Easy and delicious chicken legs and rice recipe is a great dish any weeknight. Baked chicken drumsticks is healthy, easy to make, and tasty. You can add seasoning to it to make it your own. Use the ingredients you have in your kitchen and try this recipe.
Easy and delicious chicken legs and rice recipe is a great dish any weeknight. Baked chicken drumsticks is healthy, easy to make, and tasty. You can add seasoning to it to make it your own. Use the ingredients you have in your kitchen and try this recipe.
Looking for a comforting, no-fuss dinner that checks all the boxes? This baked chicken legs and rice recipe is a one-pan wonder that’s juicy, full of flavor, and perfect for busy families. The chicken seasons the rice as it bakes, and everything comes out tender, golden, and packed with savory goodness. Whether it’s Sunday supper or a weeknight hustle, this recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This isn’t just another chicken-and-rice situation. It’s a flavor-packed, stress-free, budget-friendly dinner that works hard so you don’t have to.
You only need one baking dish, which means fewer dirty dishes to deal with later. Chicken drumsticks are not only affordable, but also incredibly juicy and flavorful when baked. The rice absorbs all those rich drippings from the chicken, so you get savory, well-seasoned rice without lifting a finger after it’s in the oven. It’s the kind of meal you can throw together after a long day, and everyone — picky eaters included — will be reaching for seconds.
Ingredients for this Recipe
To make this baked chicken legs and rice recipe, you will need a handful of basic ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken legs: You can use any chicken parts you prefer, but we recommend sticking with chicken legs for this recipe.
- Rice: White rice works best in this recipe, but you can use brown rice.
- Chicken broth: adds flavor to the dish and helps cook the rice perfectly.
- Olive oil: Used to coat the chicken legs before baking.
- Salt and pepper: For seasoning, the chicken legs and rice.
- Garlic powder: Optional, but we love the extra flavor it adds.
- Paprika: Adds color and flavor to the chicken legs.
- Onions and Garlic: This adds great flavor to the rice, along with some minced garlic cloves.
When making the rice, I added some sauteed onions and minced garlic. But you can add fresh or dried herbs and flavors such as:
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Cilantro
- Lemon Juice
- Fresh parsley
- Mushrooms
- Italian Seasoning
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
That’s it! With these simple ingredients, you can create a delicious and budget-friendly meal for your family.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Baked Chicken Legs and Rice
Step 1: Preheat Your Oven
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. This ensures even cooking for both the chicken and rice and gets everything golden and bubbly.
Step 2: Season the Chicken
In a large bowl, toss the drumsticks with olive oil and the full seasoning blend. Make sure each piece is coated well — this is where all that bold, crave-worthy flavor starts.
Step 3: Sear the Chicken (Optional)
For an extra layer of flavor, quickly sear the drumsticks in a hot skillet for 2–3 minutes per side. You’re not cooking them through here — just adding a bit of color and texture. Totally optional, but worth it if you have time.
Step 4: Sauté the Aromatics
In that same skillet, lower the heat and sauté chopped onion in a bit of olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and let it bloom for about 30 seconds. This step gives your rice a head start in the flavor department.
Step 5: Build the Base
In a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, stir together the uncooked rice, sautéed onion and garlic, a little salt and pepper, and the chicken broth. This is the cozy, starchy foundation for your meal.
Step 6: Add the Chicken
Nestle the seasoned drumsticks right on top of the rice mixture. The juices from the chicken will drip down and season the rice as it bakes. It’s flavor magic, trust me.
Step 7: Bake Covered
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. This allows the rice to steam and the chicken to cook through without drying out.
Step 8: Let It Rest
Once out of the oven, keep the foil on and let everything rest for about 10 minutes. This helps the rice absorb any remaining liquid and ensures your chicken is extra juicy.
Step 9: Serve and Enjoy
Remove the foil, fluff the rice, and garnish with parsley if you’re feeling fancy. Serve it hot and enjoy a plate of serious comfort.
