One Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is about to be your new favorite easy peasy weeknight dinner! Made in one skillet, this recipe brings big, fresh flavor with plenty of herbs and bright lemon. You just might want to serve it at your next dinner party after trying these beautiful flavors!
Given my blog’s name, you may be confident enough to assume how I feel about doing dished. Spoiler: I hate it. I’m always trying to find a way to keep the cleaning to an absolute minimum. Dinners like this, where the entire meal is made in one skillet, are my favorites.
The feta, fresh herbs, and jar of olives in my fridge actually ended up being the inspiration behind this recipe. I imagined piling them high on a lemony pilaf with tender chicken. While this skillet is delicious all on its own, these toppings really did take it to the next level! If not all of them, I definitely suggest using at least some.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs – I used skin-on and bone-in thighs. You can use skinless/boneless thighs instead. If you use chicken breast, I suggest boneless and skinless otherwise they may not cook all the way through.
- Lemon – You’ll need both zest and juice. The more lemon the better!
- Garlic – I used fresh garlic, but you can use garlic powder. 1 tsp should do the trick.
- Onion powder – For the chicken marinade. You can add more, less, or leave it out completely if you prefer.
- Oregano – Dried will work best for the cooking process. If you want to use fresh, double the amount of oregano called for in the recipe.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
- Olive oil – Regular olive oil, not extra virgin, for sautéing. Other high-heat-friendly oils such as canola, vegetable, safflower, sunflower, grapeseed, coconut, or avocado will work.
- Onion – White or yellow onion will work best, but red onion can be used as well.
- Rice – I used jasmine. Basmati or generic long-grain will also work.
- Bouillon – To add a bit more depth and flavor to the broth.
- Broth – I used chicken broth. You can use any type you have handy! Yes, even beef broth will do in a pinch.
- Toppings – Feta cheese, olives, fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, and dill), slices of lemon, and kalamata olives decorated the top of my skillet. Fresh tomatoes, pickled hot peppers, roasted chickpeas, a drizzle of tahini, or yogurt would all be great as well.
How to make one pot Mediterranean chicken and rice
- Marinate: Add the chicken thighs to a bowl with 2 tbsp of the lemon juice, the zest, garlic, onion powder, 2 tbsp of the dried oregano, and a generous pinch of each salt and pepper. Let the chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes, and up to 1 day.
- Sear: Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Place the chicken thighs, skin-side-down, and cook until crisped and well browned, 2-3 minutes. Sear the other side for 1-2 minutes, then remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Pilaf: Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Add the rice and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Pour the broth into the skillet and stir in the bouillon. Taste the liquid and add salt if needed.
- Bake: Place the chicken thighs back into the skillet along with the accumulated juices. Cover with a lid and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the skin of the chicken thighs are crisp and golden brown. Add your toppings and serve.
FAQ
Not at all! You can use chicken breast instead. My only suggestion is that you use skinless and boneless chicken breast as skin-on and bone-in breast may not cook all the way through in perfect synchronicity with the rice as thighs do.
Cover the skillet with foil in this case. Just make sure the foil isn’t pressed against the thighs. It will stick to the skin and tear it off!
If you want to be extra careful about your chicken’s doneness, the best method is to take its temperature. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of your largest chicken thigh. It should read 165F/75C when it’s fully cooked.
Tips for making perfect one pot Mediterranean chicken and rice
- Season with a little bit of salt and pepper as you go. It’s easy to make a skillet dinner like this bland! The liquid in the pan is what will flavor your rice, so make sure it’s perfectly seasoned to your preference before baking.
- Make sure your lid fits the skillet well. If too much steam escapes while the rice bakes, it won’t cook through. If there are any gaps, you can cover them with foil.
- Keep a close eye on the skillet after you remove the lid. You want to crisp the skin back up without drying the rice out too much.
- Add those beautiful, fresh toppings! While they’re optional, they really take this recipe to another level.
How to store leftovers
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. At 20-30 second intervals, I find the microwave is the best way to reheat leftovers without drying the chicken too much. You can also stick the chicken under the broiler for about 1-2 minute to crisp the skin back up.
If you don’t want to use the microwave, you can reheat leftovers in the oven. Preheat to 325F and transfer the rice and chicken to a casserole dish, or even back into the skillet. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 10-15 minutes, until warmed through. Broil the chicken for 1-2 minutes if you want to crisp the skin.
Looking for more easy weeknight dinners like this?
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One Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs skin on and bone-in
- 1/4 cup lemon juice divided
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3 tbsp dried oregano divided
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion white or yellow, diced
- 1 cup rice long-grain
- 1 tsp bouillon
- 2 cups chicken broth
Optional – Toppings
- fresh herbs I used parsley, dill, and oregano, chopped
- lemon sliced into wheels
- feta cheese crumbled
- kalamata olives
Instructions
- Add the chicken thighs to a bowl with 2 tbsp of the lemon juice, the zest, garlic, onion powder, 2 tbsp of the dried oregano, and a generous pinch of each salt and pepper. Let the chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes, and up to 1 day.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop and add the olive oil. Place the chicken thighs, skin-side-down, and cook until crisped and well browned, 2-3 minutes. Sear the other side for 1-2 minutes, then remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Add the rice and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Pour the remaining lemon juice and broth into the skillet, then stir in the bouillon. Taste the liquid and add salt if needed.
- Once the broth has started to boil, place the chicken thighs back into the skillet along with the accumulated juices. Cover with a lid* and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the skin of the chicken thighs are crisp and golden brown. Add your toppings and serve.
In the instructions you have an onion that also goes into this?
In the ingredients, it doesn’t list an onion. Just onion powder.
I see onion listed! Right under olive oil.
Step 3 mentions toast?
What oven temp?
Thank you for catching that! 350 F 🙂 The recipe has been updated.
Thank YOU for the recipe! I’m making this today for dinner. I can’t wait! Lol
10/10 would read again LOL
LOL thanks yo my favorite doctor
Great