One-Pot Baked Chicken Wings and Rice
Bacon grease doing double duty for the wings and the rice is what makes this one-pot dinner a repeat in my kitchen. I season the wings hard, render some bacon right in the pot, brown the wings in that bacon grease, then toast the rice in butter and bake the whole thing together so every grain soaks up the flavor. One pot, no fuss, and the wings come out golden with rice that tastes like it took all day.
This one comes from a quick Instagram reel, so the video moves fast — but the method deserves a slower look. The bacon pulls a double shift here: I render it first just for the grease, brown the seasoned wings in that grease, then send the slices back in with the broth to bake into the rice.
One honest confession from the reel: I don't mention until partway through that the whole thing runs on medium heat, so hear it here first — set the pot to medium from the start. If wings night at your place always means a second pan for the side, this fixes that: the rice cooks underneath while the wings finish on top in the oven.
Chicken Wings & RiceThe recipe
One-Pot Baked Chicken Wings and Rice
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken wings (from the caption; spoken on camera only as "chicken")
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth (from the caption; spoken on camera as "a cup and a half" — see Tips)
- 1/2 to 1 onion, chopped (caption lists 1 large; use as much as you like)
- 4 slices bacon (from the caption; spoken as "four to six slices" — any type works, thick-cut included)
- 1/2 stick butter (garlic butter preferred; regular works)
- olive oil, a drizzle (for the chicken)
- salt, a pinch (for the chicken), plus more for the rice
- black pepper, a pinch
- paprika, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- Sazón seasoning, to taste (for the rice)
How to Make It
- Chop the onion — anywhere from a half to a whole one.
- Season the chicken wings with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, then paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder, and mix until every piece is coated.
- Set the pot over medium heat and render the fat from the bacon.
- Remove the bacon, leaving the grease in the pot, and set it aside.
- Brown the seasoned wings in the bacon grease for about 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown on each side — do not cook them through.
- Remove the wings and add the 1/2 stick of butter to the pot.
- Cook the onions in the butter until translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the rice and toast it, stirring.
- Season the rice with salt and Sazón, mix it in, and keep toasting for about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth, add the bacon back in, and mix everything together.
- Once the rice starts boiling, place the wings back into the pot — keep them floating on top but merged down into the liquid.
- Bake at 400°F for about 25 to 30 minutes.
Curtis's Tips
- I cook this whole thing on medium heat — I forgot to mention it until partway through, so set it there from the start.
- Use a half to a whole onion — it really depends on how much you like.
- You can use thick bacon, whatever type of bacon you want, and anywhere from four to six slices.
- I use garlic butter, but you can use regular butter — it's really up to you.
- The goal when browning the chicken is not to cook it all the way through. You're just trying to get each side golden brown; the oven does the rest.
- On camera I poured in a cup and a half of chicken broth, but my written recipe in the caption says 2 cups — go with 2 cups if you want the rice a little softer.
- When the chicken goes back in, try to keep it floating on the top but make sure you get it inside of that liquid so it finishes cooking through.
Why this works
Browning here is about color, not doneness. The wings get three to four minutes in the bacon grease, until each side turns golden — the point is not to cook them through, because the oven does the rest. That's also why they go back in the way they do: once the broth starts boiling, the wings sit floating on top, but you work each piece down into that liquid so it finishes cooking through at 400°F. Underneath, the rice has already had its own flavor pass — toasted in the butter with the onions for four to five minutes, salt and Sazón mixed in before the broth ever lands.
FAQ
You pour a cup and a half of broth in the video, but the recipe here says 2 cups — which do I follow?
Both came from me. On camera I poured a cup and a half; the written recipe with the reel says 2 cups — go with the 2 cups if you want the rice a little softer.
Do you wash the rice?
There's no rinse in this method — the cup of long-grain rice goes in as-is, straight onto the buttered onions, and toasts for four to five minutes before the broth ever touches it.
What kind of bacon should I use, and how many slices?
Whatever type you want — thick bacon included. The written recipe lists four slices, but on camera I say anywhere from four to six, so the count has some give.
Does it have to be garlic butter?
No. Garlic butter is what I use, but regular butter works — it's really up to you. Either way, that half stick is what the onions cook in.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~680 calories · 28 g protein · 44 g fat · 41 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
