This chicken and rice has consistently been an easy, one-pan weeknight dinner I can depend on. Juicy chicken thighs are soaked in a lemon Dijon marinade, then baked with an herby rice mix that ties the whole dish together!
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Why You’ll Love My Chicken & Rice
- It’s a full meal in one pan. The chicken thighs are deliciously tender and the rice soaks up the juiciness from the chicken along with the citrusy flavor from the marinade. So yum!
- I sneaked in extra veggies. Those darker flecks in the rice are chopped baby spinach! I love to chop up leafy greens and add them to meals for a veggie boost.
- It’s a flavor you’ll never get tired of. If you’re like me and looove fresh Mediterranean flavors, I’m confident you’ll love this chicken and rice dish. It’s bright and herby!
Ever since I posted this recipe along with my chicken and rice video back in 2020, it’s been a true community favorite. As Downshifter Martine says, “This has been a go-to of mine for several years—delicious and well balanced flavours. With a quick morning prep and limited dishes to clean post dinner, it’s perfect for a busy schedule.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself! It’s easy to prep (I’ll share tips below), perfect for busy weeknights, and always hits the spot. Similar to my Greek lemon chicken and Greek chicken kabobs, the marinade coats the chicken with bright, herby flavors. The marinade also adds a ton of flavor to the rice as they cook together, making this a win-win dinner situation!
Chicken and Rice Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade, you’ll need:
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are the best choice for juicy, tender meat.
- Lemon: The citrus flavor makes you feel like you’re on a sunny vacation in the Mediterranean.
- Dijon mustard: My secret ingredient for adding a sharp zip to the marinade.
- Garlic: You know my motto—the more garlic the better!
- Dried oregano & thyme: These Mediterranean aromatics add delicious depth of flavor.
- Olive oil: Any good quality olive oil will work great.
For the rice, you’ll need:
- Long grain white rice: Make sure to use long grain rice. I’ve also got some tips on rice varieties on my how to cook rice post.
- Chicken stock: I prefer to use a low-sodium chicken stock to keep the salt level down.
- Baby spinach: This is my favorite leafy green for sneaking veggies into any meal, but you can also use kale, chard, or any leafy green you prefer.
- Onion: Yellow onion is preferred, but white onions work too.
- Dried oregano: I love adding a sprinkle more here to add extra flavor to the rice!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
Cookware tip: Before we get started, make sure to use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet that can transfer from the stove to the oven. I love my Staub cast iron pan for this.
First, marinate the chicken. Whisk the marinade, pour it over the chicken, and marinate in the fridge. While you can get away with marinating the chicken for 30 minutes, longer is better! I always aim for 1 to 2 hours.
Second, sear the chicken. In your skillet, cook the chicken thighs on both sides for about 5 minutes, until golden. Then, remove them from the pan, set aside, and use your tongs to scrape and remove any brown bits. I also like to use paper towel to soak up some of the excess fat. P.S. Don’t throw away the marinade, as you’ll add it back into the pan with the rice!
Third, cook the vegetables and herbs. Sauté the onions until golden, then add the spinach and garlic with oregano, salt, black pepper, and the reserved marinade. Cook everything together until the spinach is slightly wilted.
Fourth, add the rice and broth. Stir in the rice so it’s nicely coated with the oil and seasonings. Then, add the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Lastly, add the chicken thighs and bake. Place the chicken thighs on top, cover the skillet, and bake for about 35 minutes at 350°F (175°C). Then, remove the lid and bake for an additional 10 minutes. For serving: I’ll let the chicken rest for a few minutes before garnishing with parsley and lemon zest for the final touch!
Frequently Asked Questions
Keep in mind that brown rice takes longer to cook, so it can throw off the timing. And you don’t want overcooked chicken. If anything, I might pre-cook the rice a bit before adding it to the pan to ensure it cooks perfectly by the time it comes out of the oven.
I don’t recommend chicken breasts in this recipe, as they’ll likely overcook and dry out by the time the rice is done. Chicken thighs stay juicy and moist. And yes, you can also use boneless chicken thighs!
I wouldn’t recommend it. The citrus in the marinade can make the texture a bit mushy, which isn’t ideal.
Storage and Reheating
- To store: Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, making it ideal for meal prep!
- To freeze: You can freeze this for up to 3 months, and it still reheats like a dream. Just make sure to thaw portions in the fridge before reheating.
