Baked Chicken and Rice is the perfect one-skillet dish to make during a busy weeknight. Juicy, tender chicken thighs are pan-seared and finished in the oven with perfectly seasoned rice for one flavorful family-friendly meal!
Baked Chicken and Rice is the quintessential one-skillet chicken dish to make during a busy weeknight. This chicken bake is a classic dish that’s made with basic pantry staples and is so satisfying – this dish really is a winner-winner chicken dinner!
One-skillet dinners are big in my house. I love that they are so easy to whip up and full of flavor. And this chicken dish is no exception! Juicy, tender chicken thighs are pan-seared for that irresistible crispy skin, then simmered in perfectly seasoned rice, and finished off in the oven; allowing all the flavors to marry together and become oh-so-good!
Plus, this dish makes a ton of leftovers, which is perfect for next-day lunch or dinner! But really, this dish is pure comfort food and needs to be in your arsenal of regularly made comfort food recipes.
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
Chicken Thighs
Bone-in chicken thighs are full-of-flavor and so juicy when seared and then finished in the oven. However, feel free to use boneless, keeping in mind that they will require less cooking time than the bone-in.
Short Grain Rice
I recommend using your favorite short-grain rice in this dish since the grains tend to clump together when cooked, making them perfect for a hearty and filling meal. Feel free to use either short-grain brown rice or sushi rice in this recipe.
Chicken Broth
Chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth is used to help create a sauce for the chicken and rice. While using chicken stock will produce a richer flavor sauce, low-sodium chicken broth is a great alternative to use if you don’t have stock on hand or don’t want to make your own.
Asparagus
Purchase asparagus that has firm stalks, tips that are tightly closed and fresh-looking, and sitting in little troughs of water to help keep them hydrated. Do not purchase asparagus that looks dry, frizzled, wrinkled, or limp as these are past their prime.
Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan, also known as Parmigiano Reggiano, is a hard Italian cheese that has a distinct savory nutty profile. If you are not a fan of this sharp flavor, feel free to substitute in Pecorino Romano if you prefer.
Heavy Cream
You can use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or even half-and-half to make the sauce extra creamy.
Lemon Juice
Using freshly squeezed lemon juice provides a brightness to the dish; however, if all you have on hand is store-bought pre-squeezed, feel free to use.
Additional Ingredients
- Butter
- Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Dried Oregano
How to make baked chicken and rice
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil.
- Add chicken thighs to the skillet and sauté until the chicken starts to brown, about 8 minutes.
- Sprinkle chicken thighs with 1/2 of the salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Add half the lemon juice.
- Flip the chicken, and season with the remaining salt, pepper, dried oregano, and the rest of lemon juice. Sauté until slightly brown, about another 8 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add rice to the skillet and stir in chicken broth, cream, garlic, and parmesan.
- Add chicken back to the skillet with the asparagus.
- Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes.
Storage and Reheating
- Storage – Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating – Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through.
FAQs
While I recommend using chicken thighs as they stay moist during the searing and baking process, if you prefer to use chicken breast, you certainly can. However, I would say to use thicker chicken breasts for best results as thinner cuts may dry out quickly. Also, you will want to check your dish more frequently once in the oven as breast cook more quickly.
You can certainly turn this into a casserole by adding in condensed soup, either 2 cans of cream of mushroom or cream of chicken. The addition of additional liquids would require a slightly longer cook time in the oven, but only by 5 to 10 minutes.
I love to serve with a fresh side salad, steamed vegetables, and a piece of crusty bread for a complete meal.
Additional one-pot recipes to try:
Apple & Provolone Stuffed Pork Chops wrapped in Bacon
Garlic Butter Steak Bites and Potatoes
Balsamic Cherry Braised Chicken
Easy Chicken Rigatoni One Pot Meal
Have you tried this recipe?
If you have tried this recipe, please take a moment to rate it 5 stars below. Also, please leave a comment to let me know your thoughts on this recipe. You can also stay in touch with me on Instagram (that’s where I hang out the most). Tag me @RosalynnDaniels or #RosalynnDaniels if you post a photo of your dish, and I will share with my audience through Instastories.
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Baked Chicken and Rice
Description
Baked Chicken and Rice is the perfect one-skillet dish to make during a busy weeknight. Juicy, tender chicken thighs are pan-seared and finished in the oven with perfectly seasoned rice for one flavorful family-friendly meal!
Ingredients
2tbs Butter
2tbs Olive Oil
4-6 Chicken Thigh
1.5 Cup of Rice
3 Cups Chicken Broth
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Heavy Cream
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Cup of Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 Cups of Asparagus (cut into desired sizes)
2tsp Kosher Salt
1tsp Pepper
1tsp Dried Oregano
Instructions
Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet.
Add chicken thighs to the skillet and sauté for about 8 minutes or until chicken starts to slightly brown.
Sprinkle 1/2 of seasoning mixture onto the chicken thighs.
Add lemon juice.
Flip chicken, sprinkle remaining seasoning and add other 1/2 of lemon juice to the chicken and sauté for another 8 minutes or until chicken starts to brown.
Remove chicken from the skillet and set to the side.
Add rice to the skillet.
Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano.
Add chicken back to skillet.
Add asparagus to the skillet, wherever there is empty space.
Cover and simmer over medium low temperature for 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat, microwave in 30-seconds intervals until warmed through.
This looks delicious! Do you just cook on stovetop, or do you also bake in the oven? Thank you – I’m looking forward to making this
Hi Cathy,
Thank you is much! This recipe is for the stovetop, you don’t have to bake it at all. If you have anymore questions, just let me know.And please let me know how it turns out.