It’s no secret, I posted a lot of sweets recipes during the holidays. It’s hard to resist posting those fun recipes because I’m a baker at heart. Love baking for friends, family and neighbors. But, man (and woman) cannot live by treats (or bread) alone. So let’s talk a great main dish dinner recipe today to kick off the New Year: Easy Chicken Thigh & Wild Rice Bake.
It’s not like I’ve been holding out on you with this recipe, but we probably make it at least every other week all school year long. I mostly make things from scratch around here. However. I’m a mama of four boys. Busy like you. And last year I had one child each in pre-school, elementary, middle school and high school. So I’m going four different directions on any given day. And even if Jon and I divide and conquer, which we often do, we’re both still going two different ways. Sometimes we need a fast and easy dinner slow cooking in the oven while we’re running around. A dinner that everyone loves. That feeds a crowd. That’s protein packed. That’ll feed an extra friend or two at the dinner table as needed. This recipe has a few short cuts so it only takes five minutes to make. The shortcuts are condensed soup and a packet of dry onion soup mix. Yep, and just five minutes to make. Jon bakes this easy dinner for our family as often as I do. We don’t even need a recipe anymore.
Easy Chicken Thigh & Wild Rice Bake cooks in the oven for a little over two hours unattended. Sometimes I use bone-in chicken thighs because it makes for a more tender and flavorful, fall-apart chicken. Other times I use boneless thighs because they’re on sale or what I have on hand. You can use chicken breasts for this recipe too. But I find bone-in chicken thighs are portion-control friendly and more tender and juicy for this dish.
This Easy Chicken Thigh & Wild Rice Bake works great on weeknights, weekends, even for company. Also the perfect meal to bring to a family with a new baby or recuperating patient. It’s fast to make two at the same time: one to eat and one to bring. Add a salad and you’re done!
Easy Chicken Thigh & Wild Rice Bake
Ingredients
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice mix uncooked
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried instant minced onion
- 1 teaspoon celery flakes dried
- 4 pounds skinless bone-in or boneless chicken thighs
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, stir together creamed soups, uncooked wild rice mix, water and herbs. (not the onion soup mix)
- Place rice mixture in bottom of greased 9 X 13" baking dish.
- Place chicken thighs on top of rice mixture.
- Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 envelope onion soup mix.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake at 300° for 2 hours.
- Remove foil and turn oven up to 350° and cook for 15 more minutes to crisp chicken.
Easy Chicken Thigh & Wild Rice Bake
You may also like: Garlic Chicken Thighs
Kelly @ TastingPage says
I LOVE chicken thighs. I used to only buy chicken breast, thinking that was the best you could do, but I was so wrong. Now I’ll only buy thighs – they’re so much juicier. And your recipe looks like the perfect weekday dinner for serving them!
Catherine says
Dear Allie, This is my idea of a perfect meal. Chicken thighs are one of my favorites and they are so easy to prepare. The wild rice bake is a perfect accompanying side. This sounds so perfect and so delicious! xoxo, Catherine
lindsay Cotter says
easy and looks amazing! love a good chicken recipe i can rely on!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
I can see why you make this so often–easy, filling and great flavor. It will become a staple at my house now too I am sure!
Tracy says
This is the perfect week day meal for busy families. I have made this recipe before but not with thighs and wild rice. I used breasts and brown rice. This is the jazzed up version. I too discovered chicken thighs and love them! They don’t dry out like chicken breasts. Can’t wait to try this new version with thighs and WILD rice! Yum! Thanks Allie!!
Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek says
Looks yummy.
I’m always on the lookout for something easier to make. I know which days of the week require a more simple meal. I’ll be giving this one a try.
Susie Mandel says
Yumm!!! Can’t wait to put this on the table (and in my mouth). 🙂
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
Wow Allie – I find my hands full with one kiddo, and here you are managing 4 and putting dinner on the table – have I told you yet that I think you rock?!
And what a fabulous dinner this is – I adore bone-in chicken thighs and these ones have such a lovely glaze as well as crispness! And ooh – that rice looks so creamy! So when are you or Jon making this next? Cos, my daughter and I might accidently be in the neighborhood with salad and dessert…OOh – now those would go perfectly with this right?