Ingredient Swaps & Tips
One of the best things about this baked chicken legs and rice recipe is how customizable it is. If brown rice isn’t your thing, swap it out for white rice — just make sure to reduce the baking time to around 35–40 minutes. Keep an eye on it toward the end to make sure the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed.
Don’t have chicken broth? Water works fine, but you’ll want to adjust the seasoning to keep things flavorful. You can even stir in a bouillon cube or some extra salt and herbs.
Want to sneak in more veggies? Toss frozen peas, carrots, or even chopped spinach into the rice before baking. It all cooks together beautifully, and no one will complain.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Leftovers are your friend here. When it comes to storing chicken, it’s important to store and handle chicken correctly. to ensure bacteria doesn’t settle in. Let everything cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, just microwave individual portions with a splash of broth or water to rehydrate the rice.
This meal also freezes well. Portion it into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
There’s just something satisfying about digging into a plate of baked chicken and rice. It’s simple, hearty, and guaranteed to hit the spot after a long day. This is one of those meals that tastes like you spent hours making it — but only you need to know how easy it really was.
Whether you’re making this for family dinner, meal prepping for the week, or hosting a laid-back Sunday meal, it’s a no-fail, full-of-flavor kind of recipe. Cozy, classic, and always a crowd-pleaser.
Commonly Asked Questions
Yes! Just swap the brown rice for the same amount of long grain white rice. Reduce the bake time to around 35–40 minutes. Start checking around the 30-minute mark for doneness.
If the rice is still crunchy after baking, it likely needed a bit more liquid or your foil wasn’t tight enough. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more broth, cover it back up, and bake for another 10–15 minutes.
Nope, not mandatory — but searing adds a ton of flavor and color. If you’re in a rush or just don’t want another dirty pan, go ahead and skip it.
You can, but bone-in chicken (like drumsticks or thighs) gives this dish way more flavor. If you use boneless, reduce the cook time and keep an eye so they don’t dry out.
Similar Recipes
If you like chicken recipes like this, you will enjoy the ones below:
- Skinny-ish Chicken Cheddar Cheese and Broccoli
- Baked Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs
- Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Mushrooms and Peas
- One-Pan Roasted Whole Chicken with Veggies
- Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs in a Mushroom Cream Sauce
Baked Chicken Legs and Rice
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Delicious and easy one-pot meal! Learn how to make baked chicken legs and rice for a flavorful dinner. Perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 12 Chicken Drumsticks
- 4 tbsp. Olive oil, divided
- 1 tbsp. Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 tbsp. Black pepper
- 1/2 c. onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. Onion powder
- 1 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika
- 2 c. brown rice
- 1/2 tsp. Dried thyme
- 4 c. chicken broth
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 Degrees.
- Place the chicken legs in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with two tablespoons of olive oil, seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, and smoked paprika. Toss together and run thoroughly, coating the chicken with the seasoning. Add more if you prefer.
- Heat a large heavy-duty skillet on medium-high heat and add the other two tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken to hot pan and sear on both sides for 2-3 minutes until a nice sear occurs but not fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Using the same pan with the drippings, add the chopped onion and cook until softened about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Spray a 9X13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. To the bottom of the pan, add the rice coating the pan evenly. Add the onion and garlic and stir around. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken legs on top of the uncooked rice. Pour the chicken broth into the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 45-50 minutes. You can check for doneness by tasting a grain of rice to ensure it’s cooked to your preferred texture. Remove the aluminum foil and fluff the rice with a fork, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place the aluminum foil back over the chicken and rice and let sit for, at least 10 minutes. Serve as desired.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Just wanted to know if I can use jasmine white rice
Sure thing!
Cooked this exactly as the recipe said, and here we are 2.5 hours later, and the rice still isn’t cooked.
I’ve done recipes like this before and found that heating the broth before adding it to the casserole dish and popping it into the oven right away helps cook the rice (I usually nuke my brother right before adding it)
I’ve made this meal 3 times since I discovered it last year and have never had a problem with it. We love it for its heartiness in the winter.
Thank you Nicole!