I want to say the star of this dish is the chicken. But that would be lying. Because this, my friends, is all about the RICE! People have said this One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice is the best chicken and rice recipe they’ve ever had (their words not mine!). I hope you feel the same when you try it!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Chicken and rice – elevated!
What makes this lemon rice so special, you might ask? Well, it’s like cooking the rice in triple strength chicken stock because the chicken is cooked ON TOP of the rice. So it gets the full benefit of all the juices from the chicken seeping into it while it cooks. Add the fresh flavours of lemon and boom! You will knock the socks off anyone you serve this too!
Big promises I know….but I have third party validation of this. Someone who always tells me the truth about my dishes. Especially “inventions” which I often pass on because I know I’ll get truthful feedback. I do love my friends dearly, but honestly, not everything I make them can be “OMG, this is so delicious!!” (Seriously, I love my friends, love them to bits!)
So in this particular case, her family raved about the rice so I’m just passing on that message. 🙂 (PS She was quick to point out that the chicken was lovely too, she just said that the STAR of the dish was the rice! I’m totally cool with that! 🙂 )
This is not an authentic Greek Chicken recipe (as far as I know!) but it is made using classic Greek ingredients. It uses the same technique I use for my One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice. There’s nothing tricky or ground breaking, it’s just about getting the liquid to rice ratio right. Rice baked in the oven requires a lot more water than when it’s cooked on the stove. And when you plop chicken on top of the rice, it drops liquid so you need to take that into account.
To make this Greek Chicken recipe in one pot (well, pan – why do I keep writing “pot”??!), the chicken is seared in the pan first, then the rice is added, the chicken placed back on top then it’s popped in the oven. The magic happens while it’s baking. As the chicken cooks, all the juices seep into the rice which are soaked up by the rice and add incredible flavour. INCREDIBLE flavour. It honestly is like triple strength chicken stock.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I can’t hold back any longer. I need some lunch! – Nagi
More dinner in one pot!
Cheeseburger Casserole (Homemade Hamburger Helper)
Asian Beef and Ramen Noodles – made in one skillet in 15 minutes!
Browse all One Pot recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 5 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in (about 1 kg / 2 lb) (Note 1)
- 1 – 2 lemons, use the zest + 4 tbsp lemon juice (Note 7)
- 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 (Note 6)
- 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
Garnish
- Finely chopped parsley or oregano (optional)
- Fresh lemon zest (highly recommended)
Instructions
- Combine the Chicken and Marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag and set aside for at least 20 minutes but preferably overnight.
To Cook
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Remove chicken from marinade, but reserve the Marinade.
- Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a deep, heavy based skillet (Note 2) over medium high heat.
- Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, then turn and cook the other side until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Pour off fat and wipe the pan with a scrunched up ball of paper towel (to remove black bits), then return to the stove.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Then add the remaining Rice ingredients and reserved Marinade.
- Let the liquid come to a simmer and let it simmer for 30 seconds. Place the chicken on top then place a lid on the skillet (Note 3). Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (so 45 minutes in total).
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, garnished with parsley or oregano and fresh lemon zest, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
If you like this one pot Greek Chicken recipe, you may also enjoy my ONE POT BAKED GREEK CHICKEN ORZO (RISONI)!
And if you’re after another Greek Chicken recipe (because let’s face it, the Greeks know how to make GOOD CHICKEN!), I think you’ll enjoy my GREEK CHICKEN GYROS.
The yoghurt lemon marinade for this chicken is incredible!
LIFE OF DOZER
His chest hair bursting out of his sweater…. SO CUTE!!!
This recipe is delicious! As I didn’t have the right pot I made it in an electric frying pan with a lid. It worked perfectly and the rice at the bottom of the pan went a little bit crisp and had a real lemony flavour. Thank you for sharing, I have made it twice now and it will become a regular in our family!
Thanks for trying this recipe Kathryn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!! N x
Really good recipe!
Thank you!
That’s so wonderful that you enjoyed this Bla bla! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know! N x
Made this for the second time tonight, so easy and delicious! I used medium grain rice this time and basmati the first time. Both were perfect. Ran out of oregano this time so used fresh thyme instead and it was fine. Also used a mix of thighs and drumsticks. Kids loved it too = winner all round. Thanks Nagi your website is the best ?
WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed this – AGAIN! And thank you for your lovely message about my site – I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes!
This recipe is great! I actually did use brown basmati rice, but I learned quite a while ago to soak the rice in water for about an hour before using. It turns out perfect in this recipe or if you make rice in a rice cooker.
Thank you so much Elizabeth! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve been wanting to try your recipe as this looks amazing but I don’t have a cast-iron skillet. I saw the stove top directions but I was wondering if this could be done with a glass baking dish? Taking it through step 7 but then transferring to the baking dish in the oven? I’d love to get it as close to your original. Do you think this might work and would the baking time/temp change at all with glass bakeware?
Hi Jackie! I think it will work just fine if you pop the baking dish in the oven so when you transfer it from the stove top into the baking dish, the temperature doesn’t drop. 🙂 Does that make sense? Because the cook time in the recipe – as well as the rice/water ratio – assumes it goes from the stove to oven without transferring into a cold baking dish. I am confident it will work if you preheat the dish though!
