Best Chicken and Rice (One Pan)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Marinating Time
30 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
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Servings
5 servings
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Calories
423 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mediterranean
Best Chicken and Rice (One Pan)
Description
This recipe begins by marinating chicken thighs in a mixture of lemon juice and zest, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, dried oregano and thyme, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. After at least 30 minutes or up to overnight, the chicken is seared skin-side down until golden brown, then flipped and partially cooked before being removed from the pan. The pan's browned bits are scraped off and excess fat is blotted while reserving some for cooking.
Diced onions are sautéed until translucent, then chopped spinach and additional garlic are added before stirring in long grain white rice and chicken stock. The chicken and reserved marinade return to the pan, allowing the ingredients to cook together in the oven at 350°F. This melds the lemon-herb flavors into the chicken and rice, yielding tender meat and fluffy, flavorful rice infused with herbs and stock.
The dish is garnished with fresh chopped parsley and lemon zest or slices before serving. It suits a hearty family meal or when a complete dinner requires minimal pots and pans.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen up to 2 months. Reheating in the microwave works well, with skin crisping possible under a broiler. Using an oven-safe pan such as a Staub braiser enhances cooking and cleanup efficiency.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 5 chicken thighs skin-on and bone-in
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Marinade
- 2 lemon juiced and zested (approx 1/4 cup of juice, plural
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Rice
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cups baby spinach lightly packed and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1 teaspoons oregano dried
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- parsley for garnish, chopped
- lemon for garnish, zest or slices
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.
Notes
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze any leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat refrigerated chicken in the microwave for 2-3 minutes; to crisp skin, briefly broil while watching carefully to avoid burning.
- A heavy, oven-safe pan like a Staub braiser is recommended for cooking this recipe as it is versatile and aids even heat distribution.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 423 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 423kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 6% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 29g | 45% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 114mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 725mg | 30% |
| Potassium | 509mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1213IU | 24% |
| Vitamin C | 29mg | 32% |
| Calcium | 65mg | 7% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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