Weeknights made easy with Portuguese rice & chicken bake

A middle-of the week, easy and delicious meal the whole family can enjoy, this Portuguese Rice & Chicken Bake is an all-round winner.

A fresh and simple meal with minimal clean up, this dish from SunRice shines the spotlight on the ever humble and versatile staple that is rice.

Did you know? Australian grown rice uses 50% less water than the global average?

Or that Austalian rice farms provide habitat for over one hundred bird species such as brolgas, spoonbills, honeyeaters, parrots and the endangered Australasian Bittern!

Ingredients

• 1 cup SunRice Medium grain rice, rinsed
• 1 1/2 tbs Portuguese spice
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 lemon, rind finely grated, juiced
• 8-10 chicken legs
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 2 fresh corns on the cob, kernels removed
• 400g can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• ¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Method

• Preheat oven 200°C fan forced. Lightly grease a 5cm deep, 22cm x 30cm (10 cup capacity) ovenproof dish. Combine spice mix, sugar, lemon rind and juice in a large bowl. Add the chicken, toss gently to coat chicken all over.

• Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, cook 5 minutes, turning until golden all over. Remove to a plate, repeat with remaining chicken.

• Add the remaining oil with onion and garlic, cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft. Add the capsicum, corn, rice, tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil. Pour the rice mixture into the ovenproof dish. Top with the chicken, pressing down into the rice a little. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook a further 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and rice tender. Scatter over the parsley. Serve.

TIP: Portuguese spice is available pre-mixed in the spice section of the supermarket. To make your own, mix 1 tablespoon each of crushed sea-salt flakes, ground coriander, sweet paprika with 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and chilli flakes.

This recipe is from SunRice’s Rice Recipes recipe collection. Check out more delicious rice recipes at SunRice.