A simple one-pan dish, chicken and rice glow with the vibrant flavours of the Mediterranean. A zesty, lemon-dijon marinade is applied to tender chicken thighs before baking them with fluffy rice.
One pan meals are unbeatable. They're simple to prepare for supper and filling enough to serve as leftovers. It's a rare accomplishment, so consider yourself lucky if you have any of this exquisite meal's leftovers.
Similar to my Greek chicken kabobs, the chicken is marinated in a tangy Mediterranean-inspired marinade that is loaded with lemon and dijon. But it also serves a dual purpose by making the rice seem brighter. You'll prepare it again and again since it's the ideal warm family supper.
CHICKEN AND RICE INGREDIENTS
Do you want to discover what makes this dish so wonderful considering the few ingredients? It's the various flavour layers.
MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN MARINADE
- The greatest cut of chicken for juicy, soft flesh is bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- Lemon: This flavour of citrus transports you to a warm vacation.
- Dijon Mustard: I use this as my go-to secret ingredient to give the marinade a strong zing.
- Garlic: As you are all aware, the more the merrier!
- Mediterranean aromatics such as dried oregano and thyme enhance depth of flavour.
- Any high-quality olive oil will work well as an ingredient.
RICE INGREDIENTS
- White rice with a large grain should be used; see this topic on rice for advice.
- To reduce the amount of salt in the chicken stock, use a low or no-sodium option.
- Baby spinach: I always like to sneak in additional greens when I can.
- White onions also work well, while yellow onions are favoured.
- To flavour the rice, add a little extra dried oregano.
HOW TO MAKE MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN AND RICE
Rice can absorb the fragrant marinade and the juicy chicken because everything is prepared in a single pan. Following is the recipe.
Chicken marination preparation: First whisk the marinade and add it to the chicken and place it in the refrigerator for marination.
Grilling chicken: Now chicken thighs cook in a big pan until each side is evenly golden brown. After that remove the pan and set aside.
Cook Veggies and Herbs: You may add salt, oregano, and pepper to sauteed onions, spinach, and garlic from the marinade. Mix everything and stir it well.
Baking: Now add stock and rice to the skillet, and after that keep it to a simmer. Put thighs on the top and bake for 35 minutes and must cover the pan.
Serve and garnish: Garnish the chicken with parsley and lemon zest when it has rested.
TIPS FOR THE BEST CHICKEN AND RICE RECIPE
- Use a skillet that is oven-safe. Use a skillet that can go from the burner to the oven, preferably one made of cast iron or stainless steel.
- The finest chicken is the thigh. You may use boneless thighs, however, I like using bone-in thighs. In this dish, chicken breasts are not advised since they will probably overcook and become dry by the time the rice is prepared. Chicken thighs continue to be juicy and moist.
- After that continue marinating. Although 30 minutes will do, the longer the better when marinating chicken. I try to set aside at least a few hours.
STORING AND REHEATING LEFTOVERS
Plus, it freezes nicely, so it truly does make for some of the greatest leftovers.
- How to store: You may keep leftover chicken or rice in the fridge for three to four days if it's in a closed container.
- For Freezing: you can freeze the leftover in a container and freeze it for two months.
- Reheating: reheat the chicken in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. After that place the chicken in the grill for a few minutes. Just watch it attentively to prevent burning.
An effortless one-pan chicken and rice meal that has succulent chicken thighs and vibrant Mediterranean flavours.
FAQs
How Much Time It Will Take to Bake?
You may need to put chicken thighs for 35 minutes in the oven for cooking completely.
Conclusion
It's a scrumptious recipe made with chicken and rice. It's a top notch treat for your friends and your own family members. The elements are delivered as cited if you want to get the yummiest taste of this recipe. You could additionally keep it in three special ways including freezing or storing it inside the refrigerator.
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BEST CHICKEN AND RICE (ONE PAN)
Ingredients
CHICKEN
- 5 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
MARINADE
- 2 lemons, juiced and zested (approx ¼ cup of juice)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
RICE
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups baby spinach, lightly packed and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- chopped parsley, for garnish
- lemon zest or slices, for garnish
Instructions
MARINATE THE CHICKEN
- Add all of the marinade ingredients to a bowl and stir together.
- Place chicken thighs in a glass dish, pour marinade over the chicken, and turn each piece to coat. Cover dish and marinate chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
COOK THE CHICKEN AND RICE
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and cook until skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Reserve the leftover marinade as you'll add that back in later.
- Flip the chicken and cook another 5 minutes. Remove chicken thighs from skillet and set aside.
- Use your tongs to scrape and remove any browned bits, and bunch up a couple of paper towels to soak up some fat from the pan, but not all. Reserve a little bit of grease to cook the onions.
- Add the diced onions and stir for 1-2 minutes, or until they start to become translucent.
- Add the chopped spinach, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and reserved marinade. Stir for another 30 seconds or until the spinach starts to wilt.
- Add the rice to the skillet, and stir well to coat the rice with the oil.
- Pour the chicken stock into the skillet and stir well. Bring this to a simmer on the stove.
- Arrange chicken thighs on top of the rice, then cover the skillet and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid, return the skillet to the oven, and bake until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, about 10 minutes more.
- Let the chicken and rice rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The rice will look really dark as the spinach and onions rise to the surface. Just fluff the rice up with a fork to mix everything back together before serving.
- Top with chopped parsley and grilled lemon slices or fresh lemon zest.
LISA'S TIPS
- To store: You can store any leftover chicken in the refrigerator in a covered container for 3-4 days.
- To freeze: Place leftovers in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer up to 2 months.
- For reheating: Microwave the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes. If you want to crisp up the skin, run the chicken under a broiler for a couple of minutes. Just watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- One of my favorite oven-safe pans is this Staub braiser pan. It's so versatile and worth the investment!
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