- For reheating: The easiest method is microwaving it for 2 to 3 minutes. If you want to crisp up the skin, you can place the chicken under a broiler for a couple of minutes. Just watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.
More Chicken Thigh Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Chicken: Makes for a wonderful Tex-Mex dinner.
- Teriyaki Chicken: A 20-minute stir-fry.
- Greek Sheet Pan Chicken: Another Downshifter favorite!
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs: The seasoning on this is so good.
- Or give these other chicken breast recipes or chicken thigh recipes a try!
If you try this one pan chicken and rice recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re looking for more healthy food inspiration, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 5 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Marinade
- 2 lemons, juiced and zested (approx 1/4 cup of juice)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 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 cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- chopped parsley, for garnish
- lemon zest or slices, for garnish
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- Make the marinade. Add all of the marinade ingredients to a bowl and stir together.
- Marinate the chicken. 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
- Sear chicken. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Reserve the leftover marinade as you'll add that back in later. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove chicken thighs to a plate and set aside.
- Clean pan. 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 cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they start to become translucent.
- Add veggies and herbs. 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.
- Bake. 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.
- Rest. 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.
- Serve. Top with chopped parsley and grilled lemon slices or fresh lemon zest.
Lisa’s Tips
- To store: You can store any leftover chicken in the refrigerator in a covered container for 3 to 4 days.
- To freeze: Place leftovers in a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer up to 2 months.
- For reheating: Microwave the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes. If you want to crisp up the skin, run the chicken under a broiler for a couple of minutes. Just watch it carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- One of my favorite oven-safe pans is this Staub braiser pan. It’s so versatile and worth the investment!
Nutrition
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This recipe was originally posted October 2020, but updated to include new photos and information for your benefit!
Do you have to wash the rice before putting it in?
I always rinse rice prior to cooking.
This was delicious! The lemon made the recipe taste so fresh and light, but full of flavor. I will definitely be making this recipe again.
Thank you for all these wonderful recipes. I wonder if you have a suggestion for me. I have a rare condition where I can’t eat any salt/sodium. Beside the usual awful salt replacement suggestions, like Mrs D. Do you have a replacement for salt suggestion? I have lost the taste for food all together without it. Thanks so much.
Made this in the stove top, and it was delish!
Glad this still turned out perfectly on the stovetop Danya!
This is my go-to dish when I make chicken. It tastes great and is easy to cook. Love it! Thanks.
Great recipe. Easy. Delicious and good directions.
Hi! When do we use the leftover marinade?
You will add the marinade back into the pan on step 5, where you also add the chopped spinach, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper.
Wondering if you can substitute the chicken thighs for drumsticks? If so how long would the cooking time differ?
This is a delicious dish I’ve made it many times and it’s always a hit! So many great flavours and a good way to sneak in lots of spinach.
Drumsticks will cook faster than thighs, and I’m not sure the rice would be done by that point in time. You’d have to play around with the timing.
This looks delicious- any because there is no cream/Mayo my husband and kids might actually eat it!
Hope you and the kiddos love this recipe Kelly!
Can I use a ceramic pot (oven safe) to cook instead of pan? Thanks!
Yes, that should be fine.
I made this recipe and loved it. Thighs were juicy, rice creamy and delicious. Will be making it again for sure. Question: After freezing left overs what is the best way to prepare? Straight from freezer to the oven? what temperarure and time? Or is it better to let thaw before reheating? Thank you for rhd
I’m happy you loved the recipe! I always recommend moving meal prepped food from the freezer to fridge to thaw, then reheating that way. And I typically use the microwave, but you can use the oven as well.
Delicious, simple and family friendly!
I doubled the recipe because I have two teenage sons and a husband. Oh. My. God. The flavours are just soooo tasty. My oldest son went back for three helpings! It’s a simple dish to make, but delivers on huge flavour and melt-in-your-mouth taste!
The presentation out of the oven makes me feel like a gourmet chef!
Thanks for the recipe! This is scrumptious!
Happy to hear this has become a family favorite Tara!
Made this tonight and it was excellent. I only had boneless skinless chicken breasts so I just added it to the rice dish at the end for 20 min and it was perfect. also added broccoli the last 10 min of cooking for extra veggies. will definitely be making this regularly. thanks for the great recipe. A keeper for sure.
Which skillet are you using? I have looked online and cannot find the Staub skillet with a lid.
Hi Arlene – you can find it linked in the Shop page on my website :)
I made this and even OH commented on how nice and tasty it was. It was so easy to do. I’m a great believer in one-pan meals, with left-overs for another day. Love your cooking. Thanks Lisa.