Please excuse my sneaky ways – I cannot help myself sometimes xoxo
Yvette Couser says
I shouldn’t read your blog before lunch. My leftovers I brought to work seem so sad now.
Allie says
Yeah timing is everything Yvette. So maybe you should make this for dinner and THEN bring it for leftovers for lunch. Then check the blog. And I’ll prob. have something like prime rib or lobster posted. LOL!
Jessica says
This looks delicious and perfect for weeknight meals, Allie! You know how I love simplifying supper 🙂 This reminds me of a dish that my mom made for us growing up that I had forgotten about. Adding this to our menu plan for sure.
Carina says
This looks so good! I love this kind of recipe – nourishing, delicious, and ‘user friendly’. 😉 Will be serving soon. Thanks!
Mandi Korn says
Looks yummy, thanks for sharing
Chandra@The Plaid & Paisley Kitchen says
Oh my gosh I was just saying to my husband how I want to make more wild rice this year! Seriously like 1 min before I saw your post. Thank you for this wonderful recipe at such a great time!
Cynthia | What A Girl Eats says
This sounds so moist and delicious! Great for a busy weeknight!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
This looks delicious, Allie! I feel like I never know what to do with chicken thighs when I buy them so I need to remember this for next time.
Timothy says
I am a chicken lovers!!!And your dish looks nourishing and delicious!!I can’t control myself to taste the Easy Chicken Thigh & Wild Rice Bake!!! Hope you enjoyed NYE!!
Karen @ The Food Charlatan says
This looks so good. I just baked chicken thighs the other day and was reminded of how juicy and tender they are. Also, I love that you plan ahead to “feed an extra friend or two at the dinner table as needed.” I want my home to feel like that too 🙂
Sarah Walker Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
Looks delicious! I love easy recipes like this.
Manila Spoon says
I did exactly the same Allie! All my recipes for December were sweets and then I started the year with something sweet too and I now have to pivot to savory! I love that you started the year with delicious comfort food and love the flavors and the ease of making this yummy dish! I am a huge fan of rice, too so I already love this dish!!!
Melanie @ Melanie Cooks says
I love chicken thighs! They are so soft and juicy, and so forgiving – they don’t dry out like chicken breasts! This is a perfect recipe for family dinner!
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
Your photos look so good – I would never have guessed that this was made with condensed soup. I don’t usually like condensed soup recipes, but this one sounds appealing. Perfect for weeknight dinner.
Eva says
J’aime beaucoup ta recette, simple et très efficace et s’en plus plait à toute la famille, c’est que du bonus! J’en suis sûre que ma petite famille aimerais aussi avec ta recette ! xo
Chandler says
The recipe looks so fresh and delicious!!thanks for sharing this mouth watering recipe with us!!
Heather says
Thank you for this easy peasy dump it all in a casserole dish recipe. I just made this tonight and it was a hit !! The rice was so moist ! I don’t care for cream of chicken soup so I used two cans of cream of mushroom and over the stove I boiled two chicken bullion cubes in place of just plain water. And left everything else the same. It was just absolutely delish ! It will be a meal I cook on a regular basis in the winter time. Thank you !#
Allie says
Hey Heather – I’m so glad you like it, thanks for letting me know. My mom made this for our family growing up, and I really do love how fast it is to make and that everyone at our house loves it. Thanks so much for dropping by!
Gina says
Could the cooking temperature be increased to lower the cooking time? For a working mom 2 hours cooking time is a long time. Recipe looks delicious, would love to try it, but 2 hours?
Allie says
Hi Gina – Two hours is a long time, you’re right. You could def. try upping the temp. and cooking a shorter amount of time. I haven’t tried that. The beauty of this recipe is that the chicken is super tender because it cooks at the lower temp. for a longer time. Maybe you could make it on the weekend?:) LOL. Would love to hear if you try something different and how it turns out. Many thanks for dropping by.
Mara says
If I wanted to half the recipe would I need to adjust the cook time? If so how long?
Allie says
Mara, I’m sorry this comment slipped through the cracks and it’s taken me so long to respond. I’ve made this as a half recipe several times and kept the cooking time the same with good results. Happy New Year!
James says
Nearly identical to what my Mom made when I was a little kid. (I’m 61). Loved it then, and still love it.
You can’t go wrong and it SO easy to make. I add fresh spinach, too. Just watch the time/temp. Every oven is different.