This Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thigh Rice Bake is a comforting meal that is easy enough for a weeknight dinner! It’s made with seasoned chicken thighs, jasmine rice, chicken broth, Parmesan Garlic sauce, cream cheese, and mozzarella cheese and baked in the oven.

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Easy Parmesan Garlic Chicken Dinner

If you are looking for an easy and delicious chicken and rice casserole this dinner won’t disappoint. The chicken thighs are perfectly seasoned and juicy, while the rice gets creamy, cheesy, and packed with garlic Parmesan flavor!

The chicken thighs are quickly seared and then the oven does the rest of the work for you! The Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Rice is perfect for a weeknight dinner and leftovers reheat well.

My kids absolutely loved the cheesy rice in this recipe. Serve the chicken and rice with a salad or any vegetable your family likes and you’ve got a complete meal the whole family will enjoy.

If you want to make this recipe with chicken breasts in one pan, check out my Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Rice Skillet. This has been popular lately and for good reason!

Looking for another easy chicken thigh recipe made with Parmesan Garlic sauce? Be sure to check out my Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thigh Sheet Pan Meal!

My family also loves my Crockpot Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Potatoes or Crockpot Parmesan Garlic Chicken Pasta! Both recipes are easy comfort food made with chicken, Parmesan garlic sauce, and mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Casserole

Boneless skinless chicken thighs
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and dried parsley
Chopped onion
Minced garlic
Parmesan Garlic sauce
Jasmine rice
Chicken broth
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Dried parsley

Make Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thigh Rice Bake

To make this easy chicken and rice casserole, start by chopping your onion and measuring out your seasonings.

Add 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs to a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a little bit of oil.

Quickly sear the chicken thighs for a couple of minutes on each side and remove them from the skillet.

Searing the chicken thighs first helps give the chicken thighs a nice golden brown color and helps them have more flavor.

Turn the heat down to low and add the chopped onion, rice, minced garlic, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Parmesan garlic sauce, and chicken broth to the skillet.

Skillet of rice, onions, broth, cream cheese, Parmesan garlic sauce

Bring to a simmer and stir.

Once the cream cheese is melted turn off the heat on the stove.

Next, add this mixture to a greased 9×13 casserole dish.

Finally, add chicken thighs to the rice and cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Uncooked casserole dish of rice and chicken thighs

Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes or until the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees (ideally 185 degrees F) and the rice is cooked.

Once the chicken thighs are fully cooked, remove the foil, add shredded mozzarella cheese, and dried parsley.

Place the garlic Parmesan chicken and rice back in the oven for just a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.

Serve Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thighs and Rice

Once the cheese is melted on the chicken and rice casserole, it’s time to eat!

Serve the chicken thighs and rice with a salad or any vegetable your family likes!

Plated Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thigh Rice Bake

Store any leftovers in a container in the refrigerator. Leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day.

You will love this recipe because it’s cheesy comfort food, family-friendly, and is easy to customize to your family’s liking.

Tips and Substiutions

I used Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic sauce, you can use any brand your family likes. Just note some find this sauce spicy. My kids ate this and didn’t think it was spicy at all, but you can go lighter on the sauce or use a less spicy brand if you prefer.
Be sure not to skip rinsing the rice. This helps remove excess starch and will help the rice cook nice and fluffy instead of sticky.
Searing the chicken thighs first helps give the dish more flavor and a better overall appearance.
Technically the chicken is safe at 165 degrees F, but I like to cook thighs a little longer (closer to 185 degrees F) to help them be more tender and juicy!
Broil the dish at the very end to help melt the cheese and brown the chicken.
I use Jasmine Rice in this recipe because I’ve found it cooks well in one pan meals. If you use a different type of rice you may need to adjust the liquid or cooking time.

Parmesan Garlic Chicken and Rice Casserole

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to sear the chicken thighs first?

Searing the chicken gives it more flavor and a nice golden brown appearance. While you could skip this step, I think taking the time to sear the chicken does make the finished casserole better. If you don’t sear the chicken it may also need to bake for a few extra minutes.

What type of rice works best?

I make this recipe using Jasmine rice. I’ve found the Jasmine rice cooks really well in one pan recipes. If you use a different type of rice you may need to adjust the cooking time or the amount of liquid.

Can I use Minute Rice in this rice bake?

I don’t recommend using Minute Rice in this recipe. It is already precooked, so it cooks much faster than jasmine rice and could become mushy or result in too much liquid in the rice bake. A long grain white rice would be the best alternative rice.

Do I have to cook the rice first?

No, the rice will go in the casserole uncooked and rinsed. It will cook perfectly in the broth in the oven.

Do I need to actually rinse the rice?

Yes, I always rinse jasmine rice before cooking it. Rinsing the rice will help remove excess starch and result in fluffier rice instead of sticky rice. Just be sure to drain the rice well before adding it to the recipe.

Is the Parmesan Garlic sauce spicy?

Some think that the Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic is spicy. My kids ate this and didn’t think it was spicy, but I recommend trying the sauce first if you haven’t used it before. If you find it spicy you can use a different brand or use less of the bottled sauce.

What should I serve with this dinner?

I like serving a salad or some kind of vegetable with chicken and rice casseroles. Green beans, roasted broccoli, asparagus, or zucchini would all be good options. You could also serve this with some garlic bread or a roll.

More Family Dinner Recipes

If you make this Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thigh Rice Bake I hope it’s a hit! If you enjoy it, please leave me a review or save this recipe to your Pinterest account to save it for later!