This one-pot chicken dish gets great flavor from the lemon, oregano, and garlic marinade. The marinade gets added back in to the pot to cook the rice for even more flavor.
2teaspoonscanola oilset aside until chicken has finished marinating
For the rice:
1 ½teaspoonscanola oil
½small onionfinely diced
½cuplong grain rice
¾cupschicken stock
½cupwater
½teaspoonsalt
Black pepper to taste
Lemon slicesoptional
Finely chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the marinade
Zest 1 lemon 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 15-20 minutes or up to overnight.
For the chicken:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
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 thighs on top. Try to keep the top of the chicken skin side up and above the liquid to assure crispy skin.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 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.