Lemon Garlic Parmesan Baked Hen and Rice

When dinner must be straightforward, this lemon garlic butter baked hen and rice completely delivers. Every part goes into one baking dish. No further pots, no stovetop steps, and no fuss. You find yourself with juicy hen thighs on high of creamy, tacky rice, all flavored with loads of garlic, contemporary lemon, and probably the most scrumptious seasoning mix.

It is a twist on our traditional model of baked chicken and rice, which can also be tasty.

Why My Recipe

No stovetop steps. Simply combine, layer, and bake.
Creamy parmesan rice bakes proper in the identical dish
Garlic butter and lemon give each the creamy rice and juicy hen tons of taste.

A casserole dish of lemon garlic butter baked chicken and rice. A wooden spoon is resting in the corner where it has already dished out the first helping.

The seasoning on the hen is completely heavenly. All that buttery, lemony taste seeps down into the rice because it bakes. It’s severely filled with taste and couldn’t be simpler to make. Simply stir the rice collectively within the pan, season the hen, and bake. This one’s undoubtedly going into the common dinner rotation.

Ingredient Notes

An overhead view of the ingredients needed to make Lemon Garlic Butter Baked Chicken and Rice.

Lengthy Grain White Rice: Jasmine or basmati work finest. Keep away from quick grain or on the spot rice, which may flip mushy on this recipe.
Hen Broth: Use low-sodium broth to raised management the salt. It’s also possible to use vegetable broth if wanted.
Heavy Cream: You possibly can substitute with half and half, however the rice gained’t be fairly as creamy.
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese: Pre-grated parmesan doesn’t soften the identical means. A block of parmesan provides one of the best texture and taste.
Minced Garlic: Contemporary garlic provides the strongest taste, however pre-minced from a jar works too. It’s simply barely extra bitter.
Boneless Skinless Hen Thighs: Thighs keep tender and juicy. You should use hen breasts, however they might cook dinner quicker and dry out if overbaked.
Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Crushed Pink Pepper Flakes, Black Pepper: This mix is what makes the hen so flavorful. The crushed purple pepper provides just a little warmth, however it’s not overpowering. You possibly can go away it out in case you’re delicate to spice.
Lemon: You’ll use each the zest and the juice, so go for a contemporary lemon as an alternative of bottled juice.
Salted Butter: This melts over the hen because it bakes and infuses the dish with taste.
Lemon Slices (Optionally available): These are only for garnish, however they do add a pleasant visible contact.
Chopped Contemporary Parsley (Optionally available): Provides a pop of coloration, however completely non-compulsory.

Utilizing Hen Breasts As an alternative

If you happen to want hen breasts, you possibly can completely use them. Since they cook dinner quicker than thighs, you’ll need to give the rice a head begin.

Assemble the rice combination and bake it coated for 20 minutes by itself. Whereas that’s baking, season your hen breasts as directed. After 20 minutes, take away the dish from the oven, nestle the hen breasts into the rice, and return it to the oven. Proceed baking, uncovered, for an additional 25 to half-hour, or till the hen reaches 165°F and the rice is tender.

Finest Pan to Use

A 9×13-inch baking dish is ideal for this recipe. You should use glass, ceramic, or metallic. Simply make sure that it’s deep sufficient to carry all of the liquid with out effervescent over.

Glass and ceramic are inclined to cook dinner extra evenly and maintain warmth higher, whereas metallic could velocity up cooking only a bit. In case your dish is shallow otherwise you’re frightened about spillage, place it on a baking sheet to catch any drips.

An overhead view of a plate with two baked chicken thighs on a bed of buttery parmesan rice and garnished with lemon slices and chopped parsley.

Serving Recommendations

This dish is filling by itself, however you possibly can undoubtedly serve it with a easy inexperienced salad or roasted veggies to spherical out the meal. A facet of inexperienced beans, steamed broccoli, and even some crusty bread would work nice.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

My rice isn’t totally cooked! What ought to I do?

In case your rice remains to be undercooked after the complete baking time, it seemingly wants only a bit extra moisture or time. Add 1/4 cup of heat broth or water, cowl with foil, and return to the oven for 10 to fifteen minutes.

Can I take advantage of brown rice as an alternative?

Brown rice takes longer to cook dinner and doesn’t work nicely with this actual timing. Persist with long-grain white rice for finest outcomes.

Can I make this dairy-free?

You possibly can swap the heavy cream for canned full-fat coconut milk and use a dairy-free parmesan substitute. The flavour might be totally different, however nonetheless scrumptious.

Why is my rice crunchy on the perimeters?

That’s fairly regular with baked rice. For much less crispiness, cowl extra tightly or stir midway via baking.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.

Reheat particular person parts within the microwave in 30-second increments till warmed via. For bigger parts, cowl with foil and reheat in a 325°F oven for 15 to twenty minutes.

Freeze: This dish could be frozen, however the creamy rice could change texture barely. Freeze in an hermetic container for as much as 2 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.