Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Bake (2024)

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Jessica Fisher

Jessica FisherContributor

Jessica Fisher loves French food, creamy coffee, and great meals that don't cost a fortune. Mom of six children, she's written four cookbooks and five million to-do lists. Find her latest projects at Good Cheap Eats.

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updated May 1, 2019

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Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Bake (1)

Serves4 to 6

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Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Bake (2)

I first started making this dish for my parents and siblings when I was in high school. As the eldest girl, I claimed free reign over the kitchen. Over the years I transitioned the recipe from using Cornish hens and boxed rice mix to easier-to-wield chicken pieces and a homemade blend of rice and seasonings.

I’ve only used long-grain rice in this dish, but my new Costco find of short-grain brown rice has me eager to make this again soon.

Don’t be intimidated by the long cooking time; this is to accommodate the hands-off aspect of cooking the brown rice and the chicken together. Drippings from the chicken blend with the rice and seasonings to make a delicious sauce.

Be patient and curl up with a good book while you wait. You really do get to put your feet up with this meal, and the results will have your diners licking their plates.

Tester’s Notes

I confess the simplicity of this recipe made me a bit nervous. Could I really throw brown rice and chicken in the oven together? Would they be ready at the same time? The answer is a resounding yes.

As Jessica mentions, this does bake for nearly two hours, and into the second hour I was still nervous, as the rice didn’t appear to be soaking up the liquid. But then, around 1 hour 50 minutes, boom — the rice was moist, fluffy, and ready, seemingly all at once.

The long baking time does lead us to recommend bone-in chicken thighs instead of breasts, however. I also added a small amount of smoked paprika for flavor and color.

All in all, this is an incredibly easy and quick freezer meal to assemble — just a bit of chopping and mixing and it’s ready to freeze. On the other end, it bakes up delicious, savory, and comforting. A great family meal.

Faith, February 2015

Serve This With

  • Quick, Easy and Moist Whole Wheat Muffins (these also bake at 375°F).
  • Greek-Style Braised Green Beans (start when the chicken goes into the oven).
Comments

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup

    chopped onion

  • 1/2 cup

    sliced fresh mushrooms

  • 1 stalk

    celery, chopped

  • 2 pounds

    bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 large)

  • 1/2 cup

    vinaigrette of choice

  • 2 cups

    long-grain brown rice

  • 2 tablespoons

    wild rice

  • 1 teaspoon

    smoked paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    dried thyme

  • 1 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    freshly ground black peppper

  • 4 cups

    low-sodium chicken broth

  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Prep your bags: Label a 2-gallon freezer bag “Chicken and Wild Rice Bake” and include baking instructions. You will also need a gallon-sized bag, a quart-sized bag, and a sandwich bag. (If you prefer not to use bags you can use glass freezer containers instead.)

  2. Prep the vegetables: Spread the onion, mushrooms, and celery in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for about 20 minutes. After they are frozen, remove them from the freezer, place them in the sandwich bag, and seal.

  3. Prep the chicken: Combine the chicken thighs and vinaigrette in a gallon-size freezer bag. Seal and massage the bag to coat the chicken.

  4. Prep the rice: Combine the brown rice, wild rice, paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper in the quart-size freezer bag.

Freezing Instructions

  1. Place all 3 bags in the labeled 2-gallon bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thawing Instructions

  1. Remove the bag containing the marinade and chicken from the larger bag. Place the bag of chicken in a dish and thaw overnight in the refrigerator or until completely thawed. The remaining ingredients can stay in the freezer.

Baking Instructions

  1. When ready to cook, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

  2. Combine the rice mixture and the vegetables in the baking dish. Stir in the broth. Remove the thawed chicken pieces from the marinade and place them atop the rice. Discard the marinade left in the bag.

  3. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover and bake until the rice absorbs most of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Vinaiagrette: Use your favorite vinaigrette here, or whisk together 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar, 1 teaspoon mustard, and 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reprinted with permission from Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook by Jessica Fisher, copyright © 2012. Published by Harvard Common Press.

Filed in:

Casserole

Chicken

Dairy-Free

dinner

easy

Freezer Friendly

Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Bake (2024)

FAQs

Why is wild rice not a true rice? ›

Despite its name, wild rice is not rice at all. Although it is the seed of an aquatic grass like rice, it's not directly related to it. This grass grows naturally in shallow freshwater marshes and along the shores of streams and lakes.

Why is wild rice black? ›

Wild Rice Should Be Lighter in Color

That glossy deep black rice sure is pretty, but it's not wild. Black glossy rice is cultivated “paddy rice,” as Savage and others call it. Natural wild rice is a soft greyish brown and the grains are variegated in color.

