Description
A flavorful one-pot Greek chicken and lemon rice recipe featuring marinated chicken thighs cooked with aromatic herbs, garlic, and lemon zest, combined with tender long grain rice simmered in chicken broth for a comforting and easy meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 5 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in (about 1 kg / 2 lb)
- 1 – 2 lemons, zest + 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
Rice
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, separated
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 cup (180g) long grain rice, uncooked
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) chicken broth / stock
- 3/4 cup (185 ml) water
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Garnish
- Finely chopped parsley or oregano (optional)
- Fresh lemon zest (highly recommended)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Combine chicken thighs, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano, minced garlic, and salt in a ziplock bag. Seal and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, preferably overnight, allowing the flavors to infuse.
- Preheat oven and prepare skillet: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a deep, heavy-based skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken: Place chicken skin-side down in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown. Turn and brown the other side as well. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Clean the skillet: Pour off excess fat from the skillet and wipe with a scrunched paper towel to remove any burnt bits. Return skillet to stove over medium-high heat.
- Sauté onion and add rice mixture: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the skillet, add diced onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in uncooked rice, chicken broth, water, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and the reserved chicken marinade. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer and let it simmer for 30 seconds.
- Combine chicken and rice for baking: Place seared chicken on top of the rice mixture in the skillet and cover with a lid or foil. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.
- Bake the dish: Bake covered for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, and chicken is fully cooked.
- Rest and garnish: Remove skillet from the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped parsley or oregano and fresh lemon zest before serving.
Notes
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for more flavor, or skinless boneless thighs for easier cooking; adjust baking time accordingly.
- The ideal skillet size is around 26cm (10”) diameter and 6cm (2.4”) deep for even cooking.
- If you don’t have a lid for your skillet, use a larger pot lid, foil, or a baking tray to cover while baking.
- Optional seared lemon slices make a lovely garnish after cooking the chicken.
- To make entirely on the stovetop, either cook chicken fully before cooking rice or sear chicken and finish cooking atop the rice to retain chicken juices.
- This recipe works best with long grain white rice but can be adapted for jasmine, normal brown, or wild rice with longer cooking times.
- Ensure you have enough lemon to yield 4 tbsp of juice, typically from 1 large or 2 small lemons.
- The recipe does not include marjoram despite some discrepancies in online versions.
- Calories may be slightly lower in reality due to draining fat after searing chicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
