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?
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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.
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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
Erin says
My boyfriend and I loved this recipe for at home dinner dates! definitely making this again
Maryann says
Hi can I use chicken breast instead of thighs
Amanda says
Yes, please see the “chef tips” right below the written recipe for information about using chicken breasts.
Kelli says
Could cauliflower rice be substituted? I made with white rice it was delicious! Bathing suit season is coming watching carbs lol
Amanda says
I totally hear you about bathing suit season 😉 However, using cauliflower rice would mean some changes would have to be made, as it wouldn’t need as long to cook, and would likely need less liquid. Without testing and retesting, I just couldn’t say for certain.
Moira says
This is seriously our all time favorite recipe!
Heather says
Hi! Hope all is well. Tried this dish tonight and it was awesome. I made half chicken thighs and half chicken breasts (bone-in, skin on and cut in half). It was a winner!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Stacy says
Loved this recipe. I’m thinking to make this for a dinner party and wondering if it can be made ahead of time and then warmed up? If so should I add some more stock to make sure that the rice doesn’t dry out?
Amanda says
Without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Jen says
This recipe looks delicious. Just one question. Is there any lemon juice in the marinade? The only lemon that I saw in the recipe is the zest at the end.
Thank you!
Diana says
Made the Lemon Greek Chicken with Rice tonight, served it with a Greek Salad, homemade dressing, of course! WOWZA! SO good!!!!!!
Lavi says
Hi, I want to make this dish on Sunday. Can I us basmati rice in place of long grain rice? If so, any modifications I need to do to make work?
Amanda says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain what, if any, modifications would need to be made. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Robin says
So flavorful and easy peasy to make!
Love it. Thank you!!!
Traci says
So I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and jasmine rice. I basically cooked it the exact same way except I only had it covered in the oven for 30 minutes total and it was cooked perfectly. Threw in some asparagus and broccoli for extra veggies and it was great!
Jo Prusha says
I came across the Chunky Chef by accident looking for new ways for Family Chicken dishes for picky families. This recipe along with One Pan Creamy Chicken Breasts I definitely will try. One question for the Greek Chicken can I substitute Breasts for Thigh pieces?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Jo, so happy you’re here! Yes, you absolutely can. Please see the “notes” section of the recipe for additional details regarding using chicken breasts.
Christina says
This looks amazing! Is there any way to modify to do it all on the stovetop? The only oven we have is a tiny toaster oven that won’t hold an entire skillet 🙁 Thank you!
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.
Connie says
An amazing recipe which I will make again. Thank you for your response! I made a couple of modifications as a matter of personal preference. I reduced the garlic for both the rice and marinade to 2 cloves each, and I cooked the rice with the lemon zest and chopped parsley, rather than adding at the end as garnishes. I served it with some Balkan yogurt on the side. Tremendous!
Connie says
How do you prepare the lemon slices that are pictured? Can you add the lemon zest to the rice preparation rather than as a garnish? I am making this tonight for the 1st time.
The Chunky Chef says
I just added the slices to the hot cast iron skillet and seared them until a bit charred, before I added the chicken. And yes, you can absolutely add the lemon zest to the rice while it cooks instead of just as a garnish 🙂
Robin says
Could you substitute some white wine for a part of the chicken stock… Like half a cup? Wonder how that would taste?
The Chunky Chef says
Without testing it myself first, I can’t say for certain, but I think that would taste great 🙂
Debbie says
Ive done this recipe a few time now, so delicious, nice easy one pot meal too
Lonita says
Can this be made in an instant pot
The Chunky Chef says
I’m almost positive that it could be, but without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t speak to any pressure cooking times.
Stacy says
Will the Uncle Bens Boil in a bag long grain rice work if i open up the bag and measure one cup?
The Chunky Chef says
Without testing it myself, I can’t say for certain that it would work the same. I’m pretty sure the boil in a bag rice is precooked, so in this recipe I think it would turn out pretty mushy.
Sarah says
This is an amazing recipe and has become a standard in our house! I also do keto, and this easily adapt with riced cauliflower, just use half the liquid!
Lance K Mertz says
I love lemon and chicken so this was a perfect combination. I added a tablespoon of preserved lemons to the rice when I added the chicken stock and it was so good. I had to pull myself away from the pan. The rice became crusty around the edges and caramelized perfectly. I will be making this again! My picky wife loved the rice (she is Chinese), so it is a winner all around. I did not have time to marinate the chicken overnight, but will do that next time.
Cammy says
So good!!! Thanks for another great recipe that had my (very picky) 5 year old clean his plate without hesitation and declare: “Mommy! You’re a chef!”
My rice (Basmati) cooked faster than I anticipated, so I’ll adjust either the type of rice or cooking time when I make this dish again. Still, everything was really delicious. 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 from me, hubby, and our two little ones 🤤.