Description
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 together. The rice comes out savory and slightly creamy, the chicken skin gets golden and crisp, and the whole thing happens in one dish. This is budget cooking at its most satisfying.
Ingredients
Units
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spread the uncooked rice in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Scatter the diced onion and garlic over the rice. Pour in the chicken broth and water. Stir to distribute evenly.
- Season the chicken thighs with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Nestle them skin-side up on top of the rice. Dot the butter around the dish.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken skin is golden and crispy and the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
- Let rest 5 minutes, garnish with parsley, and serve straight from the dish.
Notes
- The foil is essential for the first 45 minutes — it traps steam that cooks the rice through. Skip it and you get crunchy, undercooked grains.
- Bone-in thighs baste the rice as they cook, adding a richness that boneless cuts simply cannot provide.
- Leftover rice reheats beautifully the next day with a fried egg on top — arguably better than the first round.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 720
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 34
- Cholesterol: 110