Baked Chicken & Rice
This Orange Cranberry Baked Chicken & Rice is made in entirely in the oven in just one pan! This juicy, tangy chicken with tart cranberries and fluffy rice is healthy, delicious and perfect for any occasion!
Equipment
- Food Processor or Stand Blender
- Large Bowl or Zip-Closure Bag
- 10x13-inch Baking Dish
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs - Bone In & Skin Off (SEE NOTES)
- 1 Sweet Onion - Diced
- 4 large cloves Garlic divided – 2 cloves finely diced & 2 peeled, whole
- 2 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 ½ Cups Basamati Rice
- 1 ½ Cup Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 Cup Hot Water
- ¼ Cup White Wine - OPTIONAL, or use hot water
- 1 ¼ Cup fresh Cranberries
- 2 TBS Brown Sugar - packed (I used light brown sugar)
- 2 TBS Balsamic Vinegar
- Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
Marinade:
- 1/2 Cup Cranberries
- 3 TBS Honey
- 2 1/2 TBS Olive Oil
- 1 Orange Zest
- 1 tsp Dried Thyme
- ½ tsp Dried Rosemary
Optional for serving: Fresh thyme, Fresh Rosemary, Orange Slices
Instructions
- Make the marinade: In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all the marinade ingredients along with 2 cloves of garlic (whole, peeled) and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Blend until combined and smooth.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken to a large zip-closure bag or large mixing bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken, tossing to evenly coat the chicken. Transfer the chicken to the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large (10x13-inch) baking dish.
- Bake the onions and garlic: Add the onions and minced garlic to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until onions are softened and translucent in color.
- Add rice and liquid: Remove baking dish from the oven and add the rice. Stir to combine. Pour the broth, water and wine evenly over the rice. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on top of the rice.
- Cover and bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile marinate cranberries: In a small bowl, toss together the cranberries, sugar and balsamic. Set aside
- Remove foil and add cranberries: Remove foil from baking dish and spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray. Use a slotted spoon to sprinkle cranberries over the chicken. Return to the oven and continue to bake (uncovered) for 22-28 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. (OPTIONAL – Switch oven to broil during the last 3-4 minutes of baking. Making sure to watch the chicken closely to prevent burning.). Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- To serve: Transfer chicken to serving plates and use a fork to fluff rice in baking dish before serving. Garnish as desired and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This baked chicken and rice recipe calls for bone-in and skin-off chicken thighs. You can either ask the butcher to peel the skin off the chicken thighs for you, or do it yourself as it is really easy! You need to remove the skin from the thighs for this recipe or the rice will become very greasy.
- You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs if you would like, however you will need to alter the cook time slightly. Follow the recipe instructions cooking the onions and garlic and then add the rice and liquids. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and discard the foil. Top the partially baked rice with the chicken and bake (uncovered) for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is absorbed.
- The chicken has the most flavor if allowed to sit in the orange cranberry marinade overnight, however you can get away with marinating the chicken for as little as 30 minutes.
- While I used basamati rice for this dish, you can use any variety of long grain rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 504kcal Carbohydrates: 59g Protein: 27g Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 107mg Sodium: 130mg Potassium: 542mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 18g Vitamin A: 48IU Vitamin C: 10mg Calcium: 48mg Iron: 2mg