Greek Chicken and Rice
Our 30-minute one-pan Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice dinner is packed with so much flavor you'll be shocked by how easy it is! A healthy Mediterranean recipe uses lemon rice, chicken, spinach, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and classic Greek spices.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Thighs boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano or 1 ½ teaspoons fresh
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh
- 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Greek Lemon Rice
- 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes halved
- 6 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano or 1/2 teaspoon fresh
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ Cups Spinach chopped
- ½ Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes chopped
- 2 Lemons zested
- ¼ - ⅓ Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 2 ½ Cups Cooked Basmati or Jasmine Rice see note
Feta Topping
- 6 oz Feta Cheese (a brick is best, then crumble it)
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano chopped
- 2 teaspoons Fresh Dill chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley chopped
- ⅓ Cup Kalamata Olives chopped
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Season the chicken thighs all over with the seasonings.6 Chicken Thighs, 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano, ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme, 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika, 1 ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken thighs, top down and turn the heat down to medium. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on one side, watching for signs of over browning, reduce heat to low-medium if needed. (Refer to our post on how to cook chicken in a pan for the easiest way to know if the chicken is cooked without cutting into it or a thermometer.)2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Flip the chicken over, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for about 5 more minutes until cooked through, 165 degrees internal temperature.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate to rest.
Make the Rice
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Add half of the halved grape tomatoes, garlic, turmeric, and oregano, and ½ -1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat for about 2 minutes until beginning to soften and burst.1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, 6 Cloves Garlic, 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano, ¼ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- Stir in the fresh spinach, cooked rice, sun dried tomatoes, zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice as well as the remaining uncooked halved grape tomatoes. Increase the heat to medium heat, stirring to combine. If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little oil. While cooking, move onto the topping.1 ½ Cups Spinach, ½ Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, 2 Lemons, ¼ - ⅓ Cup Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice, 2 ½ Cups Cooked Basmati or Jasmine Rice, 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes
Prepare the Topping
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the feta with 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, oregano, dill, and parsley and the olives. Gently toss to coat.6 oz Feta Cheese, 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Oregano, 2 teaspoons Fresh Dill, 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, ⅓ Cup Kalamata Olives, Pepper, 1 Tablespoon Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
- Mix half of the feta mixture into the skillet with lemon rice. Slice the chicken on a cutting board and arrange on top of the entire mixture. Allow to heat with a lid on for about 2 minutes.
- Top with the remaining feta mixture and sprinkle fresh herbs on top as garnish.6 oz Feta Cheese
Video
Notes
Bring 1 ¼ - 1 ½ cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add the rice along with some salt and stir. Place the lid on and turn down to a simmer for 15 minutes or until tender.
This will yield approximately 2 ¼ - 2 ½ cups of rice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1breast | Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 856mg | Potassium: 875mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1526IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 4mg