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Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

Mediterranean chicken and rice made as a one-pan oven bake with golden roasted thighs embedded in fluffy, herb-infused lemon rice. Feta softens into the grains with olives and cherry tomatoes for a tangy, savory finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
marinating 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Lemon-herb marinade
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste
Rice and toppings
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice
  • 3 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, halved
  • 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 Fresh parsley and lemon wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, until evenly combined. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes so it absorbs the lemon-herb flavor.
Bake one-pan chicken and rice
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F, then spread the long-grain white rice in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the chicken broth over the rice and stir in a pinch of salt and the remaining marinade.
  2. Nestle the chicken skin-side up into the rice, pressing it down slightly for contact. Scatter the cherry tomatoes and Kalamata olives around the chicken for pockets of flavor.
  3. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F. Look for the rice to start steaming and the chicken juices to collect in the bottom of the dish.
  4. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes at 375°F, until the skin is golden and the rice is cooked through. The top should look browned and the rice should appear tender with liquid absorbed.
Finish and serve
  1. Immediately crumble the feta over the hot dish so it softens into the grains from the residual heat. You should see the feta start to melt slightly and distribute across the rice.
  2. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Finish with bright herb aroma and lemony wedges for squeezing over each portion.

Notes

Pro tip: use skin-side up and don’t skip the tight foil cover for the first bake so the rice cooks evenly under steam. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended due to the texture of the rice and feta. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium chicken broth and reduce added salt while marinating.