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Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Rice is crispy on the outside, filled with irresistible flavor on the inside. Just a few ingredients and you’ll create a delicious dish that goes well with any occasion.

Stuffed Chicken with Rice in a plate

I love using chicken thighs because their dark meat is guaranteed to add a ton of flavor to any dish. If you are a bit short on time, try making my recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Thighs instead. 

In Slavic weddings, it’s customary to prepare this dish for the reception. Known as “Solomon Golubtsi”, this recipe has become so popular in my family that we now have it at almost every holiday party or special event. 

I can’t say enough how much this recipe is going to win you over. The chicken produces a delicious fatty sauce that seeps into the rice as the dish bakes. It’s out-of-this-world tasty and I can’t get enough of the delicious chicken skin that forms on top of each stuffed thigh. 

Stuffed chicken in a baking pan

Tips for Making The Best Stuffed Chicken:

  • To save some time, use the leftover or precooked brown, white or wild rice. 
  • I like to use garlic parsley salt to sprinkle on top of the stuffed chicken. It’s a very popular spice blend used throughout the Eastern European cooking. But, feel free to play around here. You can and should use your favorite seasoning blend.  
  • This is totally optional, but if you’re a cheese fanatic, adding a bit of mozzarella or parmesan cheese inside the rice filling is super tasty. 
  • I like to use bone-in chicken thighs so I can save the removed bones and make chicken broth. With the cold season approaching, it’s always nice to have homemade broth on hand. 
  • Don’t skimp on tenderizing your chicken thighs. Tenderizing the thighs ensures that the chicken pieces are uniform and will bake evenly. It also makes the meat so much more decadent and easy to chew. 
  • At around 30-40 minutes of baking, drain some of the grease out of the pan so that the rice is not fully flooded with fat. 
  • Use a meat thermometer to check that the inner temperature of the thighs have reached 165F. You don’t want your chicken to be too dry or undercooked. I find that using a thermometer provides piece of mind and removes all the guesswork of cooking chicken properly.
Ingredients for stuffed chicken thighs

Can You Freeze the Stuffed Chicken Thighs?

There are two ways to freeze your stuffed chicken thighs — cooked or raw. Here’s how to do both: 

Freezing the Fully Cooked Stuffed Chicken Thighs 

Allow fully cooked stuffed chicken thighs to completely cool in the refrigerator. Then, wrap each chicken thigh in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Freeze the thighs for up to a couple of weeks. Cooked chicken is more prone to freezer burn, so it doesn’t last as long as the uncooked chicken. To reheat it, place the thighs in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes, or until warm all the way through. If you’re unsure, cut one of the pieces in half to check the internal warmth. 

Freezing the Uncooked Stuffed Chicken Thighs 

Put uncooked stuffed chicken thighs on a foil-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer for about an hour or until completely firm. Then, layer the frozen stuffed thighs between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container. Freeze it for up to a month. To serve, thaw in a single layer overnight in the refrigerator. Bake according to the recipe’s instructions. 

More Chicken Recipes

Recipe

Stuffed Chicken with Rice in a plate

Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs

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Servings
6 Serivngs
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Rice is crispy on the outside, filled with irresistible flavor on the inside. Just a few ingredients and you'll create a delicious dish that goes well with any occasion.

Ingredients

US Units – Metric

Instructions

  • Cook the rice in salted water. Set aside and let it cool. Saute onions and carrots together until they soften. Set aside and let it cool.
    carrots and onion in a skillet
  • Cut the bone out of chicken. Tenderize from inside (leaving the skin), until the chicken becomes thin and large enough to be able to wrap rice on the inside.
    chicken getting tenderized on a cutting board
  • Once rice and veggies have cooled down, mix them well together and add salt & pepper to taste.
    Vegetables with rice in a bowl
  • Take chicken, place it on the working surface and put a handful of rice in middle. Roll both sides over to the middle, turning it into a roll.
    chicken and rice on a cutting board
  • Place them one by one, rolled side down on a baking dish. Sprinkle with Vegeta or any other seasoning on top.
    Chicken stuffed with rice in a baking dish
  • Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
    baked chicken with rice in a baking dish
Note: The chicken may produce lots of grease during the baking process, you can just drain the grease and keep on baking.
Nutrition Facts
Rice Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Amount Per Serving
Calories 509 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Cholesterol 111mg37%
Sodium 105mg4%
Potassium 394mg11%
Carbohydrates 53g18%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 3485IU70%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 37mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Posted October 4, 2019

About Author

Natalya Drozhzhin

Natalya founded Momsdish to demonstrate that placing a homemade meal on the table is not hard at all. Natalya makes cooking easier and approachable, by simplifying the ingredients, while still producing the same great taste.