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This simple dump and bake butter herb chicken rice bake is the minimal effort, cozy dinner that the family will love! Prep the meal in the same pan you bake it in for less clean up, buttery herbed chicken with rice and spinach makes an entire meal in just one dish! Perfect easy weeknight dinner!
If dinner comes together with the least amount of effort and dishes, I am a happy woman. One-pan and one-pot meals are my go-to especially on the busier nights of the week.
Chicken and rice and buttery goodness make this simple prep dinner recipe a classic comfort dish but even better!
Why We Love This Butter Herb Chicken and Rice Bake
My latest dinner recipe OBSESSION has been the dump and bake dinner. It makes dinner so stinking simple, and allows you to do other things, like ya know, spend time with your family, while dinner cooks up. This buttery herbed chicken and rice is a cozy, comforting meal that you will fall in love with just liek we did!
This butter herb dump and bake chicken and rice:
- is so incredibly simple and quick to prep
- ingredients are kitchen and pantry staples so you likely have everything you need on hand to make it!
- is an entire meal in one dish–we love our one pan meals here!
- can easily be varied by adding a variety of fresh herbs, other veggies, etc.
If you fall in love with this recipe, try these other dump and bake dinners: Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice, Greek Chicken and Orzo, Taco Chicken and Rice Casserole, Creamy Baked Chicken Orzo or this Chicken Ramen Noodle Bake!
Ingredient Notes
- Freshly grated parmesan will melt the best in this dish. Using the pre-grated parmesan will make it a touch less smooth, but will certainly still work well.
- I have only used long grain white rice to test this recipe so not sure how other rice variations will work just yet. Make sure to really rinse the rice so that you get any excess starch off of the rice to keep it from becoming gummy.
- Cut the chicken into as even pieces as possible for even cooking. We use boneless skinless chicken breast. The added butter in this dish will help keep the chicken nice and moist, an added bonus!
Ways To Vary This Recipe
- add all the fresh herbs: you can finish this off with your favorites: chopped basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, any addition will really add a layer of flavor.
- toss in some vegetables: you can sauté some onions if you’d like, mushrooms, stir in some broccoli even?
- make it even cheesier: after you add the spinach, cream and parmesan cheese, feel free to cover with some freshly shredded mozzarella and bake for several minutes to get it nice and melty.
- add a squeeze of lemon juice
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Add rice, broth, butter and minced garlic to a 9×13 inch baking pan and stir to combine. I use the 2 cups, and then later after baking, if it feels a bit too dry, add in the extra ¼ cup or a bit more if desired.
Step 2: Add the cubed chicken over top and sprinkle seasonings. Gently stir to combine. *You can add the spinach at this time if preferred. After original testing, I did it before baking and found liked it a bit better this way because the spinach bakes with all the flavors and seasoning.
Step 3: Cover the pan with foil and seal very tight. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken has reached 165°F and the rice is tender.
Step 4: Once cooked, stir in the parmesan and allow to melt. (Add in the cream as well, if using at this time.)
Step 5: Add the spinach and stir it in, let it sit for several minutes to wilt.
Step 6: Allow the dish to rest for several minutes before serving. Serve with fresh chopped herbs (thyme, sage, or parsley are faves) and more parmesan.
Recipe Tips
Make sure you have the foil TIGHT on the baking dish. This traps in steam and moisture needed to cook the dish. Resist the urge to open it before at least 45 minutes so you don’t lose any of the steam.
Use an instant read thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked to 165°F. I try to check several of the pieces after 45/50 minutes to see how it’s going.
If there is still moisture/liquid in the pan and the rice and chicken are cooked, that is ok. It will thicken up when you add the parmesan and spinach. If it’s too dry, add the extra broth to make sure it doesn’t dry out. You can add that warmed for best results.
Storage
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container. To freeze, allow it to cool completely before transferring to the freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat, bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes, adding an extra splash of broth if needed to moisten up the mixture.
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Dump and Bake Butter Herb Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain white rice*, rinsed well
- 2 – 2¼ cups chicken broth, low sodium preferred
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 – 4 Tbsp melted butter
- 1½ lb chicken breast, cut in bite-sized pieces
- 1 ½ – 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
- ¼ cup heavy cream, technically optional, but adds richness and creaminess
- 2 cups chopped baby spinach, measured before chopping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Add rice, broth, butter and minced garlic to a 9×13 inch baking pan and stir to combine. I use the 2 cups, and then later after baking, if it feels a bit too dry, add in the extra ¼ cup or a bit more if desired.
- Add the cubed chicken over top and sprinkle seasonings Gently stir to combine. (*You can also add the spinach at this time if preferred. After original testing, I did it before baking and found liked it a bit better this way because the spinach bakes with all the flavors and seasoning.)
- Cover the pan with foil and seal very tight. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the chicken has reached 165°F and the rice is tender.
- Once cooked, stir in the parmesan and cream if using and allow to melt. Add the spinach and stir it in, let it sit for several minutes to wilt.
- Allow the dish to rest for several minutes before serving. Serve with fresh chopped herbs (thyme, sage, or parsley are faves) and more parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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