Crispy and tender chicken thighs with full-flavored rice cooked with tomatoes, peppers, carrots…a crowd-pleasing lunch or dinner. If you like comforting food this chicken casserole with rice would be on your cooking list.
Chicken and rice are probably the most used foods and you can probably think of at least 50 dishes with chicken or rice. It is no wonder that these two common foods go well together and there are a lot of different ways to make chicken and rice dishes. If you cannot think of a new way to prepare chicken and rice, this chicken casserole with rice will be your go-to meal.
It is very easy to make and you probably have most of these ingredients at home. The preparation time is short and not so demanding and you don’t need to stay by the oven all the time.
Jump to RecipeWhat to put in chicken casserole with rice?
Ingredients for chicken casserole with rice:
- 1 big cup of rice (about 300gr)
- 4 Chicken thighs, cooked
- 2 big red peppers, chopped
- one carrot, chopped (small or medium-sized carrot)
- 5 tomatoes (of 4 if they are too big)
- One cup of eggplant (optional)
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 500 ml of chicken broth (that you will get from cooking chicken)
- 1 cup of water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chill flakes (optional)
- 1 or 2 tsps of parsley
- 1 tbsp Chicken seasoning mix
- Olive oil
How to prepare this chicken casserole?
Cook chicken thighs first and while they are cooking, prepare all the veggies. Chop onion, eggplant, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes and put them aside in separate bowls. Eggplant, carrots and peppers can be placed in one bowl.
In a deep skillet fry chopped onion until becomes translucent. Add eggplant, carrots and peppers and stir everything together. Stir fry at medium temperature for about 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t start this step until the chicken is cooked, because you will need chicken broth soon)
Add some salt and pepper and add a big cup of rice. Stir well for a minute, add more oil if necessary. Rice mustn’t get burnt. After a minute or so, add about 150ml of chicken broth and stir fry for 10 more minutes.
During the step 3 you can turn on the oven at 200 degrees Celsius. Now add the rest of chicken broth, chopped tomatoes and a cup of water. Put chicken thighs which you have previously rubbed with chicken seasoning. Sprinkle some parsley, more salt and pepper and stir well. Rice should be deeply covered in water.
Bake at 200 degrees for about 60 minutes. You need to check the chicken casserole every 20 minutes or so, and turn the chicken thighs so they get nice golden colour and crispy skin. Chicken casserole is ready when chicken thighs are crispy and golden and there is no water.
Important notes for making this casserole
Pay special attention to rice, because it should be moist and not dry. If water dries out before the casserole is cooked, add more chicken broth and water. Stir the rice nicely so you can see if it is not getting too dry.
Tomatoes play a big part in this casserole dish because they add that extra flavor and juiciness.
Eggplant is an optional ingredient in this chicken casserole with rice, so if you don’t like it, don’t put it.
For this casserole you can also use chicken breast, but chicken thighs are more juicy and tender. If you want to prepare this casserole for a weeknight dinner, you can pre cook chicken the day before.
Chicken casserole with rice
tomatoes, peppers, carrots…a crowd-pleasing lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 big cup rice (about 300 gr)
- 4 chicken thighs (cooked)
- 2 big red peppers (chopped)
- 1 small or medium size carrot (chopped)
- 5 tomatoes (of 4 if they are too big)
- 1 cup eggplant (optional)
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 500 ml chicken broth (that you will get from cooking chicken)
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
- chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 or 2 tsp parsley
- 1 tbsp chicken seasoning mix
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or more if you need for stir fry)
Instructions
- Cook chicken thighs first and while they are cooking, prepare all the veggies. Chop onion, eggplant, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes and put them aside in separate bowls. Eggplant, carrots and peppers can be placed in one bowl.
- In a deep skillet fry chopped onion until becomes translucent. Add eggplant, carrots and peppers and stir everything together. Stir fry at medium temperature for about 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t start this step until the chicken is cooked, because you will need chicken broth soon)
- Add some salt and pepper and add a big cup of rice. Stir well for a minute, add more oil if necessary. Rice mustn't get burnt. After a minute or so, add about 150ml of chicken broth and stir fry for 10 more minutes.
- During the step 3 you can turn on the oven at 200 degrees Celsius. Now add the rest of chicken broth, chopped tomatoes and a cup of water. Put chicken thighs which you have previously rubbed with chicken seasoning. Sprinkle some parsley, more salt and pepper and stir well. Rice should be deeply covered in water.
- Bake at 200 degrees for about 50 minutes. You need to check the chicken casserole every 20 minutes or so, and turn the chicken thighs so they get nice golden colour and crispy skin. Chicken casserole is ready when chicken thighs are crispy and golden and there is no water.
