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Home / Comfort Food

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

4.86
/5
55 minutes
157 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 02/21/2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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!

Easy one pan lemon chicken and greek rice

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.

Lemon chicken recipe with Greek rice in one pan

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.

Lemon chicken with Greek rice on plate

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

Marinated Greek lemon chicken thighs are seared then baked on top of a lemon and herb flavored rice.  The easiest one pan meal that the whole family will love! 

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!

Want to try this Greek Lemon Chicken?

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Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Marinated Greek lemon chicken thighs are seared then baked on top of a lemon and herb flavored rice.  The easiest one pan meal that the whole family will love! 

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice

4.86 from 76 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Calories: 366
Servings: 5 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
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.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

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.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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Recipe adapted slightly from RecipeTinEats

Marinated Greek lemon chicken thighs are seared then baked on top of a lemon and herb flavored rice.  The easiest one pan meal that the whole family will love! 

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. Claire King says

    Posted on 3/15 at 12:25 pm

    Amazing. Succulent chicken. I marinaded overnight with the lemons from our garden. Was a hit with everyone young and old. Will definitely be on my go to list

    Reply
  2. Karen mcnally says

    Posted on 3/2 at 1:48 pm

    This was delicious. I made it twice now. Very flavorful. Great recipe.

    Reply
  3. Yenny says

    Posted on 2/1 at 1:03 pm

    Can I use drumsticks inserts of chicken thighs?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/2 at 12:49 pm

      I haven’t tested this recipe using drumsticks, so I can’t say for certain what alterations would need to be made with regard to the cooking time. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
  4. Dianne Leonetti says

    Posted on 1/24 at 6:07 pm

    Delicious!! Add topping of chopped Spinach around the chicken while baking.

    Reply
  5. Joan M says

    Posted on 1/15 at 12:28 am

    So yummy! Will definitely make again.

    Reply
  6. Cathy says

    Posted on 11/30 at 10:30 am

    Can this be adjusted for bone-in breasts? Hubby will only eat breasts, he’s a chicken snob. I want the bone for flavor. I can’t wait to try!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/1 at 9:03 am

      I’m sure it could be adjusted, but without testing and retesting, I can’t say for certain how long they would need to cook, and if the rice would be done before the bone in breasts are finished. If you do some experimenting, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂

      Reply
  7. Erin L. says

    Posted on 11/27 at 2:44 pm

    Is it just me or has this recipe changed? I could have sworn there was lemon juice in the marinade before, in addition to the zest. Maybe a little less pepper too? And I don’t remember adding dried minced onion before. Perhaps my memory is failing me (a distinct possibility).

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/27 at 9:05 pm

      I haven’t updated or changed this recipe since posting it in 2018, but it’s a fairly common recipe, so you may be thinking of a recipe from another site?

      Reply
  8. Jeanne Denison says

    Posted on 11/17 at 6:25 pm

    Best chicken dish ever.

    Reply
  9. Monica says

    Posted on 10/23 at 1:46 am

    I have tried a few different recipes for this dish, but this is by far the best. I normally make it with the bone out thighs, but today it was bone in and real chicken stock I had leftover. It takes it to a new level. Thank you

    Reply
  10. Karrah says

    Posted on 10/17 at 11:47 am

    Love a bunch of your recipes, can’t wait to try this! I have boneless thighs, would cutting the cooking time like with boneless breasts work or do I need to cut more time?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 10/17 at 12:08 pm

      I haven’t tested this recipe using boneless thighs, so I can’t speak for certain, but I think cutting the time like you would with chicken breasts should work okay. I would double check the internal temperature to make sure they’re cooked to at least 165°F though.

      Reply
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Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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