That’s the beauty of one pan meals! Glad everyone enjoyed this one Nicola :)
Just made this for the first time and it is easily one of the best meals I’ve ever made. I cannot believe how easy it was! And so delicious!! I’m big on textures, and this doesn’t disappoint. Every bite was a little different — crispy, creamy, unctuous, yum! I accidentally forgot the lemon zest for the marinade. I can only imagine how fantastic it is with tht extra pop of bright flavor. Anxious to make it again, this will feature heavily in the dinner rotation for sure! Thank you!!
The beauty of one pan recipes! Happy to hear you loved this one pan chicken and rice Lindsey.
10/10 Absolutely delicious!!! Will definitely be on our rotating list of favorite dinners!
This is definitely a dinner favorite! :)
Great recipe! The family and I agree that this rice is the best thing ever! It got a little crispy in the corners of my cast iron, and when mixed all in was incredible. Fluffy, crispy and full of flavor. Marinade is great, I think it would be good on anything.
Everything gets doused in those most delicious lemon flavor! Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this chicken and rice dish :)
Delicious. Made this with river cauliflower instead, used only a bit of the chicken stock, but it was so so good. My husband and I loved it.
Riced*
Glad both you and your husband enjoyed this Lorena!
This is definitely my favorite recipe of all time. It’s a favorite for my husband as well. I made this for my mother today and she couldn’t believe how good it was. Nice work, Lisa! If I could give it an extra star, I would. I also want to add, I was out of spinach so I added a chopped up zucchini for the last ten minutes and it was excellent. I also used brown rice and no one noticed. I think I’ll do it that way again.
Thrilled to hear you and your family loved this chicken and rice dish.
Best chicken and rice I have ever had!! The rice was so creamy it reminded me of risotto! And the chicken was juicy and flavorful and delish!! Another awesome recipe.
After the rice soaks up all the juice, it really does resemble risotto :) Glad you loved this recipe Amy!
This is yet another one of your meals that has become a regular in our house. One of my children who does not typically eat rice, loves the rice in this dish and asked for seconds. Thanks for sharing this delicious and simple recipe.
Glad this satisfies even the picky eaters! The rice really does taste amazing when you let some of the juices soak in it.
Perfect dinner for a weeknight. Marinated the chicken a couple hours before cooking and it was delicious.
Glad you enjoyed this chicken and rice dish Lisa!
Absolutely delicious. The chicken was so tender and the rice had soaked up the stock and oils/spices. Yum!
Happy to hear you enjoyed this chicken and rice dish Mark!
It turned out to be an excellent recipe if you follow the written instructions. I have tried three Downshift recipes so far and am not disappointed. Steps are clearly illustrated and explained. You are doing a fantastic job!
Happy to hear all the recipes you’ve tried so far have turned out great!
Hi! Do you think I could use frozen spinach in this?
Yes, you can use frozen spinach if you’d like.
I am looking to make this recipe for lunch tomorrow and I wanted to use brown rice for health reasons, do I need to adjust the cooking time to allow for this?
Yes, brown rice will need a longer cooking time. So just make sure to keep an eye on it until you find it cooked through.
Absolutely fantastic recipe. Even my fussiest eater devoured it. I used frozen spinach and added 1 tsp of turmeric to the rice to give it a lovely yellow colour. Served with steamed vegetables and a dollop of greek yoghurt as it has the real greek feel to the flavouring.
I LOVE that you can increase serving sizes and convert to metric measurements, made cooking for a large Australian family much easier.
Wonderful! Glad everyone enjoyed this chicken and rice dish. Love the idea of adding a dollop of Greek yogurt as well :)
Hi, I’m so excited to try this recipe. Can I use brown rice instead of white? Which type? Thanks!
You can use brown rice, but you will need to cook the rice a bit longer as brown rice has a longer cooking time.
Love this recipe but is it gluten free?! DJ
Hi DJ – all the recipes on my website are gluten-free :)
Hi, are there any issues using this much lemon juice with a cast iron pan? I love cooking with lemons and I love using my cast-iron pan, but I was always skittish about combining the two! Looking forward to making this!
Hi Leah – I’m using an enameled cast iron pan, so it has a protective layer. But, if yours is not enameled, then I would just re-season it after making this dish.
It came out perfect, 1/4 wasn’t too much (I was stuck on “2 lemons” and the lemons on my tree are HUGE), and I just seasoned the pan after like you said. Delicious, thank you!
