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Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

Mediterranean chicken and rice made as a one-pan oven bake with golden skin-on thighs embedded in fluffy herb-flecked lemon rice. Feta softens into the grains while cherry tomatoes and Kalamata olives add briny bursts.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
marinating 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs and marinade
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
Lemon rice base
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice
  • 3 cup chicken broth
  • 0.25 salt pinch, plus more to taste
  • 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 0.5 cup Kalamata olives, halved
  • 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 1 Fresh parsley and lemon wedges for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Marinate the chicken
  1. Whisk together olive oil, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and pepper until evenly combined. Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes so it absorbs the lemon-herb flavor.
Bake one-pan chicken and rice
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spread the long-grain white rice in a 9x13 baking dish and pour the chicken broth over the rice.
  2. Add a pinch of salt and stir in the remaining marinade. Nestle the chicken skin-side up into the rice so the thighs sit partly embedded.
  3. Scatter the cherry tomatoes and Kalamata olives around the chicken. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more, until the chicken skin is golden and the rice is cooked. Immediately crumble the feta over the hot dish so it melts into the grains.
Finish and serve
  1. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Rest briefly if needed, then scoop the lemon rice and chicken together from the pan.

Notes

Pro tip: For extra fluffy rice, keep the dish covered during the first 30 minutes so steam cooks the grains evenly, then uncover only at the end for golden skin. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 4 days; reheat covered at 325°F until hot throughout. Freezing is not recommended for the best feta texture. Dietary swap: use chicken broth low-sodium or make it dairy-free by omitting feta and adding an extra pinch of lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil at the finish.