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Baked chicken legs and rice are loaded with flavor and perfect for a cozy supper. This recipe uses simple, real food ingredients, requires just about 10 minutes of prep, and bakes away all on its own with minimal fuss. Easy clean-up, no pot-minding needed!
What busy home cook doesn’t love a dinner that effectively bakes itself? This easy baked chicken legs and rice recipe is a go-to for so many occasions: cozy weekend suppers, picnics, and any casual get-together, because it’s so nice to have all the work done well before dinner is served.
The concept of roasting or baking chicken alongside a grain or vegetable is one we’ve loved ever since living in Belgium several years ago, where a much-loved local food truck served rotisserie chickens with potatoes. The chicken was delicious, but the potatoes were the true star, because they were cooked under the chicken spits, thereby absorbing the delicious juices all day long.
This recipe takes that same basic concept and applies it to rice, a friendly and accessible grain if ever one was. We’ll nestle spice-rubbed chicken drumsticks right into the rice and bake everything in one pan. The end result? The best of both convenience and flavor.
Evolution of a Recipe
When I originally published this recipe in 2022, it was inspired by a similar chicken thigh preparation by RecipeTin Eats. Over the years I’ve received a lot of feedback about highly variable cook times, and also discovered an almost identical recipe popularized by British television chef Nadiya Hussain. I don’t know who wrote it first, but the version printed here now uses common US measurements and does my best to account for the most common variables in bakeware, cook time, and temperature to maximize your odds of dinner success.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken. Bone-in, skin-on drumsticks or chicken thighs cook right alongside the rice.
- Uncooked rice. White long-grain or Basmati. This recipe is designed to cook the rice low and slow; minute or another type of microwaveable rice will not work.
- Onion and minced garlic. Aromatics are always a win! For a sweeter take, try using shallot in place of or in addition to the onion.
- Chicken broth or stock. Preferably low-sodium; substitute all or part with water if needed.
- Spices and seasonings: brown sugar, paprika, dried thyme and oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper.
- Olive oil and butter. For flavor, richness, and browning of the chicken.
Lemon and parsley are technically optional but add a pop of color and freshness to an otherwise very brown dish. 🙂
Can I use chicken breasts or boneless thighs?
For best results and minimal at-home calculations, stick with bone-in chicken drumsticks or thighs. This recipe already has several variables that can change the cook time, and boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs will definitely bake more quickly than their bone-in brethren.
If you do go boneless, use an instant-read thermometer to check the chicken periodically; when it hits 165°F in the thickest part, it is done. Remove the chicken and tent with foil to keep it warm while you finish cooking and fluff the rice.
How To Make One Pan Chicken and Rice
This recipe does require a small amount of prep on the stovetop before combining everything in the baking pan. I find it worthwhile for two reasons: a quick sauté yields tender, flavorful aromatics, and pre-boiling the liquid gives the rice a head start so it can cook in a reasonable amount of time.
Your first step is to combine the brown sugar, spices, and olive oil into a thin paste. Rub that mixture into the drumsticks and set them aside.
Now grab a small or medium saucepan and briefly cook the onions and garlic.
Stir uncooked rice and salt into the onions, then scrape those out into a large rectangular casserole dish or pan—nothing smaller than 9×13″.
Now, using the same saucepan in which you cooked the onions, boil 2 cups of liquid. As soon as the liquid boils, pour it over the rice in the baking dish.
Now place the spiced drumsticks on top. Place a few lemon wedges around the chicken for added flavor.
Bake, then remove the chicken to a plate and gently stir the rice with a fork. This will loosen the grains and also incorporate the pieces of onion, which tend to rise to the top as the dish bakes.
A sprinkle of parsley and extra lemon wedges finish things nicely. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Pair this cozy casserole with a simple Italian or arugula salad, or veggies such as pesto green beans, roasted lemon pepper asparagus or crisp broccolini for a complete and soul-warming dinner.
If you’d like to incorporate veggies directly into the casserole, see the note in the recipe card about stirring peas directly into the rice while it bakes.
Storage, Make-Ahead, and Freezing Tips
This chicken and rice keeps and reheats exceptionally well, so it’s terrific for meal prep or lunch planning purposes. Leftovers always disappear!
- To Store: Keep leftovers tightly-covered in the refrigerator. They last at least 3-4 days. Reheat as needed on 50% power in the microwave until warmed through.
- To Make Ahead: If you want to make this casserole ahead of time, it’s best to fully bake it, fluff the rice and reset the chicken on top. Let it cool to close to room temperature, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator. Warm in a 250°F oven until ready to serve.
- To Freeze: Fully baked chicken and rice can be frozen for at least 3 months. Remove from the dish and wrap very tightly in freezer-safe packaging, like a zip-top bag, and press out as much extra air as possible. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then warm in a 250°F oven.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Love dark meat? Try these lemon chicken thighs next.
Prefer an easy skillet with quick-cooking chicken breasts? Creamy Tuscan chicken, lemon rosemary chicken, and lemon chicken pasta are three of our favorites.
