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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!

Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs: tender, marinated chicken thighs filled with rice, carrots and onions. A one-pot meal for any occasion. | olgainthekitchen.com

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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

5 from 9 votes
Prep Time: 9 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 10 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6 thighs
Tender, marinated chicken thighs filled with rice, carrots and onions. A one-pot meal that will go nicely with any salad at any time of the year, especially holidays.

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!!