This Greek lemon chicken meal is made entirely in one pan, and is completely packed with classic Greek flavors!
This easy Greek lemon chicken and rice is made completely in one pan, and you won’t believe how incredible flavorful it is!
One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice
Dishes. Ughhhhh… are they the bane of your existence, or is it just me? Between the two blogs and two kids, I feel like all I ever do is wash dishes!
Back in 2016 when I posted this One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice meal, you went crazy over it and I kept meaning to post different variations of the chicken and rice combo… but I got too excited about other new recipes to share, and it kept falling to the back burner. But no more!!
I do have some other versions planned (I promise!), but for now, let’s start with this Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice recipe.
Let’s talk about why I love this greek chicken version so much. There really aren’t any surprise or secret ingredients to make it so good, it’s more about HOW it’s cooked. The chicken cooks on top of the rice, which means all the delicious juices go right down into the rice. It’s like cooking the rice in a super concentrated chicken stock full of spices!
HOW TO MAKE GREEK LEMON CHICKEN AND RICE
- Marinate the chicken first. Overnight gives the best flavor, but even if you forget and only have 10-15 minutes… it still gives a great extra punch of flavor!
- Searing the chicken first is super important here. Not only does it ensure a beautiful golden color on the chicken thighs, but it gives the skin a great crispy texture. Plus, it gives some chicken fat, which is perfect to cook the onion in!
- If you don’t have a tight fitting lid, no worries. Cover the pan with foil and it works just fine.
If you’re into meal prepping, this lemon chicken is perfect for you. The leftovers get better and better!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH GREEK LEMON CHICKEN
It’s a personal decision, but I typically stick with a vegetable, since you already have the protein and rice covered in the recipe itself. Here are some great options!
- Skillet Peas and Prosciutto
- Spicy Bourbon Glazed Carrots
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
HELPFUL TOOLS
- Cast Iron Skillet – probably the most used pan in my kitchen, and for good reason!
- Enameled Cast Iron Skillet – All the great benefits of cast iron, plus the ability to soak in soapy water!
Want to try this Greek Lemon Chicken?
PIN IT to your DINNER or CHICKEN board to save for later!
Find me on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
MARINADE
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried minced onion
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil to make a loose paste
- 5 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
RICE
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 cup dry long-grain white rice (NOT minute or quick cooking varieties)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- lemon slices, optional
- fresh minced parsley, for garnish
- extra lemon zest, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large resealable plastic bag, add all marinade ingredients (except chicken), and massage to combine. Add chicken thighs and turn/massage to coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Add 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to large cast iron or heavy oven safe skillet, and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Shake off excess marinade from chicken thighs and add chicken thighs, skin side down, to pan. Cook 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to plate and wipe skillet lightly with a paper towel to remove any blackened bits, reserving chicken grease in pan.
- Reduce heat to MED and add onion to pan. Cook 3-4 minutes, until softened and slightly charred. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add rice, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir together and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken stock, raise temperature to MED-HIGH and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, nestle chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture.
- Cover with lid or foil, and bake 35 minutes. Uncover, return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until liquid is removed, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish as desired and serve.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Recipe adapted slightly from RecipeTinEats
Deborah Crosby says
Delicious meal. I added shredded zucchini which I had sprinkled with salt and used paper towels to extract the moisture. The two cups of broth were used up quickly and I added another cup of water.
Debbie Bullard says
Used boneless, skinless thighs for health. No other changes. Just wish cast iron skillets weren’t soooooo heavy! LOL, had to have my grandson move it in and out of the oven.
Ricki B says
Made it for dinner last night. Very easy and delicious. I marinated the chicken for about 3 hours. I’d probably add some lemon juice to the marinade to give it a slightly more lemony flavor. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Will definitely make it again.
