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, and oregano. It’s healthy, gluten-free, protein-rich, and fiber-rich, and can be easily made dairy-free.

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.

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.

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

Instructions:

Chicken:

1. Season the chicken thighs with dried oregano, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes.
2. Heat an empty, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet (such as a cast-iron or stainless-steel pan) over medium heat for 2 minutes.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Greek Lemon Rice:

1. 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.
2. Stir in fresh spinach until it wilts.
3. Add cooked rice and drained chickpeas.
4. 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.

Feta Cheese Mixture:

1. 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).
2. Mix so that the herbs and olive oil coat the cubed Feta cheese.
3. Assembly:
4. Mix half of the feta cheese mixture into the skillet with lemon rice.
5. Add sliced cooked chicken to the skillet with rice and reheat on medium heat.
6. Top the Greek chicken and lemon rice with the remaining feta mixture. Sprinkle fresh oregano on top.
7. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.

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 lemon will 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.

Reheating:

• 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.

More Recipe Suggestions:

One Pot Lasagna Soup

Greek Chickpea Salad

Creamy Ricotta Chicken and Orzo Skillet

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

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, 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 American, Greek

Servings 4 Servings

Equipment

• Large Skillet (I prefer cast-iron, stove/oven to table)

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

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

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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.

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