Aaron in the Kitchen

Sweet Chili Chicken Casserole

Rice: 500g (approx. 3 cups) (0:47)
Boiling water: 500ml (2 cups) (3:40)
Chicken bouillon cubes: 2 cubes (1:44)
Garlic powder: 2 tbsps (1:52)
Onion powder: 2 tbsps (1:52)
"Slap Ya Mama" Cajun seasoning: 2 tbsps (2:13)
Creole seasoning: 2 tbsps (2:13)
Steak seasoning: 2 tbsps (2:13)
Black pepper: 1 tsp (2:30)
Mustard: 100g (3:06)
Sweet chili sauce: 400g (3:23)
Pickled vegetables: 1 jar/package (e.g., chop suey or mixed pickled veggies) (6:28)

Chicken: Chicken legs/pieces (4:40)
Mustard: Enough to coat the chicken (5:18)
Seasonings: A mix of the same rice spices (garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun, Creole, steak seasoning, black pepper) (6:07)
Sweet chili sauce: Extra for brushing on top (6:54)

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) (0:37).
Boil your water in a kettle if you are using bouillon cubes instead of pre-made stock (1:25).

Place your casserole dish directly on a kitchen scale (0:37).
Weigh out 500g of dry rice directly into the bottom of the dish and flatten it out (0:47).
Crumble the 2 chicken bouillon cubes directly over the rice with your fingers (1:44).

Add 2 tbsps each of garlic powder, onion powder, Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning, and steak seasoning to the rice (1:52).
Add 1 tsp of black pepper (2:30).
Squirt 100g of mustard and pour 400g of sweet chili sauce directly into the seasoned rice (3:06).
Pour in 500ml of boiling water and stir everything with a slotted spoon until fully combined (3:40).
Toss in your pickled vegetables and stir them evenly throughout the rice (6:28).

Coat all sides of your chicken pieces thoroughly with mustard (5:18). This adds flavor and gives the spices a surface to stick to (5:29).
Dust the chicken pieces evenly on both sides using half-teaspoon portions of the exact same spice mix used for the rice (6:07).

Lay the seasoned chicken pieces directly on top of the prepared rice bed (6:45).
Pro-Tip to avoid burning: Do not add the final sweet chili sauce layer at the very beginning, as the sugars will turn too dark (7:50). Bake the casserole first, and brush the top of the chicken with extra sweet chili sauce about 5 minutes before it finishes cooking (6:54).
Bake the casserole for a total of 40 minutes until the rice is fluffy and the chicken is perfectly juicy (7:05).