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Garlic Butter Chicken and Rice Recipe

Bursting with rich buttery garlic flavor and tender chicken thighs, this Garlic Butter Chicken And Rice dinner is guaranteed to impress even the pickiest eaters!

A skillet with cooked garlic butter chicken and rice and garnished with parsley.

Everyone loves this Chicken and Rice recipe that’s baked in the oven! Imagine succulent, perfectly seasoned chicken thighs nestled on a bed of garlic-infused, buttery rice. The entire dish comes together in one pan with minimal prep, taking less than 10 minutes to set up.

Why People Love This Recipe

  • Flavorful: The combination of juicy, tender chicken with a rich, buttery garlic flavor makes this dish exceptionally comforting and delicious.
  • Convenience: As a one-pot dinner that’s ready in less than an hour, this recipe is incredibly convenient for busy schedules.
  • Practical: The 2-in-1 nature of the recipe, combining the main dish and side in a single cooking process, is not only a time-saver but also an excellent way to simplify meal planning.
Ingredients for garlic butter chicken.

Ingredients For Chicken And Rice

  • Skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
  • PaprikaSweet or smoked.
  • Dried thyme – Other dried herbs like rosemary work too.
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • Butter – Salted or unsalted is fine.
  • Yellow onion – White onion is a good alternative.
  • Fresh garlic – Feel free to substitute it for 2 extra teaspoons of garlic powder.
  • Long-grain white rice – Basmati and Jasmine rice are perfect for this.
  • Low-sodium chicken broth – Veggie broth works, too.
  • Italian seasoning
  • Dried oregano
  • Fresh parsley

How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken and Rice

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Melt butter in a large skillet (or Dutch oven) over medium heat.
  2. Spice Blend: Mix paprika, thyme, and garlic powder. Season the chicken and set aside.
  3. Onions: Sauté garlic and onions in the skillet until onions soften.
  4. Rice: Stir in rice for 30 seconds.
  5. Chicken: Add seasoned chicken, chicken broth, and water.
  6. Season: Sprinkle chicken with Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  7. Baking: Cover the skillet (or use foil). Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more or until the liquid is absorbed.
  8. Serve: Let chicken rest for 5 to 10 mins. Fluff the rice, garnish with parsley, and serve warm.
Cooked garlic butter chicken and rice in a skillet.

Recipe Tips And Variations

  • Avoid using skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. It makes the rice greasy, which isn’t what we’re after.
  • Using boneless chicken thighs is okay if that’s all you have. However, remember that they might be a little overcooked when the dish is ready. My only other recommendations would be chicken drumsticks or leg-quarters for this recipe. Chicken breasts will dry out too much while they’re in the oven, whereas the bone-in pieces help retain moisture.
  • Use brown rice for a lighter option, but you’ll need to cook it for longer. Bake the dish covered for 45 minutes and then uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • You can prep this recipe two days in advance. Work up to the sixth step in the recipe, but don’t add the water and broth. Cover and refrigerate. Add the liquid on the day you’re going to serve it.

Serving Suggestions

Try my Grilled Vegetables with Halloumi, Garlic Butter Roasted Parsnips, and Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon for yummy veggie sides. As far as soups go, this chicken doesn’t get much better than with my Cream of Zucchini Soup and Creamy Tortellini Soup.

A fork with rice and chicken on a plate.

How to Store Leftovers

Refrigerate any cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze it for 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight. To reheat it, preheat the oven to 350˚F and heat it for 15 minutes or until warm.

More One Pot Chicken Recipes

a skillet with cooked garlic butter chicken with rice and garnished with parsley.

Garlic Butter Chicken and Rice Recipe

Katerina | Diethood
Packed with a buttery garlic flavor and juicy chicken thighs, this one pot chicken and rice dinner will win over even the harshest critics!
4.77 from 82 votes
Servings : 6 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
  • Season the chicken thighs with paprika, dried thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper; set aside.
  • Add the butter to a large oven-safe skillet and melt over medium heat. Stir in the diced onions and garlic; cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic is lightly browned, stirring very frequently. Do not burn the garlic.
  • Stir in the rice; stir constantly for 30 seconds. Place the seasoned chicken pieces over the rice, and add the chicken broth and water.
  • Season the top with Italian Seasoning and oregano, and bring to a boil. You can also add more salt and pepper at this point if you'd like.
  • Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven; bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the lid or foil and continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
  • Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and fluff up the rice with a fork.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve.

Video

Notes

  • Plan early. Get a head start on this recipe by preparing up to step 6 a couple of days beforehand. Just hold off on the liquid until serving day. Adding it too early means the rice will soak it all up.
  • Chicken: This recipe is prepared with bone-in, skinless chicken thighs. Using anything other than what is suggested will have different results. Boneless chicken thighs will cook up faster, while boneless chicken breasts will cook through much quicker and will dry out. I also recommend removing the skin from the chicken thighs because the casserole will be greasy with the skin on.
  • Rice: This recipe uses long-grain white rice. If you want to use brown rice, increase the cooking time. Bake it covered for 45 minutes, and then uncover and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 370 kcal | Carbohydrates: 39 g | Protein: 23 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 5 g | Cholesterol: 116 mg | Sodium: 395 mg | Potassium: 354 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 0 g | Vitamin A: 420 IU | Vitamin C: 1.6 mg | Calcium: 39 mg | Iron: 1.7 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Lunch/Dinner
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: chicken thighs and rice, garlic butter chicken, one pot chicken recipes, one pot chicken thighs and rice
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