One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
, Published Sep 23, 2024
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This easy one pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice recipe is a quick and healthy meal option packed with delicious flavors. Get the recipe here and enjoy a tasty dinner tonight!
Check out my One Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta recipe
One pan, no fuss and big flavor – that’s what this Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice recipe promises and delivers! Life has gone on overdrive since the beginning of September, with both kids at school and University. I swear the months has been flying past, we have all been so busy.
When life gets hectic the last thing you want is to slave over dinner – you want a fast, tasty and least messy option. Enter one pot meals – everything cooks together so you get maximum flavor but fewer dishes to wash up. This one pot Greek chicken and rice is full of classic Mediterranean flavors with tender chicken thighs cooked with herby lemon rice.
It’s a classic combination I grew up enjoying growing up in Greece and still adore to this day. Using bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs, plenty of garlic, white wine, lemon juice and zest ensures the meal will be packed with flavor. And as for the rice… OMG it is my fave thing about this dish. The rice is PACKED with yumminess as it is infused with all the chicken cooking juices.
I sometimes add fresh spinach into the pot right at the end, allowing the leaves to wilt in the heat. Spinach and rice (spanakorizo) is another beloved Greek dish that I draw inspiration from. You just need a Greek salad or some bread to make a feast of this simple meal!
Chicken and Lemon Rice Ingredients
- Chicken: bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs is the most flavorful option as they are juicy and tender cooked in this way. You can also use chicken leg quarters if you like.
- Coarse sea salt, black pepper, sweet paprika and Greek dried oregano to season the chicken.
- Olive oil and butter.
- White wine – deglazing our skillet with white wine adds tons of flavor but you can replace with more broth, if preferred.
- Yellow onion and plenty of freshly minced garlic. Like, a lot!
- Basmati rice or long grain rice.
- Lemon juice and zest – Greeks adore lemony dishes!
- Chicken broth (or stock made using a chicken bouillon cube).
- Spinach – baby spinach leaves (optional).
- Fresh parsley, to garnish, for a pop of color.
How to make One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Season liberally with the salt, pepper, paprika and oregano.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large shallow cast iron skillet. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook, undisturbed, for about 6 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden. Turn over and cook the other side for a couple of minutes. Set the chicken aside on a plate – it won’t be fully cooked at this point but worry not, it will cook further in the oven.
Pour the white wine into the skillet to deglaze and bring to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits stuck to the pan loose and cook the wine down until it is almost gone and the wine aroma has dissipated.
Add a little butter and stir in the diced onion. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute, until fragrant.
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and rice and stir to coat the rice in the buttery onions. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Place the chicken thighs and any of their juices on top of the rice, skin-side up.
Cover the pan and transfer to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all of the broth and is tender. Take the casserole out of the oven and keep covered if the rice needs cooking further – the trapped steam will cook it fully as it stands.
At this point you can also add the spinach leaves – they will wilt in the steam and you can then stir them into the rice as you fluff it up. Check the seasoning and adjust, if needed. Serve with extra lemon wedges on the side and a generous sprinkling of chopped parsley.
Recipe notes
- For extra lemon zing, pan fry some lemon slices in the oil and butter before you pan fry the chicken thighs. Place the lemon slices on top of the chicken thighs before you place the casserole in the oven.
- The chicken thighs should be fully cooked and tender by the time the dish is out of the oven. If in doubt, check with an meat thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken should be at least 165°F (75°C).
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat until the rice is hot all the way through, adding a little water as needed.
You will also enjoy
- Creamy Spinach Orzo
- Air Fryer Greek Chicken
- Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup)
- Greek Smashed Potatoes with Feta (Air Fryer or Oven)
- Homemade Pork Gyros (Authentic Greek Recipe)
HAVE YOU MADE GREEK CHICKEN AND LEMON RICE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day! If you have any questions, message me on Instagram and I will do my best to answer them quickly.
One Pan Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
Video
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs , skin-on and bone-in
- 2 tsp coarse sea salt (Kosher salt)
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 tsp dried oregano preferably Wild Greek Oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter , divided
- ¼ cup (60ml) dry white wine
- 1 large yellow onion , finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup (220g) basmati rice
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (30g) fresh spinach (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley , chopped
- 4-5 lemon slices (optional) *see note
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Season liberally with the salt, pepper, paprika and oregano.6-8 chicken thighs, 2 tsp coarse sea salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 2 tsp dried oregano
- Heat the olive oil and half the butter in a large shallow cast iron skillet. Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down and cook, undisturbed, for about 6 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp butter
- Turn over and cook the other side for a couple of minutes. Set the chicken aside on a plate – it won't be fully cooked at this point but worry not, it will cook further in the oven.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet to deglaze and bring to a simmer. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits stuck to the pan loose and cook the wine down until it is almost gone and the wine aroma has dissipated.¼ cup (60ml) dry white wine
- Add the remaining butter and stir in the diced onion. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute, until fragrant.1 large yellow onion, 6 garlic cloves
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and rice and stir to coat the rice in the buttery onions. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer.2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp lemon zest, 1 cup (220g) basmati rice, 2 cups (500ml) chicken broth
- Place the chicken thighs and any of their juices on top of the rice, skin-side up. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all of the broth and is tender.
- Take the casserole out of the oven and keep covered if the rice needs cooking further – the trapped steam will cook it fully as it stands.
- At this point you can also add the spinach leaves, if using – they will wilt in the steam and you can then stir them into the rice as you fluff it up.1 cup (30g) fresh spinach
- Check the seasoning and adjust, if needed. Serve with extra lemon wedges on the side and a generous sprinkling of chopped parsley.2 tbsp fresh parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