That makes sense. I tried it in a glass baking dish, but didn’t think about it not being hot. I did have to add an additional 10 mins to get the rice fully cooked. Still turned out amazingly!
🙂 N x
I love this recipe. It has amazing flavour. I double all ingredients (except for the chicken thighs) because we love the rice and found there wasn’t enough with only 1 cup of rice.
Glad you loved it as much as I do Maria!!! Thank you very much for coming back to let me know! N x
I made this dish for my family and it was delicious and my family wanted more, so for the four of us we gobbled it down and would have to dble the recipe next time.. I used chicken broth for the xtra water and added 2 tsp of bouillon for xtra flavour. I was very surprised that the rice was very lemony and flavourful.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Amy, thank you for letting me know! N x
Has anyone tried this with breasts instead of thighs? Thought that might cut the calories down a bit…
Hi Deb! Yes, plenty of readers have tried this with breast 🙂 This works just fine with breast, it just isn’t the best cut for this type of dish because baked breast is not as juicy as baked chicken thighs. 🙂
This was amazing! Even my 1 year old could not stop eating this (and she’s a bit picky!). Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Yay! So glad you and your 1yo enjoyed it GraceJoys, thanks for letting me know! N x
Delicious. I make it regularly. Easy and so good. Every time. Thank you for a great solution to mid-week cooking.
Thanks for your message Susan, I’m glad you enjoyed it! N x
Amazing dish. Will be making this again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Natalie, thank you for letting me know! N x
Made this tonight and it was super easy and flavourful. My husband really liked the rice. He didn’t mind the chicken (which was good enough for me… He hates chicken thighs). I doubled the garlic and used all fresh oregano, but otherwise followed the directions.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Brittanne! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
Getting ready to try this delicious sounding recipe…….need a little help on the marinade part. Is it 1-2 lemons zested and then sliced or juiced? Silly question but don’t want too much lemon.
Thanks,
Marcia
Hi Marcia! Not a silly question at all 🙂 I tried to make it clear but I can see why some people still have questions! You need enough lemon to get 4 tablespoons of lemon juice – so 2 small or 1 large. And you use the zest of both lemons if using 2, and then measure out 4 tablespoons of juice. 🙂
this recipe calls for marjoram? I see it on the first page before opening your blog, but I don’t see it in the directions. And if so, does it goes on the chicken marinade or the rice? Thanks!
Hi Zuleika! Nope, not in this recipe, are you confused with another?
Zuleika is right. It’s on the first page that lists the ingredients you will need. Then when you go to the page with the full blog and directions Marjoram is not listed. I went out and bought it because I saw I was going to need it. When I went to make the marinade this morning I didn’t see it anywhere.
That is so weird Teena! I’m sorry about that, must be a glitch with Pinterest because honestly, I have never made this with Marjoram. In fat, I am mot sure I have any recipe at all that uses Marjoram! I will have to look into it, thank you for letting me know.
Hello Nagi,
I made this recipe last night, quadrupling everything using 24, yes 24 chicken thigh cutlets! It was a great success and I’ve already been asked to make it again. I had to use one huge baking dish to cram everything in as I didn’t have 2, as you had suggested, that would fit in my oven. I took a photo but I can’t see an email address I can forward it to. Thanks so much, Nagi. Your website is amazing and I have directed so many of my friends to it!
Aneta
I made this last night and it was sooooo tasty! You’re right – the chicken is nice but the rice is definitely the star! Served it with a big greek salad and the combination was delicious. I’m definitely cooking the rice like this again, with or without the chicken. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for your lovely message Hannah! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Hello Nagi, I’d love to try this recipe but I need to serve 8 adults! Any suggestions on quantities please?
Hi Anita! I would make this in 2 separate pots and bake for 10 minutes extra. It will be hard to double and make in one pot! 🙂
Hi Kam! I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for the question re: salt, I will put it in table salt measures and specify that in the recipe 🙂 Nope, don’t wipe the chicken when you take it out of the marinade. And I’m sorry your rice was mushy, it definitely should not be for the amount of liquid to rice ratio I use. It’s more than when rice is cooked on stove top because more liquid evaporates. N x
Theoretically, could this be started on the stove in a skillet and then transferred to a baking dish to finish off in the oven? I know that makes it no longer a “one” pot meal, but I don’t have any cookware that goes from the stove to the oven 🙁 (guess I know what to ask for at Christmas-time).
Thanks!
Hi Sharon! It absolutely could 🙂 I would heat the baking dish so that way it more closely mimics this recipe being made in a skillet going straight from the stove to the oven!
Nagi,
Happy Easter Monday! This recipe was wonderful! The rice was delish, the chicken was flavorful. I sautéed thin lemon slices after I cooked the chicken, and added fresh oregano and crumbled feta to the rice before serving. Thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Happy Easter to you too Gail! SO GLAD you enjoyed it Gail!! Thank you for letting me know!! N x ❤️