One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

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!

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One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

4.87 from 101 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Calories: 366

Servings: 5 servings

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This Greek lemon chicken meal is made entirely in one pan, and is completely packed with classic Greek flavors!

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

To make using boneless skinless chicken breasts, add chicken to the pan 15 minutes into the covered baking time, then continue as directed.  Chicken breasts won't need as long to cook, and this ensures that they won't dry out too much.

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.

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Recipe adapted slightly from RecipeTinEats