This one-pan chicken and rice is packed with delicious flavors. Read on and you’ll see why this Greek chicken and rice recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner.
This post has been sponsored by Mahatma® Rice. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have quite a few rice recipes that are quick and easy to make. From one-pot tomato rice and Persian barberry rice with chicken to Lebanese rice and vermicelli and mujadara, rice can be made in different ways. This Greek lemon chicken and rice is so simple and flavorful that it will become a staple in your house!
Greek chicken and rice recipe
Everyone loves a good baked chicken and rice recipe. Marinated chicken and fluffy, flavorful rice make the best combo that’s hard to beat. It’s that ideal weeknight dinner that makes the evening so much better. Yes, the chicken is tasty, but the hero here is that fluffy rice that’s jam packed with flavor. I used Mahatma® Rice which I got from Safeway. Its high quality makes every dish so much better. Save $1 on any Mahatma® Rice at Safeway today!
This one-pan chicken and rice is one of our absolute favorites because it’s all made in one pan and is so simple to make. The rice pilaf is flavored with onion and garlic, which go perfectly well with marinated chicken. I won’t be exaggerating if I say this is the best chicken and rice recipe on the blog and I have no doubt it will become your favorite, too.
Chicken and rice skillet ingredients
To make this easy one-pan Greek chicken and lemon rice recipe, you need two sets of ingredients:
Marinated chicken:
- Chicken breast
- Lemon
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Garlic
- Oregano
Chicken and rice:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mahatma® Basmati Rice
- Salt, pepper, paprika and cumin
- Water
- Olives
- Parsley
These simple ingredients will make the best Greek lemon chicken and rice recipe you’ve ever tasted! The marinade for the chicken is so bright and delicious and adds so much flavor to the rice pilaf.
What kind of rice to use
My favorite rice to use when it comes to one-pan rice recipes is long grains such as Mahatma® Rice. The long grains keep their shape while cooking and won’t become mushy at all. Mahatma® Rice is wholesome and authentic, making it the ideal rice to use for one-pan and quick rice recipes.
Which cut of chicken to use for chicken and rice
When it comes to chicken and rice recipes, everyone has their own favorite cut of chicken. We love using boneless skinless chicken breast because of its light flavor. Depending on the size of the chicken breast, you might need to cut it in half lengthwise if it’s too thick to make sure it’ll cook properly.
It’s common to make one-pan chicken and rice recipes with chicken thighs as well because they contain more fat (which means more flavor). If using chicken thighs, make sure they’re skinless since the skin contains a lot of fat and might make the rice too greasy or soggy and gloppy after it is cooked. You can use either boneless or bone-in chicken thighs for this recipe.
How to make one pan chicken and rice
Making this delicious baked chicken and rice recipe has only four steps:
- Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, mix olive oil with lemon juice, garlic, salt and oregano. Set aside and marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can also cover the bowl and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator overnight.
- Sear the chicken: Heat an oven-safe pan over medium heat. Sear the chicken breasts on both sides until golden brown. At this stage, we don’t need the chicken to cook completely. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Prepare the rice: Heat some more olive oil in the same pan and sauté garlic and onion until golden brown. Add Mahatma® Rice and spices, stir well, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add in water and bring it to simmer. Place the seared chicken breasts on the rice and pour in the juice released from the chicken.
- Bake in the oven: Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
What goes with chicken and rice?
This Greek chicken and rice skillet goes well with fresh salads such as Greek salad, Mediterranean salad, or cucumber tomato avocado salad. I also love serving it with a side of homemade tzatziki sauce for extra flavor.
Notes and tips to make Greek chicken and rice
- This recipe uses chicken breasts which, if cooked properly, can be very juicy and tasty. However, you can also use bone-in skin-on or boneless skinless chicken thighs as well. I personally prefer the breast for this recipe as it tastes better with the rice and spices.
- You can add other ingredients to this Greek chicken and rice dish such as chickpeas or mushrooms.
- For this recipe, please use a 10″ pan. I prefer using a 4 quart 10″ pan as its size is perfect for this one-pan chicken breast and rice recipe.
- Right before serving, squeeze a fresh lemon on the dish. This will give the dish such bright and fresh flavor.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight glass container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, you can simply heat it in a pan over medium heat and stir occasionally until completely heated through.
Looking for more one pan meals?
Greek One Pan Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 lb chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 lemon juice of
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp oregano
Greek Chicken and Rice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cup Mahatma™ Rice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup olives
- 1 lemon sliced
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
Instructions
Marinated chicken:
- If the chicken breasts are too thick and large, cut the in half lengthwise.
- Mix lemon juice, salt, olive oil, garlic and oregano in a large bowl.
- Place the chicken breasts in the marinade and stir to make sure all pieces are coated.
- Marinate the chicken breasts in the lemon and garlic mixture for at least 30 minutes.
Greek chicken and rice:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Heat a non stick and oven safe pan over medium heat.
- Sear the chicken breasts for about 3 minutes on each side until they're golden brown. We don't need them to cook completely.
- Transfer the seared chicken breasts to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and saute onion and garlic until golden.
- Add in Mahatma rice and the spices. Stir for a couple of minutes to mix well.
- Add in water and bring it to simmer.
- Place the seared chicken breasts on the rice and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until the rice is cooked.
- Uncover and bake for another 7-10 minutes.
- Squeeze some lemon on the rice right before serving and top with olives and chopped parsley.
Notes
- You can use skinless chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless) instead of chicken breasts for this recipe.
- It's possible to marinate the chicken for more than 30 minutes. Simply cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to cook.
- If you don't have an oven safe pan, use a regular pan to cook everything. Once the water starts simmering, transfer the rice and water mixture to an oven safe dish and top with the chicken pieces. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven.
- This recipe uses chicken breasts which, if cooked properly, can be very juicy and tasty. However, you can also use bone-in skin-on or boneless skinless chicken thighs as well. I personally prefer the breast for this recipe as it tastes better with the rice and spices.
- You can add other ingredients to this Greek chicken and rice dish such as chickpeas or mushrooms.
- For this recipe, please use a 10" pan. I prefer using a 4 quart 10" pan as its size is perfect for this one-pan chicken breast and rice recipe.
- Right before serving, squeeze a fresh lemon on the dish. This will give the dish such bright and fresh flavor.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight glass container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. To reheat, you can simply heat it in a pan over medium heat and stir occasionally until completely heated through.
Taylor
Perfect weeknight dinner! Love the flavors!
Jenn
Loving this fuss-free one pan recipe! Totally easy for busy weeknights!