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Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice is a 30-minute ONE-POT dinner packed with so much flavor! This Mediterranean recipe features spinach, grape tomatoes, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), feta cheese, paprika, Italian seasoning, and oregano. It's healthy, gluten-free, protein-rich, and fiber-rich, and can be easily made dairy-free.
Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice
This is by no means an authentic Greek recipe, but it is certainly inspired by Greek ingredients and flavors! It definitely fits into the Mediterranean diet category. Made with classic Greek ingredients, this chicken and rice skillet is not only delicious and very flavorful, but it also makes a great presentation! I used skinless boneless chicken thighs (seasoned with paprika, oregano, and red pepper flakes) - they work so well in this recipe! The dark chicken meat is moist, flavorful, and very forgiving to cook. Serve Greek chicken and lemon rice with Greek salad for a complete meal! If you enjoy Mediterranean rice skillets, you might also like this Mediterranean salmon and rice.
Why you'll love it
- 30-minute ONE-POT dinner. Greek chicken and lemon rice come together fast. The cleanup is minimal. It's a perfect recipe for when you need something quick yet delicious on a busy weekday.
- Perfect for meal prep. Because there is no cream in this recipe, it freezes and reheats really well!
- Serve it as a main or side dish. With so many satisfying ingredients in this recipe (chicken, rice, chickpeas, and veggies), it certainly makes a great well-balanced main course. But, you could also present it as a side dish. You can slice the chicken even more thinly than I did, mix it with the lemon rice, and serve it as a chicken rice side dish.
What kind of chicken to use?
- Skinless boneless chicken thighs are the best choice here. They are flavorful, moist, and forgiving to cook. Do not discard the juices from the cooked chicken thighs - they will add so much flavor to the rice!
- Skinless boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins are good choices, too, even though the white chicken meat is not as flavorful as chicken thighs.
- I do not recommend bone-in chicken, such as skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. It cooks much longer than skinless boneless chicken and is better suited for baking in the oven vs on the stovetop.
What kind of rice to use?
- Jasmine or basmati rice. Long-grain rice works the best here.
- Brown rice will cook a little bit longer, but would work great, too.
- Wild rice will take even longer to cook, but it will certainly fit well with the rest of the ingredients!
How to make it dairy-free
Use vegan feta cheese. All other ingredients are dairy-free!
The best kind of cooking pan to use
A 12-inch high-sided cast iron skillet is what I used. Any similar large skillet or saute pan will work. Make sure it's high-sided.
Substitutions and variations
- Rice. I used jasmine rice. You can also use basmati rice, any long-grain rice, or Arborio rice.
- Pasta. If you're looking for other popular Greek or Mediterranean diet choices in place of rice, I recommend Orzo. You can also make this recipe with pasta of your choice.
- Beans. I recommend garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or cannellini beans. You can even use cooked lentils.
- Lime or lemonwill work great. Freshly squeezed juice is always the best!
- Veggies. My favorite veggies to add to the Greek chicken and lemon rice are chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, green beans, cucumber, zucchini, arugula, and spinach. Pick and choose what you have available!
- Cheese. You can use grated Parmesan or fresh Mozzarella cheese instead of or in addition to Feta cheese.
Storage Tips
- Fridge. Store leftover Greek chicken and rice refrigerated, in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. This recipe is freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep! Freeze this dish for up to 2 months.
How to reheat
- Stove-top. Reheat over low-medium heat in any kind of appropriately sized cooking pan. Add a small amount of olive oil when reheating, and stir the rice often.
- Microwave oven. Reheat the leftovers in a deep, high-sided microwave-safe dish (bowl) for about 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave oven, and stir the rice mixture well. Return to the oven and reheat for 30 more seconds or more, until heated through.
What to serve with it
Greek chicken and lemon rice is a complete meal that doesn't need any side dishes. The only thing that can make it better is a side salad. Here are some easy and healthy ideas:
- Simple Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
- Greek Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad with Basil Pesto
Other Greek-inspired main courses
- Greek Shrimp Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Olives
- One-Pot Greek Chicken
- Greek Shrimp Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumber, and Feta Cheese
- 30-Minute Greek Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, Olives, and Fresh Basil
4.78 from 159 votes
Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice (30 Minutes, ONE-POT)
Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice is a 30-minute ONE-POT dinner packed with so much flavor! This Mediterranean recipe features spinach, grape tomatoes, chickpeas (garbanzo beans), feta cheese, paprika, Italian seasoning, and oregano. It's healthy, gluten-free, protein-rich, fiber-rich, and can be easily made dairy-free.
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 4
Calories per serving 755 kcal
Author: Julia
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Greek lemon rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 oz fresh spinach chopped
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 15 oz chickpeas canned
Feta cheese mixture
- 6 oz feta cheese diced into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano optional
- fresh oregano for garnish
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
How to cook chicken
Season the chicken thighs with dried oregano, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes.
Heat an empty, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet (such as a cast-iron or stainless steel pan) over medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken thighs. Cook the chicken on medium heat for 5 minutes on one side, undisturbed. Important note: make sure the oil does not burn. If the skillet gets too hot (depending on your stovetop), reduce heat to low-medium. You don't want the juices from the chicken to be burnt, as you will use those juices to flavor the rice.
Flip the chicken thighs over, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes or longer on the other side, without moving it, until it's cooked through.
The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
How to make Greek lemon rice
Add half of the halved grape tomatoes, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same, now empty, skillet. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat for about 2 minutes until they soften and release juices.
Stir in fresh spinach until it wilts.
Add cooked rice and drained chickpeas.
Add 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the remaining uncooked halved grape tomatoes. Reheat on medium heat, stirring everything to combine. Add 1 extra tablespoon of olive oil if you like.
How to make a feta cheese mixture
In a medium bowl, combine cubed Feta cheese with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano (add more to taste), 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano (if using).
Mix so that the herbs and olive oil coat the cubed Feta cheese.
Assembly
Mix half of the feta cheese mixture into the skillet with lemon rice.
Add sliced cooked chicken to the skillet with rice and reheat on medium heat.
Top the Greek chicken and lemon rice with the remaining feta mixture. Sprinkle fresh oregano on top.
Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice (30 Minutes, ONE-POT)
Amount per Serving
Calories
755
% Daily Value*
Fat
34
g
52
%
Saturated Fat
10
g
63
%
Trans Fat
0.03
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
5
g
Monounsaturated Fat
15
g
Cholesterol
199
mg
66
%
Potassium
1202
mg
34
%
Carbohydrates
62
g
21
%
Fiber
12
g
50
%
Sugar
7
g
8
%
Protein
53
g
106
%
Vitamin A
4390
IU
88
%
Vitamin C
26
mg
32
%
Calcium
393
mg
39
%
Iron
8
mg
44
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Keyword greek chicken and lemon rice
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Comments
L LI love Greek & Mediterranean food, so when I saw this recipe I got excited, and bookmarked it for almost two weeks when I had all my ingredients assembled. Some I already had, like garbanzo beans and spinach and chicken.
Before adding in the beans I checked to see if they needed rinsing. It was nowhere on the can and nowhere in the recipe ingredients. I rinsed anyway.
I tho't the recipe was so-so and the possible reason may have been the beans. ZERO flavor, hard and may as well have been eating cardboard. I looked at the ingredients on the side of the can and it says they are given a hardening agent, salt calcium chloride. Sounds and tastes disgusting.
I don't do the grocery shopping, I just fill out the requisitions, so I do not know if there are more natural alternative garbanzo bean options, but I would not recommend canned, if they have a hardening agent added. I had these on hand because I make hummus with them, and obviously you would never know they were hard once you've creamed them.
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