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One-Pan Chicken and Rice Bake

One-pan chicken and rice bake with golden, skin-side-up chicken embedded in fluffy, herb-flecked rice. Bake in a 9x13 dish until the rice absorbs all the savory pan drippings for a simple, set-and-forget oven dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and rice base
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 1 tsp paprika to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice uncooked
  • 3 cup chicken broth
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.25 fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and assemble in the baking dish
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Add the long-grain white rice, chicken broth, diced onion, minced garlic, dried thyme, dried Italian seasoning, and salt to a 9x13 baking dish, then stir to combine so the rice is evenly distributed.
  3. Season the chicken thighs generously on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, plus extra Italian seasoning to taste.
  4. Nestle the chicken skin-side up on top of the rice mixture and drizzle the olive oil over the chicken for a crisp finish.
Bake covered, then finish uncovered
  1. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, until the rice is actively simmering in the broth and the chicken is starting to brown.
  2. Remove the foil and continue baking at 375°F for 15 minutes, until the chicken skin is golden and the rice has absorbed all the liquid with a fluffy, tender look.
Serve
  1. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve straight from the baking dish so the herb flecks and pan drippings stay hot and glossy.

Notes

Pro tip: make sure the foil seals tightly so the rice cooks through in the first stage; for clean, fluffy rice, let the bake rest 5 minutes after removing it from the oven. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in an airtight container; freeze yes for up to 2 months, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat until hot. For a lighter option, use skinless chicken thighs and consider reducing olive oil to 1 tbsp while still drizzling over the top.