Today I’m sharing another recipe I promised in my Energy-Boosting Foods post! This recipe is an experiment I played around with for a while, until I got it just right. 🙂
My husband used to make a chicken and rice recipe that was delicious, but it relied heavily on canned cream soups. I decided to tweak that recipe with healthier ingredients and combined it with a rice pilaf recipe I love. After tweaking ingredients a few times, my family officially gave it the thumbs up.
I usually make this dish on Sundays because I can prep it ahead of time, put it in the oven during church, and we come home to yummy smells and eats for lunch.
It would also be a handy weeknight option. You could prep it either the night before or morning of. Store it in the refrigerator until you get home, and then put it in the oven to bake.
Easy-peasy and delicious!
Baked Chicken and Wild Rice
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups wild rice blend (Lundberg brand and Trader Joe's have good options)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-1/2 tsp. dried chives
- 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp. onion powder
- 1/4 tsp. dried sage
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt, or more to taste
- 1 to 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 oz. sliced almonds, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the rice in bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, butter, garlic, chives, parsley, onion powder, sage, and salt. Pour 3 cups of broth mixture into the rice, and stir to evenly moisten.
- Arrange chicken in a single layer over the rice. Pour remaining liquid on top, pressing chicken down so it's fully submerged. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and almonds (if desired).
- Cover with foil; bake for one hour, or until chicken is done and rice is tender.
A few additional notes:
- You may try substitutes in this recipe, but in my experience, the tastiest combination is the one I’ve provided above. (Chicken breasts can be used in place of thighs, but they’ll be drier and lack the richness of flavor. Plain brown rice can be used in place of wild rice, but the texture and flavor will be affected. Feel free to experiment, but proceed at your own risk.) 🙂
- If you have non-almond lovers, you can sprinkle them on half of the pan. Note that they may shift during baking.
- Wild rice is my favorite in this recipe, but I also love this brown rice medley from Trader Joe’s. The barley and seeds give it a nice crunch.
