Chicken and rice are great together. They are even better when combined with lemon, garlic and oregano. Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs Recipe is a one pot wonder. You can marinate the chicken for as little as 20 minutes or as much as overnight.
Ingredients
- Lemons
- Dried oregano
- Garlic
- Salt
- Chicken thighs
- Canola oil
- Onion
- Long grain rice
- Chicken stock
- Water
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Lemon slices
- Parsley
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
For the marinade
- Zest 2 lemons and squeeze the juice. Zest first, squeeze second! Mix the lemon juice, zest, oregano, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Pour into a medium zipper bag. If you don't have a bag, pour the marinade in a shallow pan.
- Add the chicken thighs and securely close the bag. If using a shallow pan, cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to overnight, occasionally squeezing the bag to cover the chicken. If using a shallow pan, flip the chicken a few times.
For the chicken:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet.
- When oil is hot, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade bag and place skin-side down in the hot skillet. Set the marinade aside in the refrigerator, to use later in recipe.
- Allow chicken to brown nicely on the skin side, then flip and brown the other side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and wipe the pan with a paper towel to remove any burned bits.
For the rice:
- Add the second tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Add the diced onions and cook until the onions are translucent.
- Add the rice, chicken stock, water, salt, pepper, and the saved marinade to the skillet.
- Simmer together for one minute then place the chicken breasts on top.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the lid, add a few sliced lemons if you like, and bake an additional ten minutes.
- Taste the rice for doneness. If still too firm, return the skillet to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. If all the liquid is absorbed but the rice is still firm, add an extra splash of chicken stock at this point.
- When the rice is cooked to your liking, remove the pot and let rest for ten minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Substitutions:
Chicken thighs work best in my Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs Recipe, but you could substitute drumsticks. Chicken breasts would work, but they might overcook and become dry. Try starting the rice in the oven for ten minutes, then adding the chicken breasts.
Italian seasoning is a good substitution if you don't have oregano. Speaking of dried oregano, Mexican dried oregano is best!
You could substitute brown rice easily in this dish. Although I haven't tried it, I think couscous would be great as well. If you try it before I do, drop a comment below and let us know how it went.
Top tip for making photo-worthy chicken thighs:
We eat with our eyes first, and chicken thighs are not the prettiest protein. I like to trim the excess fat and overhanging skin off the thighs with sharp kitchen shears. I love Wüsthof kitchen shears! Inexpensive and indespensible.
After trimming, press the skin down firmly on the top of the thigh meat. The skin browns beautifully this way. Handle the thighs gently while marinating, and use rubber tipped tongs for adding them to the skillet.
? Recipe
Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs Recipe
Equipment
- Oven-safe skillet
- Zipper top bag
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 2 lemons, zest and juice
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in with skin
- 1 tablespoon canola oil set aside until chicken has finished marinating
For the rice:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Black pepper to taste
- Lemon slices optional
- Finely chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the marinade
- Zest 2 lemons and squeeze the juice. Mix the lemon juice, zest, oregano, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Pour into a medium zipper bag.
- Add the chicken thighs and securely close the bag.
- Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
For the chicken:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet.
- When oil is hot, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade bag and place skin-side down in the hot skillet. Set the marinade aside to use later in recipe.
- Allow chicken to brown nicely on the skin side, then flip and brown the other side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and wipe the pan with a paper towel to remove any burned bits.
For the rice:
- Add the second tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Add the diced onions and cook until the onions are translucent.
- Add the rice, chicken stock, water, salt, pepper, and the saved marinade to the skillet.
- Simmer together for one minute then place the chicken breasts on top.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the lid, add a few sliced lemons if you like, and bake an additional ten minutes.
- Taste the rice for doneness. If still too firm, return the skillet to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes. If needed, add an extra splash of chicken stock at this point.
- When the rice is cooked to your liking, remove the pot and let rest for ten minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition information is provided as a convenience and courtesy only. You are encouraged to do your own calculations if precise data is required.
Comment