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  • One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

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    One skillet Mediterranean chicken and rice is a classic meal the whole family will love. Traditionally, it’s made in a casserole dish. At least, that’s how my Mom and Grandma make it. Chicken and rice can be made so many different ways and varies from country to country. I decided to give it a different twist by making it in a skillet and adding a fresh lemon flavor. Other than that, this One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is a traditional Mediterranean recipe for chicken and rice.

    If you are looking for more Mediterranean-style recipes, check out my Simple Moussaka recipe, Grilled Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs & One Skillet Tuscan Chicken (which is one of the most popular recipes on my blog).

    One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love. Garlic-seasoned chicken thighs on a bed of rice mixed with colorful veggies.

    This rice pilaf tastes amazing! It’s cooked in homemade chicken stock (you can also add some wine for flavor), and the juices from the chicken seep into it while it cooks. Also, the lemon zest and juice add a fabulous fresh flavor to the rice. Sometimes, I also love to add some peeled tomato pieces to the rice and olives on top. It makes the dish very delicious – it’s always better when you add more Mediterranean flavors.

    I prepped the chicken by boiling it in water for 15 minutes. This makes the chicken extremely juicy and tasty, and it doesn’t dry out in the oven while it bakes. You could also use chicken breasts or tenderloins,  but it won’t have the same flavor because it’s not as flavorful as bone-in chicken thighs.

    If you decide to use chicken breasts, you can skip the first step of boiling the chicken and just saute each breast for few minutes on each side.

    One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love. Garlic-seasoned chicken thighs on a bed of rice mixed with colorful veggies.

    All the magic happens while the chicken and rice bake in the oven. All the flavors and juices mix together and infuse the chicken and rice with an incredible flavor. It’s a good thing that this recipe makes plenty of rice pilaf because I guarantee you will want seconds and thirds.

    Let me know how you like this easy One Skillet Chicken and Rice recipe in the comments below! I would love to hear from you!

    Happy cooking!


    One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love. Garlic-seasoned chicken thighs on a bed of rice mixed with colorful veggies.

    How To Make One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

    What you need

    4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

    Homemade Chicken stock (or use store bought stock instead)

    8 cups water

    2 celery stalks, cut in 2 pieces

    1 onion, quartered

    2 carrots, cut in 2 pieces

    1/4 cup fresh parsley

    1 tsp salt

    Rice Pilaf

    2 medium carrots, diced

    1 medium onion, diced

    4 cloves garlic, minced

    1 cup uncooked rice

    1 1/2 cups chicken stock (recipe above, or store bought)

    Zest of 1 lemon

    Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 Tbsp)

    1 tsp. thyme

    1 tsp. oregano

    Salt and pepper to taste

    1 tsp garlic powder

    1 tsp paprika

    1 lemon for garnish (optional)

    Instructions

    Place chicken thighs in a large pot and fill with water so it covers the chicken, season with salt. Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, and parsley to the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil chicken for 15 minutes. After that, move chicken to a plate, and train the chicken stock and use for later. If you decide to use store-bought chicken stock, you don’t need to add the vegetables to the water, but you do have to boil the chicken for 15 minutes in water.

    Heat oil in a large 10″ oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper,  thyme, and oregano. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

    Add rice to the skillet and stir well. Season the rice-vegetable mixture with salt,  black pepper, thyme, and oregano.

    Season chicken thighs with garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper on both sides. Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture in the skillet.

    Add lemon zest and lemon juice to the chicken stock and mix well. Pour over the rice mixture.

    Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 30 minutes. Move the oven rack to the top and bake for another 10 minutes, to get a nice golden brown crispy skin on the chicken.

    One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love. Garlic-seasoned chicken thighs on a bed of rice mixed with colorful veggies.

    Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
    5 from 9 votes
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    One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

    One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is a meal the whole family will love. Garlic-seasoned chicken thighs on a bed of rice mixed with colorful veggies.
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 558kcal

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    INGREDIENTS

    Homemade Chicken stock (or use store bought stock instead)

    Rice Pilaf

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Place chicken thighs in a large pot and fill with water so it covers the chicken, season with salt. Add chopped onion, celery, carrots, and parsley to the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil chicken for 15 minutes. After that, move chicken to a plate, and strain the chicken stock and use for later. If you decide to use store-bought chicken stock, you don't need to add the vegetables to the water, but you do have to boil the chicken for 15 minutes in water.
    • Heat oil in a large 10" oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped carrots, onion, and garlic. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, and oregano. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
    • Add rice to the skillet and stir well. Season the rice-vegetable mixture with salt, black pepper, thyme, and oregano.
    • Season chicken thighs with garlic powder, paprika, salt and black pepper on both sides. Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture in the skillet.
    • Add lemon zest and lemon juice to the chicken stock and mix well. Pour over the rice mixture.
    • Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 30 minutes. Move the oven rack to the top and bake for another 10 minutes, to get a nice golden brown crispy skin on the chicken.