Can you add raw chicken to rice? ›

it's a one pan dinner – the raw rice and chicken are cooked together at the same time; completely hands off – unlike cooking rice on the stove which requires more attention, you just put the pan in the oven, set the timer and walk away; quick to prepare – active prep time is under 10 minutes; and.

Why is wild rice so expensive? ›

Because of its unique harvesting needs (learn more about it here), wild rice is significantly more expensive than brown rice. In fact, it's one of the most expensive grains. In Washington State, as of January 2023, wild rice costs $5.16 per pound and brown rice costs 80 cents a pound.

Does wild rice spike blood sugar? ›

Wild rice is a good source of Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA). Some research has indicated that ALA is beneficial to people with type 2 diabetes. It may boost the body's ability to produce insulin and reduce the symptoms of diabetic nerve damage.

What are the side effects of wild rice? ›

Side Effects of Wild Rice

Wild rice seeds can be infected with a toxic fungus called ergot, which may be dangerous if eaten. Some side effects of ergot toxicity include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness, seizures and mental impairment. Similarly to regular rice, wild rice may contain heavy metals.

Is wild rice inflammatory? ›

Reduces Inflammation

Instead of acid-forming like most grains, wild rice is alkaline-forming. The balance created by consuming alkaline-forming foods helps your body treat and prevent all sorts of inflammation.

What is forbidden rice and why is it forbidden? ›

Forbidden rice is also known as imperial rice, heaven rice and king's rice. In ancient China, this exquisite ingredient was exclusive to the emperors, who ate it for longevity and good health. It was forbidden to all but the most wealthy and powerful people, thus its name.

What happens if you don't wash wild rice? ›

Here's Why. The chief reason to rinse is to remove surface starch from rice grains, which can make them gummy as they cook. Soaking allows rice to absorb water, giving it a leg up on cooking. This helps it to have a better, more even texture, instead of drying out while the inside is not evenly steamed and fluffed.

Can I use water instead of chicken broth for chicken and rice? ›

Yes, you can substitute water for chicken broth when cooking rice or pasta, but keep in mind that it will affect the flavor of the final dish.

What sauce to eat with chicken and rice? ›

Garlic Cream Sauce

Garlic lovers rejoice! A creamy and garlic-infused sauce can take your chicken and rice to new heights of deliciousness. This sauce combines the richness of cream with the bold flavors of garlic, resulting in a smooth and savory delight.

Is it better to cook rice in chicken stock or water? ›

Replacing water with chicken broth is one of the easiest ways to boost the flavor of your rice. Choose white or brown rice and decide if you'd like to add any other seasonings to the dish. You can use your preferred cooking method to make the rice with chicken broth.

Why is wild rice disappearing? ›

The cultivation of wild rice — manoomin in Ojibwe — has diminished in scale over centuries across northern Wisconsin, and faces further decline from warmer winters, extreme weather and other threats.

Should you wash wild rice before cooking? ›

Just like with any other type of rice, it's a good idea to rinse the rice before cooking. Pour a cup of wild rice into a mesh sieve and give it a good rinse. This will rid the rice of any starch that's lingering on the outside of the grain.

Why is wild rice hard to cook? ›

Similar to cooking brown rice, it takes longer to simmer on the stovetop because it's a whole grain. You need to simmer until the hull splits and gets tender, which usually takes about an hour. My Mom cooks wild rice in the oven for holidays, when stovetop space is at a premium, and that works well too.

Is wild rice a real thing? ›

Wild rice is a delicious, ancient grain that has been enjoyed by eaters since prehistoric times. Curiously, however, it is not actually rice but an aquatic grass — and in all but the rarest of circ*mstances, is not wild.

Is there fake wild rice? ›

Authentic wild rice ranges in color from light brown, to green-brown, to deep brown. It cooks up light and fluffy in 25 to 30 minutes, and it is very delicious. Imitation paddy-grown wild rice is long, black to dark brown, very hard, takes a long time to cook, has little taste, and is tough to chew.

Is Minnesota wild rice Real rice? ›

Wild rice (Zizania aquatica or Zizania palustris), called manoomin in the Ojibwe language, has been a staple food for Minnesota's Indians for centuries. It was adopted as the official state grain in 1977. It is an aquatic grass not related to common rice.

Is wild rice technically a seed rather than a rice? ›

What it is: Wild rice is really an aquatic seed found mostly in the freshwater lakes of Canada, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Cooked wild rice has a rich, nutty flavor, sometimes described as a smoky flavor, and a texture that is satisfyingly chewy.

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