Description
A bright, flavorful one-pot meal featuring juicy chicken thighs, fluffy long-grain rice, and zesty lemon, ready in just 30 minutes with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1.5 cups long-grain white rice (Jasmine or Basmati)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium lemons (juice and zest)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried mint (optional)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
- Optional: 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Optional: 2 cups fresh spinach
- Optional: 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Chop onion, mince garlic, zest and juice lemons, and cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Sear chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken in batches until golden brown (3-4 minutes per side). Remove chicken to a plate.
- Sauté aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the skillet and cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Add garlic and oregano, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Toast rice: Add uncooked rice to the skillet and stir for 1-2 minutes until grains are slightly translucent.
- Simmer: Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Rest and finish: Turn off heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet, add lemon zest and mint, and gently fold together.
- Serve: Fluff rice with a fork, adjust seasoning, and serve topped with feta, parsley, and lemon wedges.
Notes
Do not use brown rice as it requires more liquid and time. Toasting the rice prevents mushiness. Keep the lid on during simmering to trap steam. This dish does not freeze well due to rice texture changes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the skillet
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 620
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 35
Keywords: Greek lemon chicken, one pot dinner, healthy weeknight meal, easy chicken and rice, 30 minute dinner, gluten free dinner