An easy one-pan dinner for roasted chicken in an oven baking bag that cooks up like a rotisserie chicken surrounded by mounds of flavorful rice!
JUMP TO RECIPEThis recipe is one my mom created 40+ years ago that we ate quite often and the whole family loved it!
She loved it because it was so easy and an absolute breeze to clean up. We loved it because of the rice! Daddy's favorite food was rice and this dish provides plenty of it!
The only difference in my version and hers is that I use my Chicken Scratch chicken seasoning blend to season the chicken. I'm pretty sure she just used salt and pepper - which you could absolutely do too!
I'm surprised baking bags have lost popularity over the years. Maybe it's because home cooks don't prepare whole roasts and chickens as much any more. Or maybe the unknown of using the bags is a little intimidated but they couldn't be easier!
Oven bags create a self-basting environment around whatever you're cooking so everything cooks up juicy and tender.
And the best part?? There's nothing to clean when you're done! Everything stays contained in the bag so when supper's over, just toss the bag in the trash and rinse out the pan if needed.
HOW TO USE OVEN BAKING BAGS
- Place the bag in a roasting pan.
- Fill the bag with ingredients (anything you'd typically roast together).
- Tie the bag with the provided fastener.
- Cut a few slits in the top of the bag to vent.
- Bake as usual.
A FEW RECIPE NOTES
- If you’re using a small fryer, the chicken should cook through just fine (anything bigger and maybe not). If the chicken isn't quite done, fear not! Lift the chicken out of the bag and set into a second baking dish. Return the chicken back to the oven and cook, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Meanwhile, leave rice in the bag in the dish and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Feel free to add minced onions to the rice with the celery.
- This recipe uses uncooked extra-long grain rice. Other types of rice have different cooking times and require different amounts of liquid and will not work with this recipe.
Recipe for How to Cook Chicken Rice in a Bag
Chicken & Rice in a Bag
An easy one-pan dinner recipe for roasted chicken that cooks up juicy and tender like a rotisserie chicken, surrounded by mounds of flavorful rice!
Ingredients
- 1 4-pound fryer chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups extra-long grain white rice
- 1/2 cup finely minced celery
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 batch Chicken Scratch Seasoning (recipe below)
- 1 baking bag (for meats up to 8-lbs)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/3 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/3 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/3 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Rinse chicken and trim any excessive skin or fat from the cavity opening. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub the chicken with olive oil.
- Flip the chicken upside down (breast-side down) and sprinkle with a little less than half of the Chicken Scratch. Flip the bird right-side up (breast-side up) and sprinkle with remaining Chicken Scratch.
- Place the baking bag in a 13x9 baking dish with the open end hanging over one of the short sides a bit (to keep the wet ingredients from spilling out). Add rice, celery, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the bag and stir to combine (or just jostle the bag around a bit).
- Place the seasoned chicken in the bag on top of the rice. Puff up the bag to keep it from sticking to the spices on the chicken then seal with the tie. Cut three 1/2-inch slits in the top of the bag to vent.
- Place dish in the oven then bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and cut open the baking bag.
- Insert a thermometer into the thigh to ensure the temperature is at 175 degrees. Remove chicken to a cutting board then cover dish with foil to keep the rice warm. Let the chicken rest at least 15 minutes before carving into separate pieces. Arrange pieces over rice in baking dish.
Notes
- If you’re using a small fryer, the chicken should cook through just fine (anything bigger and maybe not). If the chicken isn't quite done, fear not! Lift the chicken out of the bag and set into a second baking dish. Return the chicken back to the oven and cook, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Meanwhile, leave rice in the bag in the dish and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
- Feel free to add minced onions to the rice with the celery.
- This recipe uses uncooked extra-long grain rice. Other types of rice have different cooking times and require different amounts of liquid and will not work with this recipe.
would this recipe still work for cut up fryer chicken?
ReplyDeleteI think so! I'd reduce the cook time to about an hour and 10 minutes then check for doneness (if it's not done, just throw it back in the oven). Good luck!
DeleteWill the chicken brown in the bag? Also, do you do anything to your rice before putting it in the bag like rinsing? Mine always seems to clump when I cook it this way. Maybe I'm cooking it too long.
ReplyDeleteYour chicken will look just like mine. The skin isn't crispy but it's nicely colored like this. I don't do anything to the rice first - I just throw it in there :)
DeleteI need this chicken and rice in my life :)
ReplyDeleteI have cooked this b4, only used Morton's seasons salt instead of chicken scratch seasoning. I like to add sliced fresh mushrooms, frozen pearls onions - just a few and cook it for 2 hours. The cooking time makes the chic cooked how we like it and it is still moist and rice is fine. I will try next time with ur chic scratch seasoning!
ReplyDeleteOh, I meant to tell u that sometimes my husband wants the rice a little bit "gravy" like so when he wants it like that, I leave out the mushrooms, and add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup to chicken broth and mix well. Sometimes I even add carrot shoestrings ( I buy from store) and give them a chop or two so they R not too long. This is my way of adding extra vegi's, it's in creamy "gravy" rice - who is gonna complain?
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe, Made this a few times, First as recipe direction, then played with it. I have added asparagus to it I have also add sliced onion, peas and baby carrots. The last time I added, zucchini and summer squash with whole grape tomatoes. All were good. Thank you
ReplyDeleteis it long grain rice you use? and chicken pieces work just as well? This looks sooooo good!
ReplyDeleteYes, long grain rice. I think pieces would work just fine!
DeleteCan I cook this in my crock pot?? I work nights and would love to come home to this meal..
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. I think the rice would overcook into mush. Let us know if you try it anyway :)
DeleteHow do you measure 1/3 teaspoon? I only have 1/4 and 1/8 measuring spoons....
ReplyDeleteI just bought some wild rice, and I have some long grain rice. Would it work to mix the two? I've never cooked wild rice before. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThis is a seriously amazing recipe. I tried this today and I usually don't get recipes right on the first try. Today, it was perfect! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI recently made chicken soup with a whole chicken and there was an enormous amount of fat from the chicken. Do you think there might be a way to do this recipe so the rice wasn't sitting in a lot of fat?? Trying to eat healthy.
ReplyDeleteYou can trim off a ton of extra skin around the cavity openings so that should help. This recipe makes a TON of rice so the fat gets distributed pretty well.
Delete