This delicious oven-baked chicken and rice recipe is bursting with Thai flavor! A quick and easy one-pan meal, your whole family will love!
Be careful how you interpret the world; it is like that.
Erich Heller
We know how much you love Thai food, and I’m pretty sure this oven-baked chicken and rice recipe is one you’ll want to make on repeat! It’s made with chicken thighs seared in Thai red curry paste, nestled in fragrant coconut rice, and baked in the oven. It only requires a few ingredients and just 20 minutes of hands-on time before baking. Perfect for busy weeknights!
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Why You’ll Love this
- Bold flavor. Spicy red curry flavor with hints of ginger and lemongrass.
- Quick and easy. Only 20 minutes of hands-on time using simple ingredients, before baking in the oven (40 mins).
- Healthy! Wholesome, high-protein chicken baked with antioxidant-rich aromatics.
Baked Chicken and Rice Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: To save time we use boneless chicken thighs cut in chunks. Feel free to use bone-in skin-on thighs—leave them whole and increase baking time.
- Red Curry Paste: We love Maesri red curry paste for its authentic flavor, but Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste ( 2nd favorite) or Thai Kitchen (least favorite) works too. Or make your own!
- Aromatics: Shallot, garlic cloves, ginger, and fresh or frozen lemongrass.
- Fish sauce: Use vegan fish sauce if desired.
- Chicken broth: Or veggie broth.
- Coconut milk: Canned, use full fat.
- Coconut sugar: Or brown sugar.
- Jasmine rice: Don’t substitute with white rice. Jasmine rice is best. It is softer than other types of white rice or brown rice and requires less liquid to cook.
- Lime juice: Fresh, plus lime wedges for garnish.
- Garnish: Cilantro, basil, chilis, and peanuts.
Baked Chicken and Rice(Instructions)
Preheat oven to 400F.
Step 1: Season chicken. Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper, then brush generously with red curry paste onto both sides.
Step 2: Sear chicken. In a hot oven-proof pan, braiser, or large skillet (3-quart), add oil and sear the chicken over medium heat for 5 minutes. Flip and sear for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Sauté aromatics. Move chicken to edges and add oil to center, sautéing shallots for 2 minutes, then add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and stir until fragrant.
Step 4: Add liquid and rice. Add fish sauce, chicken broth, full-fat coconut milk, sugar, salt, and rice and bring to a simmer.
Step 5: Bake! Cover tightly, place in the oven, and bake 40 minutes.
Step 6: Garnish. Serve in bowls with fresh lime juice, chilis, fresh basil or cilantro, and optional peanuts.
Serving suggestions
- Roasted vegetables: Roast veggies on a sheet pan at the same time, for 20 minutes!
- Salad: Serve with Green Papaya Salad, Thai Crunch Salad, or Thai Grilled Eggplant Salad.
- Garnish with Peanut Chili Crunch.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or gently in a skillet. It makes a delicious midweek lunch!
Recipe Variations
- Curry paste: Try this recipe with different Thai curry pastes, like yellow or green curry.
- Make it vegan: Swap the chicken with tofu or veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, peas, onion, and red bell pepper) and use Vegan Fish Sauce.
- Add fruit: Mango or pineapple adds a sweet tartness to this dish.
FAQs
Jasmine rice is best. It is softer than other types of white rice or brown rice and requires less liquid to cook. If you use a different type of rice, you’ll need to adjust the liquid amount.
Try our recipe here! Thai Red Curry Paste
Depending on the brand it varies from mild to medium. You can always put a little on your finger to taste test it. We like Maesri brand of curry paste—it is a bit on the milder side.
Yes! Sauté the curry in a skillet with oil, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass.
Full of rich flavor, this Red Curry Chicken has subtle spice, a touch of sweetness, and savory flavor. The fish sauce adds umami, while the aromatics add fragrant flavor.
Yes, but you’ll need to prepare everything in a large skillet first, then transfer to a 14-ounce casserole dish.
Yes, use boneless chicken breast, cut into pieces.
Please let us know what you think in the comments below!
xoxoxo
More Thai Recipes You May Enjoy
Thai Baked Chicken and Rice
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 60 mins
- Yield: 4-5 1x
- Category: Main, Paleo, keto,
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Thai
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This delicious oven-baked chicken and rice recipe is bursting with Thai flavor! A quick and easy one-pan meal, your whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (see notes for bone-in)
- 1/4 cup red curry paste (we love Maesri Red curry paste) *adjust to taste, every brand has a varied spice level
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh or frozen lemongrass finely chopped or use lemongrass paste
- 1 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can coconut milk, full-fat
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups jasmine rice uncooked
- 6–8 Thai lime leaves (optional but so good- *see notes)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus more wedges for serving
Garnish with lime wedges, fresh basil (Thai basil is nice), chilis, and fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400F.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry and generously salt and pepper both sides of chicken. Rub or brush red curry paste on both sides of the chicken.
