Description
This Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice recipe is a flavorful and vibrant one-pot meal combining tender, seasoned chicken thighs with zesty lemon rice, fresh spinach, juicy grape tomatoes, and creamy feta cheese. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s perfect for a quick, wholesome dinner with Mediterranean flair.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 1.5 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Greek Lemon Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz grape tomatoes, halved
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 oz fresh spinach, chopped
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained
Feta Cheese Mixture
- 6 oz feta cheese, diced into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (optional)
- Fresh oregano for garnish
Instructions
- Season the Chicken: In a bowl, season the chicken thighs with dried oregano, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes evenly coating all sides.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place chicken thighs in the skillet and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Adjust heat if oil begins to burn to avoid spoiling the chicken juices.
- Flip and Finish Cooking Chicken: Turn the chicken thighs over, lower heat to low-medium, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cooked through, reaching 165°F (74°C) internally. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Prepare Lemon Rice Base: In the same skillet, add half the halved grape tomatoes, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes until tomatoes soften and release their juices.
- Wilt Spinach: Stir fresh chopped spinach into the skillet and cook until wilted.
- Add Rice and Chickpeas: Incorporate cooked jasmine rice and drained chickpeas into the skillet. Pour in 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and add the remaining halved grape tomatoes. Stir well and reheat on medium, adding 1 extra tablespoon olive oil if desired for moisture and richness.
- Make Feta Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl, mix cubed feta cheese with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, and chopped fresh oregano if using. Toss gently to combine herbs and olive oil with the cheese.
- Combine Feta with Rice: Stir half of the feta mixture into the lemon rice to blend flavors.
- Add Chicken and Reheat: Slice the cooked chicken and add it to the skillet with rice. Warm on medium heat to bring everything together.
- Assemble and Serve: Top the dish with the remaining feta mixture and garnish with fresh oregano. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper as preferred. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use a digital meat thermometer to ensure chicken is cooked safely to 165°F (74°C).
- If the skillet is too hot, lower heat to prevent burning the chicken juices, which flavor the rice.
- Adjust lemon juice to taste for a more or less tangy flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, omit chicken and use more chickpeas or add sautéed vegetables.
- Fresh oregano enhances flavor but can be substituted with additional dried oregano if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
