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Go ahead and save this recipe now because this BBQ Chicken and Rice is about to become a weeknight favorite. Thinly sliced chicken is coated in barbecue sauce and stacked in a loaf pan to keep it incredibly juicy and tender as it bakes. Served over fluffy rice with caramelized onions and drizzled with tangy white sauce, it’s smoky, saucy, and seriously irresistible.
Behind this BBQ Chicken & Rice Recipe
I first fell in love with this BBQ chicken and rice plate at a little Greek restaurant in Atlanta called Gyro Gyro, right next door to my job. I’m not exaggerating when I say I ordered it once or twice a week for the four years I worked there. It may not have been the most traditionally Greek dish on the menu, but I wasn’t asking questions because it was so good.
They served tender sliced chicken over rice with caramelized onions, all drizzled with their house cream sauce – a tangy white barbecue sauce with Greek seasoning. After I moved away, I taught myself how to recreate it (the flavor was basically burned into my brain after all those visits), and it’s been one of our go-to dinners ever since. I made it again recently and had one of those ‘why haven’t I shared this yet?’ moments, so here we are!
Loaf Pan Chicken Method
Baking chicken stacked together in a loaf pan is one of my favorite kitchen tricks—it’s easy, time-saving, and surprisingly efficient for cooking a larger batch of chicken all at once. Whether you’re planning for leftovers or prepping lunches for the week, this method makes it effortless. It’s a tried-and-true technique I use all the time (and you may recognize it from my chicken shawarma in a loaf pan).
A Few Key Ingredients
You’ll need these items to make this easy, delicious dinner that your whole family will love. Be sure to review the recipe card below for the full ingredient list.
Chicken cutlets – thinly sliced chicken breasts stay tender, juicy, and cook evenly when stacked and baked. They soak up the barbecue sauce beautifully and give you a high-protein, neutral base that lets the sauces and onions really shine.
Barbecue sauce – brings the bold, smoky-sweet foundation of the dish. It keeps the chicken tender as it cooks, adding deep flavor without a long marinade or a complicated seasoning blend.
Red onions – these turn soft, sweet, and jammy when caramelized, adding depth and natural sweetness that balances the tangy sauces.
Creamy sauce – a mayonnaise-based sauce with lemon juice, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. This is what ties the whole bowl together. The cool, tangy creaminess balances the smoky sweetness of the barbecue sauce and adds moisture to every bite, especially once it mixes into the rice.
White Rice – the perfect neutral, fluffy base that absorbs all the sauces and juices. It turns the chicken into a full, satisfying bowl and makes every bite cohesive instead of saucy-on-the-side.
Naan Bread – Naan is there for scooping, swiping, and catching every last bit of sauce. Its soft, chewy texture makes this dish a full, restaurant-style meal.
How it All Comes Together
Toss the chicken with plenty of salt, pepper, and barbecue sauce until every piece is glossy and fully coated. Stack the chicken snugly into the pan (don’t worry about making it perfect, just pile it in).
Bake at 450 until the top is caramelized and the pan is full of those smoky, sweet juices. You’ll know it’s ready when the chicken is cooked through and looks almost crusted on top, and the internal temperature reaches 165. Carefully pour off the juices and set them aside, then let the chicken rest for a few minutes before turning it out and slicing it thin. (A few toothpicks can help keep the stack together if it wants to slide around.) Set the sliced chicken aside and keep those juices—you’ll want them.
While the chicken bakes, let the onions do their slow magic. Cook them in butter and olive oil until they collapse down, turn deep purple, and become soft, sweet, and jammy. If the pan starts to look dry, a splash of water helps loosen everything and keeps things moving.
Mix the White Sauce
Whisk everything together until smooth, creamy, and pourable. Give it a taste—it should be tangy, a little sweet, a little spicy, and totally craveable. Adjust until you can’t stop dipping your spoon in.
Build the Plate
Start with a fluffy bed of rice. Pile on the caramelized onions, then layer over the sliced BBQ chicken. Spoon some of those reserved pan juices over the top, then finish with a generous drizzle of white sauce and extra barbecue sauce.
Looking for More Chicken Dish Recipes?
Slow Cooker Smothered Chicken
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Potatoes
Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Rice
Bang Bang Chicken
Gochugang Chicken Bowls
One-Pan Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Rice
I hope you enjoyed this BBQ Chicken and Rice recipe! Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback!
If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
BBQ Chicken & Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the BBQ Loaf Pan Chicken
- 2.5 lbs thinly-sliced chicken breast also known as cutlets
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce I love Kosmos habanero peach or Rufus Honey Sweet
For the Caramelized Onions
- 1 large red onion* thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- pinch of salt
For the Tangy White Sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp dried greek seasoning* see notes for my homemade version
- 1/2 tsp each: salt and pepper reduce salt to just a pinch if Greek seasoning isn't low salt or salt-free
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp hot sauce like Louisiana or Texas Pete
For Serving
- fluffy white rice
- warm naan or pita bread
Instructions
Prepare and Bake the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large bowl, season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Pour over the BBQ sauce and toss until every piece is heavily coated.
- Stack the chicken on top of each other in a loaf pan.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest point.
- There will be lots of excess pan juices. Pour excess juice into a bowl, then pour the bowl of juices back into the loaf pan over the chicken. Pour the juices back into the bowl and set aside. I like to reserve the juices for storing with the chicken in the fridge to keep it moist when it reheats.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before slicing. To slice, turn out the pan onto a clean cutting board. Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the chicken, using toothpicks to hold the chicken together if needed.
Caramelize the Onions
- While the chicken bakes, heat olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the sliced red onions and a pinch of salt.
- Sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are deep purple, soft, and caramelized. You can add a few splash of water to speed it up.
Mix the White Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Greek seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and hot sauce until smooth. Taste and adjust – it should be very tangy with a kick of sweetness and heat all rounded out by creamy mayo.
To Assemble
- Start with a base of white rice. Top with a generous portion of caramelized onions and the sliced chicken.
- Drizzle with a generous amount of white sauce and extra barbecue sauce.
- Serve with a side of warm naan bread.
Notes
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (I got super light so I can add salt myself)
- ½ tablespoon dried dill
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ Tablespoon dried minced onion (onion powder works too)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (minced itfirst)
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
