Oven Baked Chicken and Rice

This Baked Chicken and Rice recipe is made entirely in the oven! Buttery garlicky rice topped with baked chicken thighs with a terrific seasoning crust.

The little thing that makes all the difference is to “oven sauté” onion and garlic before adding the chicken and rice. The rice is outrageously delicious!

Oven Baked Chicken and Rice

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 Hour 20 minutes

Servings: 5

Ingredients

5 chicken thigh fillets , bone in, skin OFF (Note 1)
1 onion , chopped (brown, white or yellow)
2 cloves garlic (large) , minced
2 tbsp/ 30 g butter (or olive oil)
1 1/2 cups / 270 g long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 3)
1 1/2 cups / 375 ml chicken broth/stock
1 1/4 cups / 312 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:

Fresh thyme leaves or finely chopped parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
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), 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 if desired, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

If scaling recipe up, use multiple pans. If scaling recipe down, use a smaller pan. Scale recipe using slider - click on Servings.
Drumsticks will also work great with this, no need to remove the skin and no change to cook time or temp.
The skin must be removed from the thighs otherwise the rice will be too greasy.
If you make this with 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.
This Rub can be substituted with any seasonings you want! Lemon Pepper Seasoning, Italian Herb Mix - just use what you have.
This recipe is best made with long grain rice because it's less sticky than short and medium grain. Basmati and jasmine will also work - around the same cook time. For brown rice, leave it covered for 45 minutes then bake uncovered 15 - 20 minutes until rice is tender.
This recipe is not suitable for Minute Rice, Risotto or Paella Rice.
This recipe makes 5 very generous servings! The nutrition assumes all the rice is consumed which it may not be.