Simple roasted chicken and rice: Dinner in an hour, zero fuss
There are days when cooking dinner is the last thing you fancy doing. However, you need to eat something—preferably something that doesn't require standing over pots and tastes wonderful. Enter roasted chicken over rice—a dish from the "throw everything into a dish and forget it until the smell calls you" category. Juicy meat, fragrant rice, and a golden crust—all baked together without stirring or unnecessary fuss.
You stroll into the kitchen, check the clock, and in half an hour, someone will start asking what's for dinner. Sound familiar? In these moments, I rely on my tried and tested method: roasted chicken over rice. I don't stir, sauté, or cook the rice separately. I simply layer everything in one dish, put it in the oven, and... forget about it for about an hour. When I take it out, I have a meal akin to a Sunday dinner—juicy meat, fragrant rice, and a golden crust. All ready without stress or a mountain of dishes.
Recipe for chicken drumsticks with rice
Roasted chicken over rice is an ideal dish for those who are busy, hungry, and... tired of washing dishes. The ingredients are simple, preparation is easy, and it tastes like a family dinner. And the best part: everything is done in one dish—practically without your involvement.
Ingredients (for 4 servings):
- 200 grams of long grain rice (e.g., basmati or jasmine),
- 500 millilitres of chicken stock (or water with a bouillon cube in emergency situations),
- 4 chicken drumsticks (or thighs with bone and skin),
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter,
- 1 onion,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika,
- Salt and pepper to taste,
- Oil for greasing the dish.
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly oil the baking dish. Pour the dry, unwashed rice at the bottom, add the finely diced onion, pressed garlic, and pour in the stock. Season with salt and pepper, and mix.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika, brush with melted butter, and place on top of the rice, skin side up. Cover the dish with aluminium foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
- After this time, remove the foil and bake for another 20–25 minutes until the chicken browns and the rice absorbs all the liquid.
- Let the dish sit for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a napa cabbage salad, but other slaws will work as well.
Why you don't need to cook the rice before?
This question comes up often—and rightfully so. But this is precisely the magic of this recipe. The raw rice cooks directly in the oven, absorbing not only the stock but also the juices from the meat and spices. As a result, it isn’t bland—like after typical boiling in water—but full of deep flavour. Moreover, the rice doesn't overcook because the liquid is perfectly measured. Just don't rinse it, so it retains a slight stickiness and helps bind everything into a pleasing, soft structure. It's a method that saves time and guarantees an aromatic result effortlessly.
