Roast Chicken and Rice Casserole
This easy weeknight casserole is Ron Hsu’s southern Asian American mashup of chicken and rice. The recipe has been slightly adapted from Ron’s book Down South + East written with Hugh Amano (Abrams, 2026).
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 4 chicken leg quarters, split into drumsticks and thighs (2 ½ pounds | 1.2kg)
- Salt and white pepper
- ½ cup | 80g finely chopped onion
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 inch | 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, minced
- 5 ounces | 140g shiitake mushrooms, cut into ½ inch (1.25cm) pieces (about 1 cup)
- 3 cups | 555g jasmine rice or other long grain rice rinse
- 3 ½ cups | 840ml chicken stock
- 1 can (13.5 ounces | 405ml) coconut milk
- 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed, split lengthwise, and crushed with the side of the knife
- ¼ cup | 15g chopped cilantro
- 2 green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 lime cut into 6 wedges
Instructions
- Ready the oven: Preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit (220 Celsius) with a rack in the center position.
- Brown the chicken: In a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) metal roasting pan or 5-quart (4.7 L) Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and white pepper, then place the chicken in the pan and sear it for 3 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then flip the chicken and roast for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a plate.
- Cook the aromatics: Discard any excess oil (more than 1 tablespoon) from the pan and place it over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion becomes translucent but does not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until soften, another 3 to 4 minutes, then add the rice, chicken stock, and coconut milk. Seasoned with salt and white pepper and stir to combine.
- Cook the casserole and serve: Nestle the chicken and lemongrass on top of the rice and increase the heat to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan with aluminum foil or a lid. Place in the oven and bake until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the dish to rest, covered, on the stovetop for an additional 10 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and green onions and serve immediately, right in the pan, with the lime wedges.