- Sear: In a hot oven-proof pan or large skillet (3-quart), add oil and sear chicken on both sides over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes; turn over and sear the undersides for 2-3 minutes. Move the seared chicken to the edges of the pan. Add more oil to the center and saute shallots for 2 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass and saute for about 1 minute.
- Add liquid & rice: Add fish sauce, chicken broth, coconut milk, sugar, salt, rice, and lime leaves, stir a little, and bring to a simmer.
- Bake: Cover with a lid or tightly with foil, place the skillet in the hot oven and bake for 40 minutes.
- Garnish: Drizzle lime juice on top and garnish with chilis, fresh basil and cilantro.
Notes
Feel free to use, bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, keeping in mine cooking time may increase, cook until internal temp reaches 170F
We like Maesri Red curry paste. It is a mild to medium spice level with a balanced flavor profile. Mae Ploy (second pick) or Thai Kitchen works too.
Rice: We recommend sticking with Jasmine rice for this recipe. It is a softer rice and needs less liquid to cook. If you use a different type of rice you will need to adjust the liquid measurements.
Thai lime leaves ( aka Makrut lime leaves, or Kaffir lime leaves): dried lime leaves are so convenient to keep on hand and have great flavor. They are also often available at Asian markets fresh or frozen ( freeze some for later!)
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days sealed in an airtight container in the fridge and can be reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh + 1 cup rice
- Calories: 442
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 1086.7 mg
- Fat: 13.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 66.7 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
This was delicious! The only change I made was using Tom yum paste instead of lemongrass. Thank you for the most interesting and flavourful recipes ! I love your website.
So happy you enjoyed this Joanne!
This is amazing! The taste is incredible and even better the next day. Definitely a keeper!
Thanks Pj, so happy you liked it!
I cooked the Thai Baked Chicken and Rice! It was so good! I doubled the recipe so our son and wife could take leftovers. They loved it so were happy to.
I’m not sure I comment on every recipe I cook but all have been delicious! Thanks
Thanks so much Sandra, glad it was enjoyed by all!
I cook your recipes all the time and love your recipes so much. However, this is my first time commenting because this was truly too good not too! Phenomenal meal – thank you!
So happy you enjoyed Leah! Thanks for the review!!
This was our Sunday dinner. Easy to prepare, great flavors and most of all…it is delicious!
So happy to hear Tina!
Wow! We absolutely love this easy to make recipe! Tried it last night and couldn’t stop exclaiming about how tasty this dish turned out. Thank you for yet another winner recipe!
Awesome Robin!
This was just delicious and the rice was creamy and divine! Great flavors. Another keeper!
Glad you enjoyed Kim!
I forgot to add 5 stars!
Thanks Marie!
Wow! This recipe is really delicious! My son said that I have to make it again. We found it really flavorful. I don’t know why I buy so many cooking books because most of the time, I make your recipes and we always enjoy them. Thank you for this website !
So happy to hear this Marie! I hear you on the cookbooks!
I am a little worried about the rice burning on the bottom, cooking in such a high temperature oven. Should I put a pan on the shelf below, or are you confident mine will look as lovely as yours! ☺
We used a heavy enamel pan with a tight lid, baked on the middle rack in the oven and have had no problems!
I made this tonight for company, always a brave move. I continued to worry about the bottom burning and the flavor of the lemongrass and lime leaves (1st time using). I used bone in chicken thighs but removed the skin and wound up using the entire can of Maesri red curry. My worries were for nothing. PERFECTION. It was so good, both fellows kept commenting on the different flavors that would come to the forefront. Even the 77 yr old widower told me he’d love it if I’d give him the recipe! I served it with steamed broccoli and a tangy Asian noodle salad with cucumber and topped with what remained of the Peanut Chili Crunch I made yesterday ☺ and kept snitching. Thank you for making my dinner so delicious. I’d give it 10 stars if I could.
So happy to hear this Pam! Glad you gave it a try. Thanks for sharing your process!
Such a wonderful meal. It was really hard to stop eating it even when full. Flavors were so satisfying. Thank you!!
I know what you mean! Glad you enjoyed. 🙂
I love the sound of this but really dislike chicken thigh meat – would you change anything in the method if using chicken breasts?
It should work, though breasts can over cook more easily. It will depend on the thickness for how long they need to bake. We have not tested this but what I would try: sear them well, then maybe after baking about 25 minutes, check the internal temperature, you want 165F, remove if done and continue to cook the rice until done. Try not to leave the lid off too long, the steam is what cooks the rice.