Easy Baked Chicken and Rice! A family staple. Everything goes in the pan, even the uncooked rice! We flavor ours up with lemon and a few veggies and a little sprinkle of crunchy stuff on the chicken. We love crunchy stuff!
I think every family has a version of this recipe in their recipe box. A lot of them have a can of cream of ka-ka in them…but not this one! This one is fresh, fresh, fresh!
How to make Baked Chicken and Rice Casserole:
We added onion, carrot and celery to to the uncooked rice for some much appreciated extra flavor and texture. A bit of lemon zest and some garlic as well.
We tossed the SKINLESS BONE IN chicken thighs in a bit of paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Keeing it simple for a fresh flavor.
Removing the skin ill keep your rice from getting that greasy texture we are not fond of…not to mention it cuts down on the fat and calories. Bone in will assure the chicken is done at the same time as the rice!
(We receive a lot of requests for pictures of raw chicken! ‘Kathi, Rachel, when will you be posting more raw meat photos!’ So this one is for you :).
The trick to keeping the rice from getting mushy is adding HOT LIQUID. Heat your broth/water in the microwave for 2 minutes before adding it to the pot.
It gives the rice a head start and makes a huge difference.
Now nestle the chicken on top of the rice, veggie and hot broth/water.
OUR SECRET TO MAKING CRISPY CHICKEN: Because you cover this dish with foil, it’s hard to get that crispy exterior we love on chicken. We mix panko crumbs with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle on top of the chicken. BRILLIANT! During the last few minutes of cooking, you can turn the broiler on and brown them up even more if you like.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the chicken is a perfect 165 degrees internally and the rice is cooked. It’s okay if there is a bit of liquid left in the pan. It will be absorbed into the rice in no time as it cools!
Fluff up the rice and serve!
I usually serve this with a side steamed broccoli. Simple sides work great with this casserole.
We are big fans of easy one pan meals and have over 50 of them! You can see all of them HERE!
Two of the most popular recipes are Southwest Chicken and Rice and 20 Minute Shrimp and Orzo.
To easy dinners that are fresh, fast and fabulous!
Clink!
Kathi
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This Easy and Healthy Chicken and Rice Casserole will become a family staple! Everything into one pan, even the uncooked rice! We flavored it up with some lemon and crunched up the chicken with a sprinkle of panko!
- 6-8 bone in chicken thighs with skin removed drumsticks work as well or a combo of both
- 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
- 2 cups chicken stock we use low sodium
- 3/4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup panko crumbs optional
- 2 teaspoons olive oil optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick spray.
To the baking pan, add: uncooked rice, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, lemon zest and juice of lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and melted butter.
Toss skinned, bone in chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Combine chicken stock and water in large microwave safe container and heat on high for two minutes. (I find a 4-6 cup glass measuring cup works great for this).
Pour hot liquid over rice and vegetable mixture and stir.
Nestle seasoned chicken onto rice and broth mixture.
OPTIONAL: Combine 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/3 cup panko crumbs and sprinkle on top of chicken.
Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes or until chicken is 165 degrees and rice is tender. (It is okay if a bit of liquid remain on top of the rice, it will absorb quickly when you take it out of the oven.)
Fluff rice and serve!
1.) To use boneless chicken: Cover and bake rice mixture without the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove foil, add chicken. Leave foil off and bake an additional 20-25 minutes.
2.) If using brown rice: Increase chicken stock to 3 cups and cooking time to 60 minutes.
I doubled the celery (we like it) and used 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs without the panko topping. The rice got a bit overdone so next time I’ll put the boneless thighs in after about 20-25 min. Served it with roasted broccoli. Great for planned leftovers! Thanks for a tasty recipe!
Can this be made with brown rice? What would be the time/ amount of chicken stock?
Hi Kayla – great question! I have updated the recipe notes to reflect: If using brown rice: Increase chicken stock to 3 cups and cooking time to 60 minutes. Thank you!
Thank you!
Can this be modified with chicken breasts?? My family doesn’t care for the thighs.
You bet! Put the rice mixture in the oven without the chicken. Cover the pan with foil, bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, add chicken, leaving foil cover off and bake additional 20 minutes. I’ll update the recipe card…thanks for the note!
Hello, just wondering what type of time one would use if using mixed rice like wild rice?
I would add another 10-15 minutes during the covered cooking time.