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
Amy says
Make this at least once a month! My family loves it and it is a quick easy clean up! I add mushrooms to the pan as well. I use skinless chicken thighs and don’t wipe the pan- those little bits are delicious!
Diane says
I made this last night and if I make it again I would fully wipe the pan, add a little olive oil to cook the onions and garlic and then add the broth, rice and chicken back. The dish felt a bit greasy and the flavors were muddled. The addition of lemon at the end is crucial for that acid.
Melinda Luhman Saracini says
Not much ch flavor for all the garlic one adds. Just kind of blah.
Angie says
Very good recipe
Maria says
This is delicious. I have made it numerous times and it’s always been my family’s favorite.
Cindy Forrest says
We made this and it was delicious – BUT we used brown rice. I would make this again, it was delicious, but next time I will let it simmer longer after adding the rice and before nestling the chicken and putting it into the oven.
Judie Szuminski says
Tried this recipe tonight and my husband and I loved it. Will make it again.
Paula says
Hi Amanda! Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Paula! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain, but I highly suspect brown rice won’t work. It requires a different liquid-to-rice ratio and a longer cooking time. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Wendy says
I really enjoyed this new to me recipe. I loved the lemon taste. It seemed a healthier choice for dinner. I ate the chicken with the rice together. My rice came out much darker. We will have this for dinner again. Thank you
Becky says
Terrible recipe! Nasty rice.
The Chunky Chef says
Well thank you for giving it a try! Not everyone has the same tastes and preferences, and that’s okay 🙂 Personally I like to be a bit more kind and constructive with my criticism, but to each their own.
Charlsea Clayton says
SUCH a delicious recipe. This is my second time making it and I’m hoping it comes out as good as the first! Thank you!!
Also, if someone doesn’t like this recipe, their tastebuds must not be right hahaha
Maria says
You probably didn’t do the recipe exactly like it says. Sorry you didn’t likeIts it, maybe you should try it again and just TAKE your time with it
Claire King says
Amazing. Succulent chicken. I marinaded overnight with the lemons from our garden. Was a hit with everyone young and old. Will definitely be on my go to list
Karen mcnally says
This was delicious. I made it twice now. Very flavorful. Great recipe.
Yenny says
Can I use drumsticks inserts of chicken thighs?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using drumsticks, so I can’t say for certain what alterations would need to be made with regard to the cooking time. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Dianne Leonetti says
Delicious!! Add topping of chopped Spinach around the chicken while baking.
Joan M says
So yummy! Will definitely make again.
Cathy says
Can this be adjusted for bone-in breasts? Hubby will only eat breasts, he’s a chicken snob. I want the bone for flavor. I can’t wait to try!
The Chunky Chef says
I’m sure it could be adjusted, but without testing and retesting, I can’t say for certain how long they would need to cook, and if the rice would be done before the bone in breasts are finished. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Erin L. says
Is it just me or has this recipe changed? I could have sworn there was lemon juice in the marinade before, in addition to the zest. Maybe a little less pepper too? And I don’t remember adding dried minced onion before. Perhaps my memory is failing me (a distinct possibility).
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t updated or changed this recipe since posting it in 2018, but it’s a fairly common recipe, so you may be thinking of a recipe from another site?
Jeanne Denison says
Best chicken dish ever.
Monica says
I have tried a few different recipes for this dish, but this is by far the best. I normally make it with the bone out thighs, but today it was bone in and real chicken stock I had leftover. It takes it to a new level. Thank you
Karrah says
Love a bunch of your recipes, can’t wait to try this! I have boneless thighs, would cutting the cooking time like with boneless breasts work or do I need to cut more time?
The Chunky Chef says
I haven’t tested this recipe using boneless thighs, so I can’t speak for certain, but I think cutting the time like you would with chicken breasts should work okay. I would double check the internal temperature to make sure they’re cooked to at least 165°F though.