Description
A comforting one-dish meal featuring tender baked chicken thighs or breasts nestled over a bed of creamy rice infused with chicken soup, broth, and flavorful onion soup mix, topped with rich pats of butter for a deliciously buttery finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Rice Base
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
- 1 (10.5 oz) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (1 oz) packet dry onion soup mix
Toppings & Garnish
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced into pats
- Fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Layer Rice: Spread the uncooked long-grain white rice evenly across the bottom of the baking dish to create the base for the meal.
- Mix Liquids: In a separate bowl, combine the chicken broth and cream of chicken soup, mixing until well blended.
- Pour Over Rice: Pour the creamy soup and broth mixture evenly over the rice layer, ensuring it is fully covered to allow the rice to cook properly.
- Add Chicken: Arrange the boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts over the rice and liquid mixture for even cooking.
- Season: Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix evenly over the chicken pieces to add savory flavor throughout the dish.
- Add Butter: Distribute the sliced pats of unsalted butter evenly across the top to enrich the flavor and moisture.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the liquid and the chicken to start cooking.
- Uncover and Continue Baking: Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through, and the rice is tender.
- Rest and Garnish: Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes to settle, then garnish with fresh parsley if desired, before serving.
Notes
- Use chicken thighs for juicier, more flavorful meat, or breasts for a leaner option.
- Make sure to cover the dish tightly with foil to trap steam and properly cook the rice.
- Butter adds richness but can be reduced if a lighter dish is preferred.
- Leftovers keep well and taste even better the next day after flavors meld.
- Fresh parsley is optional but adds color and a fresh note to the final dish.
