• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Laughing Spatula logo

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • YouTube
  • All Recipes
  • Most Popular
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Healthy Recipes
  • About
Laughing Spatula / Recipe Index / Chicken / Easy Baked Chicken and Rice

Easy Baked Chicken and Rice

By Kathi & Rachel

1723 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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.

Rice and veggies in a baking dish

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 :).

chicken thighs tossed in spices

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.

adding hot liquid to the veggies

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.

Adding a touch of panko to the chicken makes it crispy!

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!

Chicken and rice cooked and ready to serve

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

 What do you think about this recipe?Have questions?Comment below!Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and  tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics! 

Easy Chicken and Rice

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!  
4.22 from 19 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 6
Author: Kathi & Rachel

Ingredients

  • 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

for chicken:

  • 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

Instructions

  • 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!

Notes

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.  

Nutrition

Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 149mg | Sodium: 477mg | Potassium: 516mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2065IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1.8mg
1723 shares
  • Share
  • Email

Filed Under: Chicken, Easy Chicken Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Main Course Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, One Pot

Never miss a Laughing Spatula recipe!

Sign up for free recipes delivered straight your in box ! Sign up Here

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Earlyne says

    June 24, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    4 stars
    I made this tonight for supper using chicken drumsticks. I cooked it for at least 1 1/2 hrs. I also used wild and long rice. Very delicious recipe. My husband and I both loved it. Planning on having the left overs tomorrow night.

    Reply
    • Kathi & Rachel says

      June 25, 2021 at 6:20 am

      Wild rice is going to take quite a bit longer to cook and absorb the liquid.

      Reply
  2. Aimee says

    January 8, 2020 at 9:52 am

    Can I use jasmine rice instead? If so how much liquid do I use?

    Reply
    • Kathi & Rachel says

      January 8, 2020 at 10:41 am

      Hi Aimee – Jasmine would be delicious and no need to change liquid in recipe.

      Reply
  3. Amy says

    January 12, 2019 at 3:43 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
  4. Kayla says

    November 5, 2018 at 11:41 am

    Can this be made with brown rice? What would be the time/ amount of chicken stock?

    Reply
    • LaughingSpatula.com says

      November 5, 2018 at 12:01 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Kayla Strebel says

        November 5, 2018 at 12:48 pm

        Thank you!

  5. Tinetta says

    August 19, 2018 at 10:48 pm

    Can this be modified with chicken breasts?? My family doesn’t care for the thighs.

    Reply
    • Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says

      August 20, 2018 at 8:38 am

      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!

      Reply
  6. Shails says

    August 19, 2018 at 10:07 pm

    Hello, just wondering what type of time one would use if using mixed rice like wild rice?

    Reply
    • Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says

      August 20, 2018 at 8:42 am

      I would add another 10-15 minutes during the covered cooking time.

      Reply
4.22 from 19 votes (17 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Kathi and Rachel Kirk in a kitchen in floral dresses
Hi! We are Kathi and Rachel, a mother daughter blogging team creating easy to prepare foods made with fresh ingredients that your whole family will love!

FREE RECIPE EBOOK!
Join our free list below and receive our Ebook: TOP 10 EASY DINNER RECIPES! The best of the best all in one little book!

YOUR FAVORITE RECIPES!

Savory Zucchini Cheddar Quick Bread

how to make hot honey chicken

Hot Honey Chicken

chicken and rice skillet

Creamy One Pot Chicken Rice and Mushrooms

Taco Braid

Taco Braid

Baked Spaghetti Casserole being served

Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Boursin Chicken in a skillet ready to serve

Boursin Chicken

Footer

As Seen On

Laughing Spatula Featured on Buzzfeed
Laughing Spatula Featured on Fitness Magazine
Laughing Spatula Featured on The Huffington Post
Laughing Spatula Featured on MSN
Laughing Spatula Featured on NBC News
Laughing Spatula Featured on PBS
Laughing Spatula Featured on RedbookMag.com
Laughing Spatula Featured on Country Living

WE LOVE HELPING YOU MAKE FRESH, DELICIOUS AND SIMPLE RECIPES FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

  • Main Course Recipes
  • Sheet Pan Recipes
  • Fast and Fresh Recipes
  • Most Popular Recipes
  • Salad & Dressing Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Soup Recipes
  • Side Dish Recipes
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 Laughing Spatula | Contact & Privacy Policy

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.