Oven Baked Chicken and Rice

 

One day I'm gonna have to remember to take pictures of these recipes and add them to these posts.  In the meantime, trust me when I say that this one sounded good as I watched Jessica O'Donohue make it on her vlog and in person the aroma nearly drove us to snacking it smelled so good baking.   

This recipe is simple, requires basic ingredients and is so darned delicious that I'd like to make it again right away!  It's also a budget friendly recipe.  I used chicken breasts I'd cut myself from 88c a pound broiler fryers a few weeks back.  You could also use legs or thighs bought on sale in 10 pound lots.

The amounts I'm sharing are mine based on what I was using but you can find a list from the original recipe here.  The seasonings can be adjusted to suit your own taste.  I am not a big fan of thyme and tend to not keep it on hand, except for the lemon thyme I grow.  I didn't want the lemon flavoring profile here in this recipe but it might go very well indeed with it.  Rosemary would be a good choice, too.

What I didn't pay attention to was the long cooking time, all oven based.  Since I used brown rice, I had to extend my baking time still further.  I'll try to keep this recipe  for colder weather when the heat of the stove is always a welcome added bonus.  As it was, even on the very mild day we had, the heat generated prompted the AC to come on more often than it might have if I'd opted for a different meal entirely.

Jessica baked hers in a 9 x 13 dish that she covered with foil.  I made ours in a deep Pyrex covered casserole dish.  I don't think the dish added to my cooking time, but the use of brown rice surely did, as it must cook much longer than white rice.

No regrets...This was delicious!

Oven Baked Chicken with Rice 

Oven 350F.    Recipe will serve FOUR and can be extended to serve more.

1 medium onion, finely diced

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 cups bone broth or chicken broth

1 cup of brown rice

2 cups broth or 1 cup broth 1 cup water (this amount of liquid is per my package of rice.  You follow liquid recommendations on your package)

4 bone in thighs (or breasts or use 8 legs)

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp.  paprika

1/2 tsp.  garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

Chop one medium onion fine.   Add to baking dish along with 2-3 cloves minced garlic.  In same baking dish, add 1 stick of butter and melt in oven.  Meanwhile heat the liquids to be used in this recipe. You'll want hot liquid to prevent breaking your glass dish if that is what you're using and to give your rice a chance to soften prior to heating up in the oven.

Once butter has melted and onion and garlic are fragrant and beginning to get translucent, then remove from oven.  Stir in dry rice.  Add hot liquids and stir. 

Mix dry seasonings and sprinkle over chicken pieces.  Lay chicken pieces in pan atop rice/liquid.  Cover.  Bake for one hour covered.   Remove cover, then let cook an additional twenty minutes.  Taste to see if rice is tender.  Most of the liquid will be absorbed at this point but the rice should be tender and moist.  The chicken will also be moist and not overcooked.

This was so good, and like most simple ingredient based items it relies solely on just plain good flavors that truly compliment one another.