Baked Garlic Chicken & Pilaf

Garlic and chicken is a classic flavor combination. You really can’t go wrong with it! And marinating chicken in a marinade full of garlic creates such a juicy, tender flavorful pieces of meat. Serving it over a simple but delicious pilaf makes for a delightful meal. Baked Garlic Chicken & Pilaf is elegant enough for #sundaysupper but simple enough to have for any #weeknight meal.

The chicken needs to marinate for at least 30 minutes but I strongly suggest you get it started earlier in the day. I usually try to get it into the bag while getting the kids up for school in the morning. If you forget, you can also do it on your lunch break. Or you can employ my latest tactic – have one of the kids do it when they get home from school. I have been trying to get them to do more of the prep with dinners, so they can learn some techniques for later in life. I mean, mama isn’t gonna make dinner for ever!

There are lots of types of pilaf. My go to is long grain rice with orzo pasta. I also like wild rice with orzo. Sometimes I swap out the orzo for vermicelli or fideo (if I can find it). In a pinch you could also break up spaghetti noodles into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. Do not use basmati or sticky rice – it will not cook up right.

When you bake up your chicken it is important to put it on a rack and not flat on the baking sheet or baking dish. You get an uneven cook on it when you do that. By elevating it, you let the heat circulate all the way around.

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

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Baked Garlic Chicken & Pilaf

A juicy, perfectly baked chicken breast over a bed of flavorful pilaf.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword baked chicken, Chicken, Garlic, marinade, Pasta, pilaf, rice

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 6 Chicken Breasts boneless, skinless

For the Chicken Marinade

• ½ cup Avocado Oil
• ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• ¼ cup Honey
• 6 Garlic Cloves minced
• 2 tsp Italian Seasonings
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 Lemon juiced & zest

For the Pilaf

• 4 tbsp Butter
• 2 Garlic Cloves minced
• 2 tbsp Dried Minced Onion
• 2 cup Long Grain Rice
• 1 cup Orzo Pasta
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 5½ cup Chicken Broth
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated

Instructions

• In a gallon sized zipper bag, add marinade ingredients. Add chicken breast and let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 24hours).
• Preheat oven to 350degF.
• Place baking rack on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Add chicken breasts to rack (reserve marinade). Bake for 15 minutes. Flip each piece of chicken and brush with reserved marinade. Return to oven and cook for 30 minutes more.
• In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter. Once melted, add garlic and onion. Cook for 2 minutes then add orzo. Toast for 3 minutes.
• Add rice, seasonings, and chicken broth. Bring just to a boil and cover pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.
• Remove lid and stir in parmesan until fully incorporated.
• Remove chicken from oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice on the diagonal and serve over a bed of pilaf.