Bake Chicken with Rice is a special recipe. It’s a combination of two types of chicken. People learn how to bake chicken with rice by making this easy chicken and rice bake recipe, and they think this comes from long time ago by someone who is an expert in cooking. Paprika chicken and rice bake is a simple and easy recipe. The main ingredients of this recipe are chicken, tomatoes and onions. This recipe tastes best when served hot. Now let’s begin we will go through everything needed for this amazing recipe and tell you what goes with chicken and rice.
Paprika Chicken and Rice Bake
Sometimes the best things come in one pot! This baked chicken and rice dish saves you the cleanup without skimping on flavor. After you quickly pan fry your seasoned chicken, remove it and cook garlic and onions in the leftover juices. Add rice and broth, cook everything, and top with the chicken before baking for another 35 minutes (optional: broil the chicken separately to get a crispier skin.) You’ll be left with a mountain of food so delicious, you’ll meal prep this super easy recipe at least once a week forever.
Ingredients
for 5 servings
- 5 chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ½ cup red onion(75 g), diced
- 1 cup long grain rice(200 g)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth(360 mL)
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
- In a large bowl, evenly season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley.
- On high, heat olive oil in a oven-proof pot and place chicken thighs, skin-side down, in the hot oil. Cook 5-6 minutes or the thighs develop brown crispy skin and flip over.
- Cook an additional 5-6 minutes to brown the other side and remove from the pot.
- Add the garlic and onions to the pot, and cook until the onions are transparent.
- Pour in the rice and chicken broth to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Stir well, bringing to a boil.
- Add the chicken thighs back into the pot, skin-side up, on top of the rice, bring back to a boil and cover with a lid.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.
- NOTE: For a crispy skin, remove chicken thighs and broil.
- Enjoy!
Easy Chicken and Rice Bake
Serves 4
Total 1hr 15min
Prep 15min
Cook 1hr

Introduction
This savory traybake recipe gives me so much joy. All the magic happens in the oven, leaving no mess to clear up on the stove. Because the rice is cooked in the tray, you end up with lovely, toasted bits as well as fluffy grains. And the chicken, rubbed with spices, is cooked right on top. All it needs is the family to eat it, and they are never too far away.
Ingredients
For the rice: | |
oil, for greasing | |
1 | large onion, finely diced |
3 | cloves of garlic, chopped |
50g | clarified butter, melted (or butter) |
270g | basmati rice |
2 | cardamom pods, seeds only |
650ml | hot chicken stock (or boiling water) |
200g | frozen peas |
1 | large handful of fresh coriander, chopped |
For the chicken: | |
8 | chicken drumsticks, with skin on |
2 tbsp | oil |
1 tsp | salt |
1 tsp | garlic powder |
1 tsp | onion powder |
1 tsp | cayenne pepper |
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a large roasting tray and put in the onion and garlic. Drizzle over the melted butter and give the onion a stir. Bake for 10–15 minutes, making sure it doesn’t begin to burn. Keep an eye on it – if the edges are catching too quickly, take the tray out and give it all another stir before putting it back in.
While the onion is cooking, rub the drumsticks with the oil and mix the salt, garlic, onion and cayenne in a bowl. Cover the drumsticks all over with the spicy rub.
Take out the tray of onion and add the rice and cardamom seeds. Stir the rice into the onion mix and put the drumsticks on top. Pour in the stock. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Take out of the oven, lift the chicken drumsticks on to a side plate, then add the peas to the rice and lightly stir them through. Replace the chicken pieces and bake without the foil for another 15 minutes.
Stir in the chopped coriander and serve.
Bake Chicken with Rice
Chicken and Rice – a flavorful recipe including tender, pan seared chicken thighs and seasoned white rice all cooked together in one pot in the oven!

Easy One Pot Chicken and Rice Recipe
This is a quintessential chicken dinner that’s perfect for busy days and lazy days. It’s a classic meal made with basic ingredients that’s always set to satisfy!
One pot dinners are some of my favorites. Not only are they a breeze but I love how the flavors of everything really just melds together so well.
And this chicken and rice recipe is no exception. The chicken thighs, along with the aromatics infuse so much flavor into the rice as it all simmers together in the oven.
Then when it’s topped off with a bright pop of fresh lemon and finished with a fair sprinkling of parsley you know it’s destined to be delicious!
Another comfort food staple for the recipe book!

Chicken and Rice Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on thighs for this recipe.
- Olive oil: Another neutral flavored oil will work fine here.
- Salt and pepper
- Red onion: Yellow onion works great here as well.
- Carrots: Dice these up small.
- Celery: Also dice the celery small.
- Garlic: Stick with fresh for best flavor. As always be careful not to burn it or it can taste bitter.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Another option for even more flavor is to use homemade chicken stock. I always make it out of leftover rotisserie chicken bones and skin, usually in the crockpot.
- Long grain white rice: I usually just use standard long grain white rice but jasmine rice would be another delicious option.
- Lemon juice: If you have fresh go with that for best flavor. Lime can be substituted in a pinch.
- Italian seasoning: Such a great all-purpose herb seasoning blend. If needed just use 3/4 tsp dried oregano 3/4 tsp basil and 1/2 tsp thyme.
- Paprika: I just use sweet paprika but if you’d like a smokey flavor to the dish then smoked paprika may be used.
- Parsley: Preferably go with fresh but if needed 1 Tbsp dried can be used.
Scroll below for ingredient amounts and directions.

