Baked Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe
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Easy baked chicken and brown rice dinner cooked in one pot and made with healthy quick cook brown rice. A gluten free and protein packed meal perfect for lunches to go.
There are no yuckies allowed, just pure water, leeks and herbs for flavor. No canned soup mix or cream of soup shenanigans. Only wholesome, good for you, nutritious ingredients.
 I used a mix of skin on and bone in chicken legs and thighs, seared to a golden brown perfection in the drippings from the chicken andouille sausage in my cast iron skillet. You could go for skinless boneless If you prefer and cut down the cooking time in the oven to 15 minutes only.
Whatever the case, you must let the pot sit covered for another 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. The rice  (<–amazon) will continue to cook from the steam so no peaking, okay ? Let it do its magic!
What to serve with:
- steamed broccoli or green peas
- Fresh tomato salsa
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- mushrooms
- grilled Vegetables
What makes this chicken and rice the perfect weeknight meal:Â
- It is made with quick cook brown rice, (<–amazon), so 20 minutes baking time is as good as it gets! The rice is first toasted in the drippings from the chicken and andouille sausage that coat and infuse it with wonderful smoky flavor.
- You can double the recipe easily to have leftover lunches to go for the rest of the week.Â
- High in manganese and rich in selenium and anti oxidants, no wonder it is a bodybuilder’s diet staple!
Baked Chicken and Brown Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb chicken legs + thighs
- 1 small leek
- 2 small sweet red peppers (sliced into rounds)
- 1 1/2 c quick cook brown rice
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 5 thyme sprigs
- 2 tsp sea salt or to taste
- 6 oz andouille sausage (sliced into rounds)
- Black pepper to taste freshly cracked
- 2 1/2 c water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 c Italian flat leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375"F
- Pat the chicken dry well with paper towels. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season it all over with the sea salt, black pepper, garlic and onion powders and smoked paprika. Toss to coat well and allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes or so.
- Meanwhile heat a large cast iron pot over medium high flame. Add a lug of oil, just enough to coat the bottom in a very thing layer and pan sear the andouille sausage slices on both sides until golden. About 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
- Sear the chicken in the drippings from the andouille sausage until nice and golden on both sides. Approximately 3 minutes per side, taking good care not to burn the spices. Add a little more oil in between batches if needed. Transfer the seared chicken to the bowl with the andouille and keep warm together.
- Slice and rinse the white and pale green part of the leek. Make sure to drain and dry well on a a kitchen towel.
- Add the sliced leek to the pan with the drippings and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Sautee for about 10 minutes on low flame until they begin to caramelize.
- Stir in the garlic and the quick cook brown rice (<--amazon) and make sure to coat it all over in the drippings.
- Add the sweet red peppers then pour in the water. Using a spatula make sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the thyme, chicken pieces and andouille sausage back into the pan.
- Bring the pot back to a simmer and cover with a tight lid.
- Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pot to sit covered for 10 minutes before serving drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with the fresh parsley.
Lots of flavor going on in this dish! The smoky andouille along with the leeks and red peppers combine to make this a restaurant quality dish! Easy to make if all veggies are prepped and ready to go at cooking time. Will definitely are this again!!!
That looks pretty darn tasty! Love the colors and flavors that you’ve got going on.
I always have chicken thighs and drumsticks in my freezer so I’m pumped to try this! 🙂
This looks fantastic, Florentina! I love the color, and it just looks so satisfying. I’m saving this to make for my family – I bet they’ll love it!
Chicken thighs are my go to dinner, so this will definitely be making an appearance on my table. Love adding the sausage, so many great flavors in one pot!
This looks simple to make and is an excellent week night meal