Plain Baked Chicken Thighs with White Rice and Peas

Simple, reliable comfort food that never disappoints. Bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with just salt, baked until the meat pulls away from the bone with a fork. Fluffy white rice cooked to tender perfection, bright green peas stirred in at the end. Nothing fancy, nothing fussy, just a warm plate that fills you up and makes you feel good.

By TasteBuds

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
45 minutes
Total time
50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 thighs (about 2 lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1½ tsp salt (for the chicken)
  • 1½ cups long-grain white rice
  • 3 cups water (for the rice)
  • ½ tsp salt (for the rice)
  • 1½ cups frozen peas (or fresh)

Instructions

  1. Pat 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lb / 900 g) completely dry with paper towels. Moisture on the skin will steam instead of crisp.
  2. Sprinkle 1½ tsp salt evenly over both sides of the chicken thighs, pressing it gently into the skin and meat.
  3. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the seasoned chicken thighs skin-side up on the foil, spacing them out so they're not touching. This lets the heat circulate and the skin crisp up.
  4. Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of a cold oven. Turn the oven to 400°F (200°C) and let the chicken bake for 40 minutes. Starting in a cold oven helps the fat render slowly and the skin go golden without drying out the meat.
  5. While the chicken bakes, rinse 1½ cups long-grain white rice (300 g) in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear, about 1 minute. This washes off excess starch so the grains cook up fluffy instead of gummy.
  6. Put the rinsed rice in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups water (720 ml) and ½ tsp salt. Stir once, then bring to a boil over high heat uncovered.
  7. Once the water boils hard, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pan tightly with a lid, and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. The trapped steam cooks the rice through.
  8. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the lid on. Let the rice sit undisturbed for 5 minutes to finish steaming and firm up.
  9. While the rice rests, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1½ cups frozen or fresh peas (225 g) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the peas are tender and bright green. Drain them in a strainer.
  10. Fluff the cooked rice with a fork, breaking up any clumps. Gently fold in the drained peas.
  11. Check the chicken. The skin should be golden brown and the juices should run clear when you pierce a thigh near the bone. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part (not touching bone) should read 175°F (79°C). If it's not quite there, give it another 5 minutes.
  12. Serve the chicken thighs on plates with a generous scoop of the rice and peas alongside. That's it.