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Home » Comfort Food » One Pot Chicken and Rice Bake

Published: March 3, 2015 Last Modified: August 15, 2018 By Sara 21 Comments

One Pot Chicken and Rice Bake

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This One Pot Oven Chicken and Rice Bake combines chicken with creamy parmesan rice and butternut squash for a complete healthy meal with less dishes to clean.

This one pot chicken and rice bake combines chicken thighs with parmesan rice and butternut squash for a complete healthy meal.

I’m always looking for easy dinner recipes that don’t dirty up every pan in the house, and this chicken and rice bake is a family favorite!

One Pot Oven Chicken and Rice Bake Recipe | One Pot Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Rice | One Pot Chicken and Rice | Creamy Parmesan Rice | Chicken Rice and Butternut Squash Bake

This One Pot Oven Chicken and Rice Bake combines chicken with creamy parmesan rice and butternut squash for a complete healthy meal with less dishes to clean.
When my youngest was a baby I made her a lot of risotto because it seemed like the perfect “real” baby food – it was soft enough that she could chew it despite her lack of teeth. It was easy to vary the flavors so she wouldn’t get bored. It also seemed like a pretty decently balanced meal – I always added some kind of veggie (or puree!) to the rice as well as cheese for protein and calcium. So grains, protein, veggies, dairy – not too shabby.

But really, who has time to stand around and stir risotto? Now that she’s older (and more prone to mischief), I do not have the luxury of standing at the stove cultivating a perfect dish. In fact, I swear my kids have this internal radar that goes off when they sense I am trying to cook something that requires my constant attention. This chicken and rice bake is very similar to risotto but without the stirring. Best of all, it’s a complete meal in a single pot!

How do you make chicken and rice bake?

You’re going to want to use chicken thighs in this dish, breasts will be too dry. I used to buy the authentic arborio risotto rice, but it can be a bit pricey and do the kids know or care? Of course not. I discovered short grain calrose rice and have been using it ever since. It’s in with all the regular rice varieties at your grocery store and makes a great substitute for the expensive stuff.

This One Pot Oven Chicken and Rice Bake combines chicken with creamy parmesan rice and butternut squash for a complete healthy meal with less dishes to clean.

You do have to brown the chicken and saute the veggies and rice, but after that you get to pop it in the oven and go play with the kids. The whole family will love this chicken and rice bake, it’s a great meal to put on your regular rotation!

This One Pot Oven Chicken and Rice Bake combines chicken with creamy parmesan rice and butternut squash for a complete healthy meal with less dishes to clean.

Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

More easy dinner recipes

  • Chicken and Rice Casserole
  • Chicken Pesto Pasta
  • Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
  • Beef Noodle Casserole
  • Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
This One Pot Oven Chicken and Rice Bake combines chicken with creamy parmesan rice and butternut squash for a complete healthy meal with less dishes to clean.
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

One Pot Chicken and Rice Bake

This one pot chicken and rice bake combines chicken with creamy parmesan rice and butternut squash for a complete healthy meal with less dishes to clean. 
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 544kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs can be bone-in or boneless
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 white onion finely diced
  • 4 cups of peeled seeded butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 1/2 cups of short grain rice such as Calrose or Arborio
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large deep pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.
  • Cook the chicken on high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and squash, season with salt and pepper. Cook the onion and squash until lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes.
  • Add the rice, saute for 2-3 minutes or until opaque. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until completely evaporated.
  • Return chicken to the pot along with any juices that have accumulated and the thyme sprigs. Add the broth, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil and cover the pot with a lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the parmesan cheese before serving.

Notes

Make Ahead: The most time consuming part of this recipe is the peeling and cutting of the butternut squash, that can be done up to two days in advance.