Just made this tonight and it was a winner! Quick, easy and tasty!
Glad you enjoyed this chicken and rice recipe Holly :)
Now a family favorite
Happy to hear the whole family loves this recipe Mona :)
I have an induction hob and don’t have a suitable oven-safe skillet to cook this on the stove top. Could I part cook in a large saucepan/frying pan to start with and then transfer to a ceramic rectangle baking dish to go in the oven?
Hi Karen – yes, that should work just fine. Enjoy!
Absolutely LOVED this recipe. A few changes I made, I left out the lemon slices (not the lemon juice) and I use quinoa instead of rice. It turned out so good and flavorful that I was shoving it in my boyfriends face to eat some (he had lamb and cabbage). I was very excited for the large quantity as I also used it for meal prepping. 5 stars, if I could give it 10 I would.
Glad this turned out great with quinoa Candice! It sure is a great meal prep dish.
How much quinoa did you use? Thinking of making this substitution!
Made it. Ate it. Love it. Adding some Kalamata olives would be good too. Second day serving is better! Trying the Mediterranean salad next. Finally found a food website I can actually use! Thanks Lisa.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this chicken and rice recipe! Can’t wait to see what you make next Nancy :)
Made this meal for my husband and me tonight. It was easy, delicious, and beautiful.
Happy to hear you both enjoyed this chicken and rice recipe :)
Delicious! Made it on the stove in one pan is read of using the oven. Worked out great and so tasty! Kids loved it, hubby loved it, will make again in the future.
Happy to hear the whole family enjoyed this recipe!
Can I cook this in a. 3.5qt cast iron casserole dish?
Yes, that should work just fine.
Followed this recipe as written and it was delicious ! This is the 3rd Downshift recipe I’ve tried and I haven’t been disappointed. The pictures and explanations for the steps are clear. Keep up the great work !!
So glad you loved your 3rd Downshiftology recipe! Can’t wait to see what you make next Natalie :)
About using the remaining marinade…should we? I always thought it should be discarded so not to cross contaminate. Or is it ok to use if it is brought to a boil? Was never clear on this point. I’m working my way through a lot of your recipes. So far I really like them. Thanks.
It’s okay in this case as you’re cooking it up.
I can do everything but the mustard. No vinegar for me.
Any suggestions for substitute for mustard? Mustard powder? How much?
Great easy recipe. Makes multiple meals if cooking for one or two. Rice is fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed this chicken and rice dish Craig!
Hi, LIsa,
I just discovered your website (through one of your YouTube videos) and am eager to explore it. I read through this one-pan chicken recipe and would like to try it, but can you tell me what size pan you used to make it? I appears to be a Staub ceramic-coated cast iron one; is it 10″? 12″? Larger?
Thanks for letting me know.
Maureen
Hi Maureen – welcome to the Downshiftology community! I’m using the 3.5-qt Braiser.
SOOOO Delicious, satisfying, elegant, and NOT hard! A great staple for a mealplan!
This one sure is great for meal prep!
Can I make the whole thing on stovetop? What’s the purpose of baking it vs stovetop?
I love chicken and rice recipes!! They are the best cause the collagen and all the chicken juices get absorbed in the rice making it extra delicious!!!
Hi Madina – it’s better in the oven where the heat can circulate around the pan. If left on the stovetop, the bottom will likely burn faster.
Hi! I just tried this recipe. I loved it. I’m curious though. The nutrition information is for 1 serving, right? The recipe is for 5 servings, so wasn’t sure. Also, if you could make more healthy chicken recipes, that would be a huge hit. Love what you do. Thankyou!
Hi Raina – the nutritional information will always be per serving :)
Hi,
I had a quick question. Can I replace the chicken thighs with chicken drumsticks? What adjustments would I have to make?
Thanks
Chicken drumsticks may cook a little bit faster, so I’d recommend just watching the time.
I cooked this for two hours and the rice was still crunchy and hard. This could really have been great, but there’s no way to cook this in the allotted time. If you’re going to make this, cook the rice separately first and then add at the end.
Hi Mark – sorry to hear you had problems with this recipe. I’m not quite sure what you did, but no rice would be crunchy and hard after cooking for two hours. I recommend re-reading the recipe to see if you can spot where you may have made a mistake.
Loved this! Do you think it would work to add cilantro to the rice instead of spinach?
The taste will be completely different, but you can if you’d like!