Susan says
Can this recipe be made entirely on top of the stove? I don’t have a large ovenproof fry pan. Can I sauté the breasts and finish them separately, w/o the rice, in the oven, roasting them a bit for last few minutes? And make the rice on the stovetop? Thanks.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes 🙂 Cook the chicken completely on the stove, set aside and cook the rice on the stove (just reduce the liquid by 1/2 cup). To cook the rice, just follow the recipe directions up to the point just before putting it in the oven. Instead of using the oven, put the lid on and cook on medium low heat until the liquid is absorbed (generally about 12 – 15 minutes). When the rice is almost ready, add the chicken back in on top of the rice and put the lid on to warm up, and finish cooking the rice.
Christina M Gonzalez says
Made this for dinner tonight, it was delicious!!!!!
I subbed out thighs for breast and didn’t have a oven safe skillet so I just transfered to a oven safe dish after cooking in a pan. Will definitely be making this again!
Jennifer H says
My husband made this last week and it was to die for? We marinaded the chicken (2) days because we forgot about it. Honestly super easy and easy clean up. the rice was so flavorful that it has changed the way I make rice going forward. Thanks so much for sharing!
JenB says
This was so amazingly delicious!!!!!! My family and I were dying over the savory, mouthwatering awesomeness! I doubled the portion for 6 people and it was enough for a little leftover, which was also a pure delight! I loved this! Thank you for sharing!!!!
Kim says
This Greek Chicken and rice is really amazing! I’ve already shared the recipe with friends and family!
Cassie says
Made this tonight and the husband and kid loved it. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Hayley says
This looks delish! I have bone in, skin on chicken breasts. Would you recommend I use your directions for the boneless chicken breasts?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested this recipe other than as written, and typically bone in chicken breasts will take longer to cook, which means the rice portion may be overcooked. You could cut the chicken breasts off the bone for a very similar cook time to the recipe. I would say to use your best judgement and make sure the chicken is cooked to 165 F degrees (internal temperature) to be safe.
Gord says
Wtf dude. Used all the garlic in the marinade and then was supposed to have it for the fry pan?
The Chunky Chef says
It’s clearly listed in the ingredients for both the marinade AND the rice..
Andrea Chilton says
Would it work to make this with quinoa instead of rice? They have a similar cook time…
The Chunky Chef says
Without further testing, I can’t say for certain, as sometimes the ratio of liquid to grain can be different from grain to grain. Use your best judgement, and if you try it, I’d love to know how it worked!
Anne says
Just tried this and it was fantastic. Delicious flavor and not too difficult to make. only marinated for about 20 minutes and it was still good.
Jan B. Saathoff says
looks wonderful I am for sure going to make this!
Carol DeLong says
what are the nutrition stats?
The Chunky Chef says
As I’m not a nutritionist, I don’t provide full nutritional information for my recipes (don’t want to inadvertently pass along incorrect information). Your best bet would be to copy the ingredients into your favorite online nutritional calculator.
Vicky says
Not sure what I did wrong but my white rice turned totally brown, completely different than the pics, and was ready much quicker. Flavors were good though.
Lance K Mertz says
MIne did too, but the spices and other ingredients are probably the reason for that. The rice was perfectly cooked and crispy on the edges, so no issue there!
Sherrie Sisk says
When do you add the sliced lemon, while its baking, or after its finished?
The Chunky Chef says
Those were mainly a garnish for the photos, but if you wanted to add them, I’d sear them before the chicken, then add them at the end step 5 🙂
Angela says
This was delicious! I made a couple slight variations with what I had on hand: Used bone-in skinless chicken thighs (still was awesome!) and substituted the chicken stock with chicken broth (and omitted the additional salt). Definitely will make again, super easy and delicious!
Cah says
I added lemon juice when I served the dish, it was good! My husband didn’t like it but will make it for myself and freeze it when I want to have again. I also will try it on top of stove on simmer with tight cover in stead of oven. I make Spanish Rice with chicken that way……………………enjoyed
Marti Gaines says
I made this with Chicken breasts as directed and it came out amazing. My family loved it! Making it again tonight for our Sunday family dinner. Thanks for sharing the recipe!