Chicken Thigh and Rice Bake

Name: Chicken Thigh and Rice Bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice; 2 cups chicken broth; 1 cup water; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

This is a dump-it-and-bake-it dinner that costs almost nothing and feeds a family of six with zero effort. Bone-in chicken thighs roast on top of seasoned rice, their rendered fat soaking into the grains as everything cooks.

byKalle Bergman

Jump to Recipe

There is a category of recipes that barely qualifies as cooking, where you put everything in a dish, slide it into the oven, and walk away. This chicken thigh and rice bake is the best version of that idea. Bone-in, skin-on thighs sit on top of seasoned rice. As they roast, all that rendered chicken fat drips down into the grains below, flavoring them from the inside out. The rice comes out savory, slightly creamy, and rich in a way that rice cooked in plain water will never be. No filler. Meanwhile, the chicken skin gets golden and crispy on top.

One dish, one hour, dinner done. The foil-then-uncovered technique is what makes this work. Forty-five minutes covered traps steam and cooks the rice through evenly. Then the foil comes off for the last fifteen to twenty minutes, allowing the chicken skin to crisp up and the top layer of rice to develop a slightly toasted edge. Smoked paprika and dried thyme in the seasoning give the thighs a warm, savory crust. This feeds six people comfortably and costs next to nothing, which makes it a strong candidate for meal prep or a lazy Sunday dinner. Leftover rice reheated with a fried egg on top the next morning is, honestly, one of the best breakfasts going. A simple green salad or steamed green beans on the side. That’s dinner.

Assemble the Rice and Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the uncooked long-grain white rice in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Scatter the diced onion and minced garlic over the rice. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Stir to distribute the rice and aromatics evenly. Season the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Nestle the seasoned thighs skin-side up on top of the rice. Dot small pieces of butter around the dish.

Bake Covered, Then Uncovered

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. The foil traps steam that cooks the rice and keeps the chicken moist. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken skin is golden and crispy and the rice has absorbed all the liquid. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 175 degrees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?

Brown rice takes longer to cook, so you will need to increase the liquid and the baking time. Use 2.5 cups of broth and 1 cup of water, and bake covered for 60 minutes before removing the foil. Check the rice for doneness before uncovering.

What if my rice is still crunchy after baking?

The rice may not have had enough liquid or the foil may not have been sealed tightly enough. Add 1/4 cup of hot water or broth, cover tightly with foil again, and bake for another 10 minutes. Check again before serving.

Can I make this with chicken drumsticks instead of thighs?

Yes. Drumsticks work just as well and are often cheaper. They take the same amount of time to cook and will baste the rice in the same way. Use 6 drumsticks instead of 6 thighs.

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About the Author

Kalle Bergman

Kalle Bergman is a food writer and media entrepreneur and the founder of Honest Cooking & Travel Magazine. His writing has been regularly featured in publications like Gourmet, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post and Serious Eats. He is obsessed with simple food, more often than not from his native Scandinavia or Spain.