Nutrition

Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 727mg | Potassium: 749mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 10100IU | Vitamin C: 31.4mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 4mg
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Filed Under: Comfort Food, Dinner, Everyday Meals, One Pot Meals, Quick & Easy Dinners

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    Comments

    1. Cansy says

      November 20, 2019 at 3:07 pm

      It sounds so good! Can I use jazmine rice?
      I want to make it tonight and I don’t have the short grain rice.

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 20, 2019 at 7:29 pm

        Yes that’s fine!

        Reply
    2. Greg says

      January 27, 2017 at 2:30 pm

      5 stars
      Chicken and rice baked together are always great. The addition of squash is phenomenal.

      Reply
    3. Tara says

      August 30, 2016 at 10:44 am

      Has anyone tried this using frozen precut butternut squash?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        August 31, 2016 at 7:24 am

        I think that would work, but if the squash is pre-cooked I might add it in halfway through the oven time so that it doesn’t get overcooked and mushy.

        Reply
    4. Tom says

      February 12, 2016 at 10:01 pm

      I tried this as written, and i didn’t care for it. I didn’t find the rice creamy and the flavors didn’t meld very well. It smelled good in the oven, but was disappointing.

      Reply
    5. Marecla says

      December 17, 2015 at 7:49 am

      Would I be able to cook it the same way on the stove? I have a dutch oven but it seems that the handle on the lid is plastic? Not sure I want to find out the hard way 🙂

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 17, 2015 at 9:30 am

        You could cook it covered on the stove on low heat – the other option would be to tightly cover the pan with foil and put it in the oven. Let me know how it turns out! 🙂

        Reply
        • Marecla says

          December 17, 2015 at 5:03 pm

          Thanks! I ended up cooking it on the stove with the lid on. It came out amazing!

          Reply
          • Sara says

            December 17, 2015 at 8:20 pm

            So glad you liked it!

            Reply
    6. Kerrie says

      November 10, 2015 at 7:29 pm

      Hi Sara, I’m hoping to make this for dinner next week but I’m wondering about the size of the pot you used. Should I be using my 8-qt covered stockpot, or a smaller covered saute pan more along the lines of 3-5 quarts? Also, my cookware is only oven-safe to 350, so do you think I’ll be ok cooking at this temperature and just extending the cook time?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 10, 2015 at 9:04 pm

        The chicken needs to be able to fit into the pot in a single layer and the pot should be at least 4-6 inches deep. I’ve done it in both a large covered saute pan and a big dutch oven and it’s worked both ways. 350 is totally fine, just add another 10 minutes to the bake time. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    7. Amy says

      September 29, 2015 at 12:16 pm

      It’s in the oven now 🙂 smells good!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 29, 2015 at 7:42 pm

        I hope you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    8. Amy says

      September 29, 2015 at 2:56 am

      What if I don’t have white wine? And do I put the rice in the pot already cooked? I’m excited to try this tonight 🙂 thanks!!

      Reply
      • Sara says

        September 29, 2015 at 7:55 am

        You can leave the white wine out and it will still be great. The rice goes in uncooked, it cooks along with the chicken and squash :). Enjoy!

        Reply
    9. Olivia @ livforcake says

      April 10, 2015 at 8:34 am

      Love this! It looks delicious and one pot makes it so much easier!

      Reply
    10. pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says

      April 10, 2015 at 4:06 am

      This is my kind of meal!

      Reply
    11. Alexis @ Upside Down Pear says

      April 9, 2015 at 8:14 pm

      I love the flavor combinations in this dish, and I bet the butternut squash adds a nice bit of creaminess. I’ll definitely have to try this out one day. One pot dishes are simple and satisfying 😀

      Reply
    12. heather @french press says

      April 7, 2015 at 7:18 am

      this sounds like a delicious way to get grains and veggies along with meat into the kids – and I am ALL over a good one pot dish 🙂

      Reply
    13. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

      April 6, 2015 at 8:33 pm

      Oh I love a one pot meal! And butternut squash – well we became friends a long time ago. I’m still pretty obsessed too! Great recipe, thanks for sharing!

      Reply

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