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Chicken thighs and yellow turmeric rice with green peas come together beautifully to give you juicy chicken in fragrant, fluffy rice. It’s an easy and no-fuss one pan dish that’s a joy to eat!
This rice and chicken bake goes so well with our Cauliflower and Potato Curry.
Who doesn’t love easy, all-in-one dish meals? Delicious, non-fussy dinners, which don’t require a lot of washing up too. Win on all fronts if you ask me.
If you are a fan of vibrant Indian flavours of ginger, garlic, coriander and turmeric, you will fall in love with this chicken and rice recipe. This dish delivers quite a punch without being too spicy!
Chicken and Rice
This classic combo exists in many world cuisines for a good reason. It’s delicious and satisfying! This particular recipe is my own invention.
It draws on the flavours of Indian cuisine, my family loves so much, but it is not an authentic Indian recipe. It is however, scrumptious. So I truly hope you love it as much as we do.
What it tastes like
I combined my favourite spices, typically used in Indian curries, and infused This is an affiliate link.basmati rice with the mix. I also replaced part of the water, the rice is cooked in, with creamy This is an affiliate link.coconut milk.
Then I topped the rice and pea combo with browned chicken thighs and baked everything together until the rice was fluffy and the chicken is juicy and perfectly done.
The end result blew past my expectations. Creamy, fragrant rice, which gets its flavour from a variety of spices and the chicken juices, and its yellow colour from turmeric.
Ingredients
The ingredient list may look long, but don’t be intimidated! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bone in chicken thighs, although they could be swapped with skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts.
- Salt and pepper.
- Vegetable oil.
- Onion, ginger and garlic – so important for building flavour!
- The spice list is turmeric, coriander, cumin and Kashmiri chilli powder. I used Kashmiri chilli powder for a milder taste. If you can’t find it, replace with paprika.
- Basmati rice.
- Water for cooking the rice.
- Coconut milk – I always use full fat for more flavour and creaminess
- Frozen peas or another frozen vegetable if you prefer.
How to make it
- With your oven warming up, season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown them in a large pan with vegetable oil. No need to cook the chicken at this stage. You just want them to turn golden, then remove them to a plate.
- Turn the heat down and add the onion and ginger, giving them about 5 minutes to cook slowly. They add the garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin and chilli powder. Scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure that flavour gets released. This will take about a minute.
- Tip in the rice and cook it for a minute while stirring to combine it with the spices. Add the water, coconut milk, salt, and the frozen peas. Stir again to combine everything, then turn up the heat till it boils.
- Bring the chicken back in, along with any juices that collected on the bottom of the plate, and cover the pan with a lid. Put it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Check that the rice is done before taking it out. The liquid should be fully absorbed so the rice becomes light and fluffy. Give it a bit more time if this hasn’t happened yet.
- Add the garnish and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I used skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs in this recipe but they could be replaced with skinless boneless chicken thighs or even breasts.
- If you do use skin on chicken thighs, they absolutely have to be browned first to avoid unpleasant skin texture later on.
- There are quite a few spices in this recipe, which might be challenging if you don’t normally use them in your everyday cooking. If that is your case, simply replace them with 2 tbsp of fresh curry powder. Your recipe might not taste exactly the same but it will be a fair substitute. By “fresh” I mean curry powder that is not past its due date. Even though spice mixes don’t spoil, they lose their aroma and potency quickly.
- I added frozen peas to my recipe but you can replace them with green beans, broccoli or any other vegetables you like.
Serving suggestions
This is a perfect one pan dinner, so let’s not complicate things with a lot of sides. If you do feel the need to add one more item to your table, then I would recommend something fresh and light like a Garden Salad or Smashed Cucumber Salad.
When it is time to serve, adding a fresh garnish will compliment the flavours of the chicken and rice, as well as colour. I went with sliced green onions and cilantro/coriander.
Storage and leftovers
I adore leftover chicken and rice bake! If you have any, it can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the oven with a splash of water to loosen the rice and prevent it drying out.
Or, if you need to or have it as an office lunch, reheat it in the microwave. I usually add a sprinkle of water before heating to add moisture to the rice.
More Chicken and Rice Recipes
- Spanish Chicken and Rice
- Indonesian Coconut Chicken and Rice
- Slow Cooker Thai Chicken and Rice Soup
- Chicken Biryani
Chicken and Yellow Rice
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 bone in chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, or 1 tsp paprika
- 270g / 1 1/2 cups This is an affiliate link.basmati rice
- 2 tsp salt
- 400ml/ 1¾ cup water
- 400ml / 14 oz This is an affiliate link.coconut milk
- 140g / 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander, for garnish
- 1 tbsp sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a large pan heat the oil and brown the chicken thighs on high heat on each side until golden but not cooked all the way through, then remove to a plate.
- Lower the heat and add the onion and ginger, cook for 5 minutes, then add garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin and the chilli powder, cook while scraping the bottom of the pan and stirring the whole time for 1 minute or so.
- Add the rice and cook while stirring for 1 minute, then add the water, coconut milk, salt and frozen peas stir to combine, turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
- Return the chicken with the juices, that collected at the bottom of the plate, to the pot, cover with a lid and put in the oven for 30 minutes or until the rice is done. By the end of the cooking time, the liquid should be completely absorbed, producing light and fluffy rice. (If there is still remaining liquid after 30 minutes, cook for 10 minutes longer uncovered.) Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro/coriander and sliced green onions.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Easy to make and everyone loved it. Great recipe!
Made this tonight for me and hubby. So easy . Beautiful mild curry flavours . Will definately be making again
I have made this recipe like 6 times and it’s always perfect! I use boneless skinless chicken thighs, but it’s so good. I’ve made it for company and my kids even eat it! It’s definitely a keep on my rotation.
It’s one of my favourite meals to serve when company is over. So glad you feel the same, Carolyn!
thank you, recipe is good, very tasty and the texture is nice with the coconut milk. so easy an amatuer can almost do it.I did not get the skin on the chicken crispy enough, next time!!
I am so glad you found this recipe easy and delicious, Peter!