Baked Chicken With Yellow Rice

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/2/21
Chicken and saffron rice

Philippe Desnerck / Photolibrary / Getty Images

Prep: 8 mins
Cook: 100 mins
Total: 108 mins
Servings: 8 servings

In this easy dish, chicken is baked with yellow rice, which gets its color (and flavor) from a few generous pinches of saffron threads. Saffron is the stigma of the crocus flower, and it is a common ingredient in Indian and Spanish dishes, as well as Italian risotto. It is also an ingredient found in real Arabic coffee and Swedish saffron bread. Saffron is handpicked, making it one of the most expensive spices in the world by weight. (In some cuisines, the less-expensive turmeric is substituted.)

Combining chicken, vegetables, and rice, this dish is a complete meal. Feel free to add carrots or substitute frozen green beans for the peas.

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Ingredients

  • 2 generous pinches saffron threads

  • 1 tablespoon hot water

  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 (2-ounce) jar pimento, drained and chopped

  • 2 1/2 cups long-grain rice

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 10 ounces frozen green peas

  • 5 cups water, low-sodium chicken stock. or vegetable stock

  • 2 frying chickens, cut up, or 6 pounds chicken parts

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C. Soak saffron threads in 1 tablespoon of hot water for 10 minutes.

  3. In a large skillet, sauté the green bell pepper and onion in the olive oil until tender.

  4. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a large shallow baking dish or roasting pan; add all of the remaining ingredients except chicken and salt and mix together thoroughly.

  5. Sprinkle chicken pieces with kosher salt and place on top of the rice mixture, skin-side up.

  6. Cover the baking dish or pan with a lid or cover tightly with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165 F/74 C. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to brown the chicken.

  7. Serve the chicken and rice with a tossed salad, Caesar salad, or fresh sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.

  8. Enjoy.

Glass Bakeware Warning

For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

Tips

  • According to the USDA, the minimum safe temperature for chicken and other types of poultry is 165 F/74 C. Use a reliable instant-read thermometer to check the chicken. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the largest pieces, not touching bone.
  • Always refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours—within 1 hour if the temperature is 90 F or above.

Recipe Variations

  • Instead of cut-up chickens, use all chicken legs or thighs or whole legs, or use split chicken breasts.
  • Add multicolored bell peppers and 1 can of drained diced tomatoes. 
  • If you want an even easier method, you can "cheat" and used a 1-pound package of yellow rice with saffron. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
884 Calories
48g Fat
22g Carbs
85g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 884
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g 62%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 320mg 107%
Sodium 566mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 22g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 85g
Vitamin C 24mg 119%
Calcium 70mg 5%
Iron 6mg 36%
Potassium 867mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)