish with cilantro, and go with a taco-style seasoning on the chicken.
- Add other vegetables: Try sneaking in other vegetables like bell peppers or mushrooms.
More Chicken and Rice Dishes You’ll Love
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Chicken Fajita Rice Bowls
- Cilantro Lime Chicken and Rice
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- One Pan Creamy Chicken and Rice
Follow Cooking Classy
Baked Chicken and Rice (One Pot Recipe)
Ingredients
- 5 (6 oz.) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chopped chopped red onion or yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)
- 3/4 cup chopped celery (2 small ribs)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh garlic (4 cloves)
- 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/3 cups long grain white rice
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 Tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat olive oil a large oven safe pot over medium-high heat (I use a 6-quart enameled pot).
- Dab thighs dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place in pot skin side down, leaving space around each thigh. Let cook until golden brown on bottom, about 3 - 4 minutes. Turn and continue and cook 2 - 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
- Drain of all but 1 Tbsp rendered fat in pot* then return pot to medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery, saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl stir together Italian seasoning and paprika. Season both sides of chicken with seasoning.
- Add rice into pot once broth reaches a boil, give it a quick stir. Remove from heat, place thighs on top of rice mixture. Cover pot with snug fitting oven safe lid.
- Bake in oven until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
- Remove thighs from rice, add parsley to rice and fluff with a fork. Serve warm.
Notes
- *The easiest way to drain off the fat is to just dab some up with a ball of paper towels held by tongs.