Easy Curried Chicken and Rice
This Easy Curried Chicken and Rice is one of our favourite baked chicken dinner recipes and so easy to make, thanks to the magic of curry powder. It may surprise you to know that curry powder is an entirely British invention that blends certain spices together to invoke the flavours of Indian cooking. Whilst not actually used in Indian cooking, curry powder is a nice combination of spices in its own right and great for flavouring dishes.
Chicken and rice is hard combination to beat, and it tastes even better when it can be cooked as a one pot meal, thus saving time and reducing washing up. After a bit of prep work, pop all the ingredients into a heavy based, lidded pot, stick it in the oven, and let it do its thing. For juicy tender meat, I use a cast iron casserole dish to lock in heat and cook at an even temperature.
Easy Curried Chicken and Rice is a regular feature in my weeknight dinner menu rotation. It cooks while I'm out collecting the kids and can even be left standing for quite a while before eating. As long as the lid remains closed, the cast iron retains the heat and keeps the dish warm for when you're ready to eat. Resting the chicken for a while before serving also helps to tenderise the meat for an even juicier texture.
Recipe for Easy Curried Chicken and Rice
Ingredients:
Oil for cooking
8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin*
2 Tbsp curry powder**
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
250g white basmati rice***
625ml chicken stock
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C fan.
- In a large bowl, coat the chicken pieces evenly with the curry powder.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with some kitchen paper.
- Working in batches, heat some oil over medium heat in a cast iron casserole with lid, or any other lidded heavy-based, dish. When the oil is hot, place the chicken pieces in, skin side down, and brown for about five minutes before flipping and repeating on the other side.
- Be very careful of hot oil splatters - I like to wear oven mitts when browning my chicken!
- When both sides are browned, removed the chicken and set aside for later use; repeat the process with the next batch, adding more oil if necessary.
- When all the chicken has been browned, turn the heat down to medium low, add some more oil, and cook the onion for a few minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the rice and cook for another minute, mixing well until all the grains are coating with oil.
- Spread the rice mixture evenly across the base of the dish, and lay the browned chicken on top in a single layer, skin side up.
- Add the chicken stock, cover the dish and turn off the heat.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven, and bake for about 45 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
- Turn off the oven and remove the dish when done baking, and allow the chicken to rest for about 10-20 minutes with the lid on.
- Carefully remove the lid - escaping steam can be quite hot!
- Portion the chicken and rice onto plates and serve.
- This is such a wonderfully comforting dish, and my favourite part is the burnt bits of rice around the edge of the casserole! : )
Note:
* You could chop a whole chicken into eight pieces, but I prefer to use chicken thighs for their juiciness and meatiness.
** Use mild curry powder if you are cooking for younger children or don't eat spicy foods, or feel free to turn up the heat with medium or hot curry powder!
*** For added texture in the rice, try a basmati and wild rice mixture.
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