Baked Greek Chicken & Lemon Rice Recipe Is One-Pan Magic (High Protein) by Donna John

Nagi Maehashi, the creator of this recipe, says it is "the best chicken and rice recipe in the world." She admits it's not an "authentic Greek dish," but it does use classic Greek ingredients. I have to agree with Nagi that this is a pretty spectacular one-pot baked chicken dinner. Plus you get the health health benefits of protein in every delicious bite.

Photo credit (all photos): Donna John

This is another winning  high-protein recipe from my favorite cookbook, RecipeTin Eats Dinner by Nagi Maehashi. To make this easy Greek-inspired baked chicken recipe you will need bone-in chicken thighs, fresh lemons for juicing and zesting, dried oregano, fresh garlic, salt and black pepper, olive oil, onion, long-grain rice and chicken broth. The gluten-free recipe starts on the stovetop and ends in the oven, so you will need an ovenproof skillet.

Serve this Greek chicken for dinner with your favorite side dishes. This baked chicken recipe is pretty much a meal on its own, but I added a fresh garden salad on the side.

Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 5

Ingredients

Chicken and Marinade

• 2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 
• 1 - 2 lemons, for zesting and juicing (about 4 tablespoons juice)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Lemon Rice

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup long-grain rice (uncooked)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• black pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley or oregano, for garnish (optional)
• fresh lemon zest, for garnish (optional, but recommended)

Here's how to make it:

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a plastic zipper bag or shallow dish. Cover and marinate 20 minutes to overnight in the refrigerator. I put my chicken in the marinade in the morning so it marinated all day. I put the spent lemons into the bag with the marinade and added lemon slices to the top before baking.
2. When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade in the bag). Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Put the chicken into the skillet skin side down and cook until golden brown. Flip it over and cook the other side to golden brown (it will not be cooked through at this point). Remove the chicken to a plate.
   
3. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
   
4. Add the rice, chicken broth, water, dried oregano, salt, pepper and reserved marinade.
   
5. Stir to combine the ingredients and bring to a simmer.
   
6. Put the chicken back into the skillet. Cover the skillet and bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 35 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to bake for about 10 more minutes or until all the liquid has absorbed and the rice is tender.
   
7. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley, oregano and fresh lemon zest, if desired. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.
   

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get recipes in your newsfeed daily. Food, fun, health, happiness.