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!!!
Hi Nagi,
I made this tonight. We loved it!! Thank you for a delicious recipe. I’ll be making this on a regular basis now : )
Ann
Thank you Ann! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! N x
Do you think this would work okay with leeks (white part) instead of onion?
Absolutely! Leeks (white part as you say) or even the white part of shallots/scallions. 🙂
Loved it with the leeks. Other commentators are spot on … The rice is delicious! I had intended to make a double -batch last night but my pan wasn’t big enough for all the chicken :(. I’m making my spare batch (freezer meals) today. I’m going to have a go at doubling the rice and liquid. Wish me luck!
This was delicious. Made it tonight and you are right about the rice, couldn’t get enough of it. This is going on my “keepers” board. It was so very flavorful and so easy. Thanks for this great recipe ?.
I’m SO GLAD Paige!! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the very tasty recipe! You were absolutely right that the rice is the star of the show. Thanks!
YAY! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!! N x
Hello,
This sounds fabulous, and I intend to make it as soon as I clear up one little thing that is confusing to me. For the marinade ingredients; is it the JUICE of 1-2 lemons, zest + 4 tbsp lemon juice, or 1-2 lemons SLICED, zest + 4 tbsp lemon juice? I’m not sure which, and seem to be the only one here that does not get it lol! What am I missing?
Hi Stephen! I’ve rewritten that part so many times! 😉 I mean that you will need 1 to 2 lemons in order to get 4 tbsp of lemon juice. i.e. 1 large lemon or 2 small lemons. Whether you use 1 or 2, use all the zest from the lemon. 🙂 Hope that helps! I added a note 7 to the recipe too.
I’ve already commented on this recipe to say how much I love it (Amy who had never posted on a blog or forum before)
I make this weekly, I use chicken breasts and soak in vegetable stock lemon herbs and pepper for 2 hours before it goes on the rice for 17mins (turns out different every time!)
But as I was gobbling the rice into my mouth while I waited for my partner to get home and eat the dish… I thought pine nuts would be a great accompaniment! I need to try another recipe but I’m just HOOKED on this!
Hi Amy! I’m SO glad you like this so much!!! Thank you for “coming out” to let me know, I really appreciate it. 🙂 Believe me, I know what it’s like! Before I started this blog, I never ever commented on blogs or participated in forums!! So I really appreciate it.
LOVE hearing that you’re HOOKED on this!!! N x
This recipe is pretty good, but it should be illegal to scrape up the browned bits of chicken from the pan after frying. Deglaze with marinade, wine, broth, vinegar, water ANYTHING (even the onion will loosen it). These are the best products of the frying process and this technique is absolutely bedrock to classical cooking. Tracie knows what she’s talking about.
If you find that the browned portion has dried and tastes burnt, that means you have fried your chicken too long or with too little oil/fat. This isn’t deep frying – the point is not to get the chicken crispy, but to draw out flavor. Cooking in the oven should render the fat and cook through the skin. Of course, if you absolutely need the chicken crispy on the outside the proper solution is to fry again once out of the oven – a cheap restaurant trick (esp. if the main cook is done in advance) but one real chefs avoid because crispy skin (usually) misses the point.
Hi Xing! I know what you mean 🙂 I am usually an absolute stickler to the rule of never throwing out the brown bits. The reason I do it for this recipe is because the garlic in the marinade tends to burn and you end up with black bits throughout the rice which, because the rice is a white not cooked in a thicker sauce like the enchilada casserole I just shared, makes it look not very nice!! Thank you for your input, I really appreciate it, love hearing from readers!
Delicious! Just made this in a cast iron skillet, used jasmati rice, and tin foil as a lid, with extra lemons squeezed all over, and went with the 20 min marinade. So good! It’s already been added to the “make again and again” dinner cookbook. 😉 will def try the overnight marinade next time, but seriously superb with the 20 min marinade!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Dawn! Thank you very much for letting me know! 🙂
Hello! Very excited to try your dish! I didn’t have a cast iron skillet so I used my Dutch oven… Also used boneless chicken thighs! When I put my chicken into the dish 20 mins into like you recommend I notice the rice has soaked up a lot of the juice so I added more! I am cooking covered for another 10 mins and then uncovered for another 10. My only problem was after marinating for 1-2 hours I had no marinade left! House smells amazing and I can’t wait to try it!!!