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 471g | Calories: 558kcal | Carbohydrates: 46.1g | Protein: 57.3g | Fat: 14.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10.3g | Cholesterol: 151mg | Sodium: 1037mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 3.8g
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Keyword Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Healthy, One Pan, One Skillet

    One Skillet Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is an easy and delicious meal the whole family will love. Garlic-seasoned chicken thighs on a bed of rice mixed with colorful veggies.

    ♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥


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    Comments

    Lucy C Brenner

    This recipe sounds delicious! I will be making it soon!

    Stacy

    How much oil do you put in the pan before adding the carrots, onion s etc?

      Neli | Delicious Meets Healthy

      a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

    Kevin R.

    Hi! Really looking forward to trying this recipe this evening. Two questions. The recipe calls for a tsp each of oregano and thyme. The directions say to add both herbs at two different times. Is it a tsp of each herb both times or is the recipe 1 teaspoon of each divided? Also, when initially placing the skillet in the oven, do you cover? Thank you so much!

    Kevin

      Neli | Delicious Meets Healthy

      Hi Kevin,
      The total amount of oregano is 1 tsp and the total amount of thyme is also 1 tsp. I like to season a little bit at different stages of cooking – it helps with seasoning. But you can add the spices only at the end, or only in the beginning, as you prefer.
      You can cover the skillet when you saute the carrots & onion. Hope this helps! And enjoy your meal! 🙂

    Betty

    Hi Neli, thank you so much for getting back to me regarding amount of chicken broth. I look forward to making this delicious dish again….my husband loved it too!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Great! I am so glad you love it! It’s a favorite dish in our house as well! 🙂

    Betty

    5 stars
    I made this for supper tonight; and while the flavor was great I found 3 cups of chicken broth way too much. The chicken and rice were cooked but there was still about a cup of liquid in the pan (I used a casserole dish). Baked it for 40 min; then put on highest rack for another 10 min. Still liquidy so just drained it.
    Doesn’t one cup of rice usually only need 1 1/2 cups of water?

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Betty, I corrected the chicken broth amount. It should be 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Thanks for pointing this out!

    Jodie

    5 stars
    I decided to make this as it looks so good! It did taste nice but didn’t cook as quick and easy as it seems. The rice was hard and taking a while to cook – probably because it’s added to the dry-ish pan uncooked. Can you advise how this can be best improved? Slightly cook the rice first?

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Hi Jodie! Glad to hear it tasted good! I actually made this recipe this weekend again. 🙂
      The cooking time probably depends on the rice you used. Some rice may take longer to cook. I followed the cooking instructions on the rice package in addition to the cooking instructions of this recipe. I used basmati rice and the instructions said to soak it for 30 minutes prior to cooking. And then cook it for 25-30 minutes. If the instructions for your rice say to cook it for say 40 minutes, it definitely won’t be cooked in 30. Hope this helps!

    Jasmine Stanford

    This looks so yummy, I also love that it has no pork products, as I no longer eat them and am looking for more recipes that don’t have them that my 8 year old will enjoy too so I don’t have to cook separate meals

    Jennifer

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe. I was going to start looking for a new rice recipe, and this one looks good and easy to make.

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Yes, it’s definitely easy to make. And you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. That’s what I love about this meal – it’s simple but so flavorful! 🙂 Let me know how you like it if you give it a try.

    Linda Manns Linneman

    5 stars
    This sounds so good. We love rice dishes and eat alot of chicken for health reasons. I also like that it is a one skillet meal. Thank you so much for sharing this

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      You are welcome, Linda! Hope you give it a try! I am sure you will love it! 🙂

    Cheryl Everitt

    5 stars
    I love one pot/skillet meals. This is a meal that my family would approve.

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Thanks, Cheryl! Im sue they will love it, it tastes really good! Hope you enjoy it!

    Claudia | Gourmet Project

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to fill my oven! What a great idea for an easy workweek meal. I can already feel the lemon scent 🙂

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Thanks, Claudia! Yes, the lemon flavored rice is the bomb!

    Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy

    5 stars
    This looks delicious, and I love that it can all be done in one skillet. Lemon and chicken just go so well together!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Thanks, Dannii!

    Diana

    5 stars
    I’m half Jordanian, and we make the same dish pretty often! Healthy and delicious food!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      That’s so neat, Diana! I think it’s a very traditional meal for Eastern Europe & Middle East. When I think about it, pretty much every country has it’s own variation of chicken & rice. 🙂

    Derek | Dad With A Pan

    Loving all the colors here. Dishes like this are my favorite for when it starts getting cold, which I can’t believe is only months away! WHERE DID TIME GO?!!!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      I know, this summer is going by way too fast. And this dish is a great meal for any season. 🙂

    Amanda Mason

    5 stars
    OMG – this not only looks amazing but sounds so fantastic! I just hit your little print button and printed this one out for my meals next week! Super excited to make this for my family! AND – I love that this recipe came from grandma and mom! Those are ALWAYS the best recipes! Thanks for sharing!!! SUper excited to try this one!

      Delicious Meets Healthy

      Thank you so much! I m so glad you like this recipe! Hope you give it a try! 🙂 I agree, Mom’s and Grandma’s recipes are the best!

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