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    Home » Side Dishes » Rice

    Baked Lemon And Thyme Rice

    Published: Mar 16, 2015 · Modified: Oct 7, 2020 by Jessica Fisher

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    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you’re already heating the oven, slide in a pan of this easy baked lemon herb rice for a great side dish. It’s practically hands-free and produces perfect rice.

    baked rice on plate

    Part of the process of economizing includes getting the biggest bang for your buck.

    If you cook a whole chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken, turn the carcass into practically free chicken stock. If you’re going to go shopping, check the clearance rack for items already on your list. If you’re going to heat the oven, add another pan of something to make the most of the energy being generated.

    This baked rice dish is a perfect case in point. I started baking rice a year or two ago once I realized that I could kill two birds with one stone. So to speak. If I was already baking chicken or fish, I could slide a second 9×13-inch pan into the oven, make good use of the heat already there, and have my side dish already taken care of.

    I had already been baking chicken WITH my rice, why not alongside it?

    baked rice ingredients

    I’ve tweaked this method with all kinds of spices and seasonings, herbs, butters and oils, as well as switching between broth or water. The general method is very forgiving and you can adapt it to what you have on hand. If you use basmati rice, I’d add a little extra liquid as it tends to get drier than long-grain rice. Want to make brown rice? Increase the baking time to about 45 minutes.

    If you’ve got a dutch oven, that’s probably perfect for this. I haven’t yet splurged on one, so I just use a 9×13-inch pan and heavy foil. Use what works for you.

    Spoon sitting in a dish with baked rice

    Baked Rice with Lemon and Thyme

    If you're already heating the oven, slide in a pan of this easy baked rice for a great side dish. It's practically hands-free and produces perfect rice.
    4.67 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 260kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher

    Ingredients

    • 2 cup long grain white rice uncooked
    • 2 tablespoon butter cut into cubes
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
    • ½ teaspoon lemon, zested
    • ¼ teaspoon paprika
    • 4 cup water boiling
    • 2 tablespoon parsley (chopped)
    • black pepper
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425°. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
    • Place the rice in the pan in an even layer. Dot the top with butter. Sprinkle the salt, thyme, zest, and paprika over the top.
    • Pour the boiling water into the pan and cover it right away with heavy-duty foil. Seal the edges tightly.
    • Bake the rice for 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, tossing it with the fresh parsley. Adjust seasonings and serve.

    Notes

    Want to make brown rice? Increase the baking time to about 45 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Libby

      February 12, 2023 at 11:57 pm

      I only have instant 90 seconds rice for tonight will that work?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        February 13, 2023 at 7:07 am

        Hi Libby. No, instant rice won’t work for this recipe, but you could still add the thyme and lemon for flavor!

        Reply
    2. Ginny

      February 10, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      Best rice ever! I won’t make rice any other way now. Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Felicia Dalzell

      June 23, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe!! I use it a couple times per week and tweak the seasoning depending on what protein I’m using.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        June 23, 2020 at 3:47 pm

        Yay! So glad it’s working as a template for you!

        Reply
    4. soniaszczecinski

      March 03, 2020 at 8:04 am

      Thanks for this recipe, been looking for one that cooks all together. Without cooking rice 1st. Excellent recipe, tasty.

      Reply
    5. Jenn Clark

      January 03, 2020 at 8:23 am

      Lovely yummy rice it was a family hit. The oven method did not work. I doubled the recipe and cooked it longer but I had other items in the oven too. I ended up cooking in a pan. But the flavor was delicious.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        January 03, 2020 at 12:28 pm

        Yes, anytime you increase amounts or change the cooking atmosphere will affect cooking times. Glad you were able to enjoy it anyway!

        Reply
    6. Penny

      November 04, 2019 at 2:27 pm

      Thank you so much for the recipe. I used it as a launching point for dinner last night . Chunked in a bag of broccoli and lots more lemon. Baked it until the rice was almost done then added tilapia filets on top and baked it 20 more minutes. Was very delicious. Next time I’m going to try adding some cheese. I won’t throw away my rice cooker (it’s an antique at 39 years old) but I will definitely use this recipe when I want to jazz up my rice game. Thanks again .

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 04, 2019 at 3:18 pm

        Great way to adapt the base recipe. Thanks for sharing, Penny.

        Reply
    7. Amy

      April 11, 2019 at 11:29 am

      This is SOOOO delicious!!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        April 12, 2019 at 11:53 am

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    8. Tanya Searle

      June 07, 2016 at 12:52 pm

      I’m considering using this method to cook 27 cups (dry) rice for a camp I am cooking at in a couple weeks. The pans would be larger obviously, but do you think the cook time would need to be altered?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        June 07, 2016 at 6:06 pm

        I am not really sure. How many pans would you divide it into?

        Reply
        • Tanya Searle

          June 08, 2016 at 8:34 am

          I will be using pans that are about double to triple the size of a 9×13. I would need to figure out my ratio’s. Would more than 2 cups rice fit into a 9×13?

        • Jessica Fisher

          June 16, 2016 at 8:46 am

          Sorry for my delay in getting back to you! I have done 3 cups in a 9×13. I wouldn’t do more than that.

      • Jennifer Clark

        January 03, 2020 at 8:21 am

        Yes. You’ll need a lot longer cook time especially if you’re doing more pans in one oven.

        Reply
    9. Amy

      March 25, 2015 at 8:08 am

      Is this instant white rice or long grain rice?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 25, 2015 at 8:11 am

        Use long grain.

        Reply
    10. Janel

      March 16, 2015 at 11:57 am

      Great idea. It would work alongside Jessika’s Roasted Vegetables, too, yeah?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 28, 2015 at 10:39 am

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    11. Micha

      March 16, 2015 at 10:22 am

      Baking brown rice is the only way I can get it to turn out without half being mushy and the other crunchy. I’ve never tried baking white rice by itself but this looks tasty and I just happen to have everything for it.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 28, 2015 at 10:40 am

        My kids love the flavor of baked rice. They claim it’s different than other rice, but I have no idea why that is.

        Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 28, 2015 at 10:40 am

        Also, I wonder if your burners aren’t balanced. If half is crunchy, my guess is the heat it too high on one side, or you need a better quality pot?

        Reply

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