Baked Chicken Legs and Rice
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon paprika, sweet or smoked
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 6-8 chicken drumsticks, patted dry
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup uncooked white rice, see note
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, see note
- lemon wedges, fresh parsley or thyme, optional garnishes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat an 11×14 or 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine the olive oil, brown sugar, paprika, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and about 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Stir into a thin paste.3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon paprika, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper
- Gently rub the spice blend all over the drumsticks, then set them aside.6-8 chicken drumsticks
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, then add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, just until softening. Add garlic and cook 30-60 seconds more, until fragrant.2 Tablespoons butter, 1/2 medium yellow onion, 3-4 cloves garlic
- Stir in the rice and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, then scrape everything from the saucepan out into the large baking dish. Place the seasoned drumsticks on top. Add a few lemon wedges if you like.1 cup uncooked white rice
- Add broth to the same saucepan you used for the onion and bring to a rapid boil.2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Pour the boiling liquid over the rice and around the drumsticks, then cover the baking dish quickly and tightly with foil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-25 minutes. Check every five minutes or so now; it’s done when the rice is tender and the chicken cooks through to 165°F in the thickest part.
- Troubleshooting, only if needed: If the rice starts to look dry but the chicken needs more time, stir in a little more broth or water (1/4 cup up to a total of 1 cup, as needed). Alternatively, if the chicken is done and the rice is not, remove chicken to a plate while the rice finishes up.
- After removing from the oven, transfer the chicken to a plate and let rest for a minute or two while you fluff the rice with a fork.
- Garnish with extra lemon wedges and fresh herbs, if desired, and serve!lemon wedges, fresh parsley or thyme
Notes
- Pan Selection: After testing this recipe many times and based on reader feedback, I do not recommend baking this in any pan smaller than a 9×13-inch rectangle. A slightly larger pan, 11×14-inch, is even better if you happen to have one. With a smaller pan, the food will be more densely-packed, and you can get drier rice around the outside and somewhat gluey rice in the middle. I have tested with both glass and ceramic and find them to cook equally well and in similar times. Metal pans can be expected to heat up more quickly so monitor the cooking time a bit more closely.
- Variables in Cooking Time: There are a lot of variables that can affect the cooking time of this particular recipe: in addition to pan size (as noted above), the two major variables are the size of your drumsticks and whether your oven runs hot or cool. Plan accordingly and know that the second bake might truly take as little as 15 or even as much as 30 minutes, and this can vary even from one time to another that you make it, if your drumsticks happen to be really large or small. Avoid frustration by building in extra time, checking frequently during the second bake, and being prepared to adjust on the fly if you need to add more moisture to the rice (if it starts to look dry and the chicken isn’t done) or let the rice cook a little longer (if it is not done and the chicken has already hit 165°F).
- Chicken Thighs: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are a good substitute for drumsticks and bake in about the same time and temperature.
- Spice Rub: Feel free to adjust this spice rub to suit your personal preference – less sugar, more heat, lemon pepper instead of plain black pepper, etc.
- Rice: Use white long-grain or Basmati rice; do not use minute or another type of microwaveable rice. Do not rinse it first. Using brown rice would require a significant adjustment of cooking time and possibly of the amount of liquid.
- Boiling Broth: Be sure the broth and/or water you pour into the rice is truly boiling, not just hot to the touch, to get the rice started cooking right away. The photos in this post do show the water poured over the rice, then the chicken legs put on top; in my experience it doesn’t really matter whether the chicken or the water gets added first, as long as you move quickly to get everything in, covered with foil, and into the oven.
- Cover Tightly: Be sure to cover the pan very tightly with aluminum foil quickly after adding the boiling water. This is important to trap heat during the first 30 minutes of cooking time.
- Option to Add Peas: If you want to incorporate some veggies directly into this casserole, stir about 1 cup of frozen peas in with the rice after removing the foil. (Transfer the chicken temporarily to a clean plate, add peas to the rice, and stir in with a fork. Return the chicken and finish baking, uncovered, as directed.)
- Recipe Changes as of 2/6/26: This recipe was originally published on 10/3/2022 and has been updated with much more detailed notes on cooking variables and troubleshooting tips. I also now recommend using a higher temperature—400°F—which is honestly the biggest adjustment. If you would like the original recipe you may download it here.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs and Other Notes
Can you overcook drumsticks?
It is always technically possible to overcook meat, but the naturally dark meat of chicken drumsticks and thighs tends to stay tender and juicy even if you accidentally leave them on heat too long. What’s more, chicken legs are among a whole chicken’s most tender and flavorful parts, thanks to the large bone at the center, so they are particularly forgiving.
Can you cook raw chicken with rice?
Yes, absolutely! As long as the chicken reaches the recommended internal temperature of 165°F, it is perfectly safe to eat both the poultry and rice that cooks in the same pan.
This is true for any other grain or vegetable you would like to cook with the chicken, as well, and is the same principle and technique used for a whole roasted chicken cooked with veggies and similar recipes. One pot dinner for the win!
What is the best ratio of rice to chicken?
For average consumers, an ideal ratio is between 6-8 drumsticks per 1 cup of uncooked rice. I have experimented with more rice, and wound up with comical amounts of rice leftover long after the delicious chicken was gobbled up!
Absolutely fantastic! I especially enjoyed the balance of sweet and savoury. The garlic flavour came through. The cooked rice was delicious and tender. Definitely a keeper recipe.