This recipe uses the flavor punch of a full jar of kimchi to create a gluten-free chicken and rice casserole with minimal ingredients and prep time. Endlessly variable, this is a perfect formula for a weeknight meal using chicken thighs – it’s a mainstay on our rotation!

There are a few pantry items than I come back to again and again as dinner shortcuts. Anything from the antipasti bar at the supermarket—olives, capers, roasted peppers etc.—tend to have enough brine and herbs to flavor a whole dish without any extra chopping. And the same goes for the Korean fermented cabbage, kimchi.

Many years ago, my friend Julia Turshen introduced me to the beauty of combining a whole jar of kimchi with bone-in chicken parts in a one-pan stew. The heat and acidity become the perfect foil for tender, fatty meat falling off the bone. And more importantly, with a big dose of cabbage, you don’t need to add much else to the pot to have a balanced meal.

After making her version repeatedly and serving it with a side of white rice, one day I had an aha moment to use this formula as the basis for the FMP famous chicken and rice casserole. If you’re not familiar with this art, you can start here with this low FODMAP casserole, or this Thai riff, or this Provencal one.

To make this kimchi chicken casserole, the only other ingredients you need are thinly sliced carrots, scallions, and Arborio rice. It’s one of the simplest of my gluten-free chicken recipes.

What You Need to Make 5-Ingredient Kimchi ChickenCarrotsScallionsArborio riceA jar of kimchiReserved kimchi juicesChicken thighsArborio rice is always my favorite type of rice to use in casseroles. It maintains its shape, yet has enough starch to thicken the casserole without any dairy or need for gluten-free cream-of-chicken soup. You might be able to substitute sushi rice in this recipe, but I would avoid jasmine or other white rice varieties that are quick-cooking (15 minutes or less).

I tried to keep this recipe simple and minimalist, but for more flavor, you can add a drizzle of sesame oil to the finished casserole. Bok choy, fresh cabbage, shallots, or daikon radishes would also be great additions to the kimchi chicken casserole if you’re looking for a higher ratio of veggies to rice.

How to make kimchi chicken:Drain the kimchi and reserve the juices. Combine with additional water or stock.Stir together the rice, kimchi, carrots and scallions.Arrange in an even layer in a cast iron skillet.Pour the kimchi juices and water or chicken stock over the top.Arrange the chicken thighs on top and bake for 40 minutes.Garnish with scallions and optional sesame oil.When you’re buying kimchi, look for fermented jars in the refrigerated section of the market (it’s often by the tofu). By cooking the kimchi, you’ll be losing the probiotic benefits, but one happy medium is to reserve 1/3 cup of kimchi for garnish and finely chop it to top your bowls.

Finally, if you prefer bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, those can easily be substituted, just increase the cook time by 5 to 10 minutes until the skin is brown and the meat is tender. I prefer not to use chicken breasts in my CRC recipes because they dry out slightly during longer bake times and don’t add as many wonderful drippings for the rice. But you do you!

More gluten-free chicken dinner ideas:* Gluten-Free Chicken Casserole * Gluten-Free Sesame Chicken * Gluten-Free Chicken Enchiladas * Dairy-Free Chicken Pot Pie * Gluten-Free Chicken Soup

Read on for this kimchi chicken casserole recipe!

With health and hedonism,

Phoebe

Print5-Ingredient Kimchi Chicken CasseroleThis recipe uses the flavor punch of a full jar of kimchi to create a gluten-free chicken and rice casserole with minimal ingredients and prep time. Endlessly variable, this is a perfect formula for a weeknight meal using chicken thighs – it’s a mainstay in our rotation!You can easily make this with bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, just increase the cook time by 5 to 10 minutes until the skin is brown and the meat is tender. I tried to keep this recipe simple and minimalist, but for more flavor, you can add a drizzle of sesame oil to the finished casserole. Bok choy, fresh cabbage, shallots, or daikon radishes would also be a great addition to the kimchi chicken casserole.By cooking the kimchi, you’ll be losing the probiotic benefits. One happy medium is to reserve 1/3 cup of kimchi for garnish and finely chop it to top your bowls. If you want to stretch this to 6 servings or for more of a heavy-eating family of 4, you can add 2 pounds of chicken on top without changing the other measurements.Course Main CourseCuisine KoreanDiet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low LactoseKeyword chicken, ricePrep Time 5 minutes minutesCook Time 40 minutes minutesServings 4Author Phoebe LapineIngredients 1 24-ounce jar kimchi * 2 medium carrots very thinly sliced * 1 bunch scallions thinly sliced, divided * 1 cup arborio rice * Sea salt * Olive oil * 1 cup chicken stock or water * 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs about 4 * Sesame seeds for garnish (optional) * Chili crisp for serving (optional) Instructions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. * Over a large mixing bowl, drain the kimchi through a fine mesh sieve or colander. Transfer the juices to a 2-cup liquid measure. You should have about 1 cup of liquid. If less, add water or stock until you have 1 cup (if more, reduce the stock or water measurement accordingly). Set aside. * Add the kimchi to the large mixing bowl (no need to clean it). Toss together with the carrots, scallions (reserving a small handful for garnish), arborio rice, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil until combined. * Transfer the kimchi-rice mixture to a large ovenproof skillet or 9 x 13 casserole dish and spread in an even layer. Pour the kimchi juices and the additional stock over the rice mixture. * Arrange the chicken on top and season lightly with more salt. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil. * Bake the kimchi chicken casserole in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes so any lingering juices can absorb into the rice. Garnish with the remaining scallions and sesame seeds or chili crisp, if using. Video