How to Make Baked Chicken and Rice
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat olive oil a large oven safe pot over medium-high heat (I use a 6 quart enameled pot).
- Dab thighs dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place thighs in pot skin side down, leaving space around each thigh. Let cook until slightly browned, about 3 – 4 minutes. Turn and continue and cook 2 – 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate.
- Drain off most of the fat then return pot to medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery, saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil.
- Meanwhile in a small bowl stir together Italian seasoning and paprika. Season both sides of chicken with seasoning.
- Add rice into pot once broth reaches a boil, give it a quick stir. Remove from heat, place thighs on top of rice mixture. Cover pot with snug fitting oven safe lid.
- Bake chicken and rice in pot until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
- Remove thighs from rice, add parsley to rice and fluff with a fork. Serve warm.

Can I Use Chicken Breasts?
With some modification this could work with bone-in, skin on chicken breasts as well you just won’t be able to fit as many. Maybe 4 at the most if they are on the smaller side. Then you may want to remove early if needed, as always just check temp to 165 degrees in center.
Is it Healthy?
If you trim thighs of excess fat and pull off the chicken skin before eating then you’ve got yourself a pretty healthy chicken and rice dinner.
What Goes with Chicken and Rice?
A side dish like a salad, or steamed vegetables are a great option here.
Tips for the Best Baked Chicken and Rice
- Don’t skip browning the chicken before baking. This adds lot of flavor.
- Add fresh lemon and garlic. This really brightens up an otherwise bland chicken and rice dinner.
- Season chicken with herbs and spices to add extra flavor.
- Wait to add the spices until after you’ve seared the chicken, otherwise it will just blacken.
Possible Variations
- Switch up the seasoning: Try other seasoning blends or herbs.
- Add a Tex-Mex flavor: Season rice with lime juice, finish with cilantro, and go with a taco-style seasoning on the chicken.
- Add other vegetables: Try sneaking in other vegetables like bell peppers or mushrooms.
Health Benefits of Chicken
Being known all around the world for its protein content, chicken has a wide range of health benefits. Let’s discuss them below.
1.Fairly High Protein Content
As per the USDA FoodData Central, chicken breast, with 14.73 grams of protein per 100 grams, is one of the best foods for protein. Protein plays an important role in our diet. It is made of amino acids, which are the building blocks of our muscles. Generally, the recommended amount of daily protein requirement is 1 gram per 1 kg of body weight or 0.4 g of protein per pound of body weight. For athletes, the daily requirement of protein is about 0.6 g to 0.9 g per pound.
2.Rich in Vitamins & Minerals
It is not only a good source of protein but is also possibly very rich in vitamins and minerals. For example, B vitamins help the body with energy production and also help form healthy red blood cells.
Vitamin D in chicken helps in calcium absorption and bone strengthening. Vitamin A helps in building eyesight and is considered to play an important role in the immune system. Minerals such as iron can be helpful in hemoglobin formation, muscle activity, and preventing anemia. Potassium and sodium are electrolytes, which can aid in fluid balance while phosphorus helps tackle weakness, bone health, brain function, dental care, and metabolic issues.
3.May Control Blood Pressure
Blood pressure can be an invisible condition but have a serious impact on your overall health. It is best managed with a healthy diet and lifestyle habits. A 2008 animal study concluded that collagen extracts from chicken led to a significant decrease in blood pressure. A report by the Harvard Medical School suggests that including chicken in your diet, two servings per week can be a healthy choice in combination with other recommendations.
4.May Reduce Cholesterol
The amount of saturated fat and cholesterol found in red meat such as beef, pork, and lamb are much higher than the levels found in chicken, fish, and vegetables. Therefore, the American Heart Association has advised consuming chicken or fish instead of red meat for a lowered risk of cholesterol and subsequent heart disease development. The AHA also states that consuming chicken or fish must be limited to normal levels, as excessive consumption can also lead to the development of heart disease.
5.May Provide Common Cold Relief
While a bowl of chicken soup is not an assured treatment for the common cold, cough, or a sore throat, it has a centuries-old reputation for providing relief when one is down with such common ailments. It offers warmth through the cold and has been a go-to when you experience a loss of appetite.
Quick Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Salad: Add roasted chicken breast, cherries or cranberries, halved seedless grapes, diced apple, chopped green onions, and boiled mushrooms to a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper as per taste. Enjoy this healthy and easy to prepare the salad.
- Chicken Sandwich: Toast 2 slices of bread and spread butter on them. Put slices of cucumber, beetroot, onion, capsicum, and cooked chicken on one slice. You can use a mix of chicken thighs and breasts. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cover it with the second slice. Serve with ketchup or mayonnaise.
- Oven-fried Chicken: Take medium-sized cut chicken breast pieces or chicken legs (drumsticks), season them with paprika, and salt to your preferred taste. Dip the pieces in egg whites and later dip them into a mix of crushed cornflakes. Grease a baking tray and place the pieces on it. Bake for 30 minutes and serve.