Oooh! I bet your house DOES sound amazing, I do hope you love it!! <3
Question: any tips if doubling recipe?
Hi Renee! Yes – use a BIG pan! 🙂 It might take 5 minutes longer, but it should not take much longer. I have a giant paella pan and it only takes me around 5 minutes extra cooking time to make enough for 12 versus for 4 and this is made in the same way (albeit in the oven)
I love Greek inspired and am excited to try this. To add nutrition would it work with long grain brown rice?
Hi Debbie! Unfortunately I haven’t tried this with brown rice. The liquid ratio would be different and it will take longer to cook because (most) brown rice takes longer to absorb water. I would love to know what you think if you do try it!!
Excited to try this tonight – I’m wondering if the lemon marinade will freeze? I bought a bulk pack of chicken thighs and generally double up on my recipes. I’d like to make 2ce the marinade and split the chicken 1/2 into a ziploc bag for the freezer.. any thoughts?
Absolutely that will work! 🙂 I do that often, I throw marinade into a bag with the chicken, freeze it then the marinading time occurs as it defrosts – perfect! Hope you love it!! 🙂
Wow! This was AMAZING! I am by no means a cook but this was quite easy to make..my husband, mother-in-law, and little 3 yr old all enjoyed it!! Thank you for great meal!
YAY!! So glad everyone enjoyed it!! I’m glad you found it easy to make 🙂 Sure sounds like you’re a good cook to me! N x
Hi Nagi,
I made this recipe night before last and my husband was thrilled with the results. I marinated skinless, boneless
thighs for 1 hour. I baked them on a cookie sheet with sliced lemons. Placed the chicken on a bed of steamed
fresh spinach and a size or lemon garlic orzo. He walked in the door and wanted it again the next night. Thanks
so much for this fantastic recipe
Hi Kathy! I’m SO glad you enjoyed this! Your hubby is one lucky guy, having you to make delicious home cooked meals for him. I can just imagine the aroma in the house that he came home too. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed this! Nagi x
Can you use boneless chicken breasts?
Hi Christine! You sure can, but I would pop it in about 10 minutes after the rice has started cooking because otherwise I would worry about the breast overcooking.
Why did my chicken skin completely adhere to my pan and come off my chicken? I was really looking forward to that crispy skin on my thighs.
Hi Anna! I can imagine how disappointed you were 🙁 Is it an old pan that used to be non stick? Also, did you cook over medium high and remember to add oil before putting the chicken in?
Is the crushed garlic for the marinade like a paste or do you just crush open the clove of garlic with the knife to help release flavor but it’s still solid?
Hi Ashley! It’s minced garlic. Thanks for the question 🙂 I’ve updated the recipe!
All I can say is OMG. Was a bit skeptical about the rice- after all the hype it got from reviews- but oh wow! I could really give hubby ALL the chicken and JUST eat the rice!!! I LOVE lemons and it was just so perfect for my pregnancy cravings! Not sure I want to try the Mexican version only because I love this one so much! Xxx
I had to giggle, I’m a bit like you, I just want to shovel down the rice – stuff the chicken! Sometimes I make a bowl and chop up the chicken so I can eat it with a spoon!
Bahahahaha that’s exactly what I did! Truth be told- I did it so I could hide the chicken in the rice!!! Not that the chicken was bad, but gee….. That rice. Hubby was shovelling it in his face so fast I don’t think he was breathing. And I didn’t get feedback until after he’d physically licked the sides of his bowl…
I don’t know to cook so I will try ur recipe tonite
I hope you do!
I would like to give this a10 everyone is raving about this dish I made your helping me with a creative approach just got out a culinary program and your getting my wheels turning
Awww Erin! Thank you for your kind words! I’m so glad you enjoyed this! And thank you so much for taking the time to come back and let me know you loved it! N x