Description
Tender chicken legs bake over fragrant, spice-kissed rice in one pan, delivering juicy meat, fluffy grains, and minimal cleanup—a dependable weeknight hero.
Ingredients
6 bone-in chicken legs, skin on
1 ½ cups long-grain rice, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (garnish)
Instructions
1. Pat chicken legs dry and season with salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, and lemon juice.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium heat; sear chicken 2 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
3. Add remaining olive oil to the skillet; sauté onion 3 minutes, then stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Add rice, cumin, and turmeric; toast 1 minute while stirring.
5. Pour in warm broth, add bay leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Nestle seared chicken legs skin-side up on top of the rice.
7. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 °F (190 °C) for 35 minutes.
8. Remove foil; bake 15-20 minutes more until chicken reaches 165 °F (74 °C) and skin turns golden.
9. Rest pan 5 minutes; fluff rice with a fork and sprinkle parsley before serving.
Notes
Use bone-in thighs interchangeably with legs.
Swap basmati for long-grain rice without changing liquid ratio.
For extra heat, add ¼ tsp cayenne with the dry spices.
Store leftovers refrigerated up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of broth to revive moisture.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 165 mg
Keywords: Chicken Legs and Rice, one-pan dinner, easy bake