Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs: tender, marinated chicken thighs filled with rice, carrots and onions. A one-pot meal for any occasion. Serve with any salad, cucumbers or tomatoes!
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This recipe of Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs is one of my loved recipes. It’s simple to make and if you’re a chicken meat lover and love pilaf recipes, this is kind of 2-in-1. All you need is a salad and you’ve got a fabulous complete meal. This dish is very popular on major holidays and big gatherings.
I like to marinate all meats most of the time, especially chicken. It will give a chance to absorb all the flavors and spices, and once cooked it tastes tender and you can really taste all those flavors. However, if you want to make this recipe quicker, leave the chicken thighs in a cold or iced water for an hour to dispose any of that excess chicken aroma.
In my little family, I’m more of a chicken eater while my husband is more of a pork and beef eater. If the chicken meal is prepared right and doesn’t give that chicken aroma, he will eat it, that’s why I always marinate to get the best out of my chicken 🙂
Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs Ingredients:
- 6 natural skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large onion
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise (1 T mayo per thigh)
- 3 teaspoons salt or to test (1/4 tsp salt per thigh+1/2 tsp rice seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste (1/8 tsp pepper per thigh+2 pinch for rice)
- grapeseed oil to sauté onions & carrots
- water to cook rice
How to Make Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs:
1. Wash and paper towel pat try 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cut out any excess skins or fatty spots or anything you don’t like to have in your chicken. Lay 1st chicken thigh flat onto a cutting board, spread 1/2 tbsp mayo to cover the thigh and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste OR about 1/8 tsp salt and 1/16 tsp ground pepper. Flip chicken thigh to the other side, and again spread 1/2 tbsp mayo and sprinkle with salt and pepper (1/8 tsp salt and 1/16 tsp ground pepper). Transfer to a bowl and repeat for the remaining 5 chicken thighs. Cover bowl with plastic food wrap and refrigerate to marinate seasoned chicken thighs for at least 8 hours OR I prefer overnight.
2. NEXT DAY Or 8 HRS LATER: Preheat a skillet on medium heat with enough oil to cover the bottom. Finely chop 1 large onion and add into pre-heated skillet. Meanwhile, peel and rinse 3 large carrots. Grate 2 of them onto a small hole. When onions become translucent and gold-ish color, add in grated carrots and continue saute for about 2-3 mins; remove from heat and set aside when done.
3. In a small saucepan, bring enough water to cover the rice to boil. Rinse 1/2 cup uncooked rice in cold water and place it into boiled water; bring back to boil and lower to low heat until rice is soft but not mushy (about 8-10 mins). Strain cooked rice into a sifter or colander and rinse with cold water; transfer back into the saucepan. Stir in sautéed onions and carrots into rice. Season with 1-2 pinch of pepper and 1/2 tsp salt and stir again; set aside.
To Bake Chicken Thighs:
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Take out marinated chicken thighs from refrigerator. Place 1 chicken thigh onto a cutting board inside out, add about 2 tbsps of rice mixture in the middle of chicken thigh, gather thigh sides together to close from rice falling out and place into a baking dish with the thigh seam on the bottom. Repeat the same with remaining 5 chicken thighs. You will have remaining rice mixture. Spread the rice in empty spaces in the baking dish.
Using Julienne Grater aka Korean Carrot Grater, grate 1 remaining large carrot and spread it over the top of ready-for-the-oven chicken thighs for that extra seasoning. (If you don’t have a Julienne Grater, you can use Benriner Mandolin with medium blade inserted). Cover thighs with foil and place the baking dish into the oven. Bring to boil (usually takes about 20 minutes to see little bubbles on the bottom of baking dish). I use glass baking dish so I can see when it bubbles. Then bake for 1 hour.
When you have 15 minutes remaining, remove foil to get a bit of gold-ish, crispy top of your dish. Serve fresh or refrigerate leftovers when cooled and heat the next day to continue enjoying these!!
Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 6 natural skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice
- 3 large carrots
- 1 large onion
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 T mayo per thigh
- 3 teaspoons salt or to test, 1/4 tsp salt per thigh+1/2 tsp rice seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper or to taste, 1/8 tsp pepper per thigh+2 pinch for rice
- grapeseed oil to sauté onions & carrots
- water to cook rice
Instructions
- Wash and paper towel pat try 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cut out any excess skins or fatty spots or anything you don’t like to have in your chicken. Lay 1st chicken thigh flat onto a cutting board, spread 1/2 tbsp mayo to cover the thigh and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste OR about 1/8 tsp salt and 1/16 tsp ground pepper. Flip chicken thigh to the other side, and again spread 1/2 tbsp mayo and sprinkle with salt and pepper (1/8 tsp salt and 1/16 tsp ground pepper). Transfer to a bowl and repeat for the remaining 5 chicken thighs. Cover bowl with plastic food wrap and refrigerate to marinate seasoned chicken thighs for at least 8 hours OR I prefer overnight.
- NEXT DAY Or 8 HRS LATER: Preheat a skillet on medium heat with enough oil to cover the bottom. Finely chop 1 large onion and add into pre-heated skillet. Meanwhile, peel and rinse 3 large carrots. Grate 2 of them onto a small hole. When onions become translucent and gold-ish color, add in grated carrots and continue saute for about 2-3 mins; remove from heat and set aside when done.
- In a small saucepan, bring enough water to cover the rice to boil. Rinse 1/2 cup uncooked rice in cold water and place it into boiled water; bring back to boil and lower to low heat until rice is soft but not mushy (about 8-10 mins). Strain cooked rice into a sifter or colander and rinse with cold water; transfer back into the saucepan. Stir in sautéed onions and carrots into rice. Season with 1-2 pinch of pepper and 1/2 tsp salt and stir again; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Take out marinated chicken thighs from refrigerator. Place 1 chicken thigh onto a cutting board inside out, add about 2 tbsps of rice mixture in the middle of chicken thigh, gather thigh sides together to close from rice falling out and place into a baking dish with the thigh seam on the bottom. Repeat the same with remaining 5 chicken thighs. You will have remaining rice mixture. Spread the rice in empty spaces in the baking dish. Now using a Julienne Grater, grate 1 remaining large carrot and spread it over the top of ready-for-the-oven chicken thighs for that extra seasoning. (If you don’t have a Julienne Grater, you can certainly use Benriner Mandolin with medium blade inserted or any similar slicer to make the similar finished look in your dish, but I just LOVE those long carrot pieces from Julienne Grater – looks so festive!). Cover thighs with foil and place the baking dish into the oven. Bring to boil (usually takes about 20 minutes to see little bubbles on the bottom of baking dish). Then bake for 1 hour. When you have 15 minutes remaining, remove foil to get a bit of gold-ish, crispy top of your dish. Serve fresh or refrigerate leftovers when cooled and heat the next day to continue enjoying these!!
Kseniya says:
These are so easy and unique. I doubled the serving and followed the recipe exactly. They turned out super tasty. A keeper 🙂
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thanks Kseniya! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Colleen says:
This recipe is amazing! So happy I tried it. One of my guests said it was the best combo of chicken and rice she ever had!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thank you Colleen, I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Laurel says:
The chicken turned out so tender and so yummy. I made these for Easter dinner and then again over the weekend. I love how you explain every detail. Love your recipes!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish 🙂
April M. says:
Had these chicken thighs last night for dinner. They are so easy to make and turned out so yummy. This recipe is a keeper and I will make them again and again.
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thanks April! Invite me for dinner next time 😛
Lana says:
These kind of remind me of the cabbage rolls. I love cabbage rolls and now I love these. Great recipe!
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Thanks Lana, yes the rice, carrots and onions are kind of like cabbage rolls, except here’s chicken and rolls have cabbage! 🙂
Oksana says:
Can you use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Hi Oksana, sorry for such late reply. I was working on comments settings and saw that your comment was never posted for some reason. I’ve never used chicken breasts for this recipe. I like working with chicken thighs because the meat is so soft and not as dry as chicken breast.
Lana says:
What kind of rice you use?
Olga in the Kitchen says:
Lana, I use Basmati rice. In fact I use it in most of my cooking.