Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bake
One recipe I make pretty often is this paprika chicken from Tasty. My mother-in-law made it for us once and my husband loves it. I’ve been thinking given its simplicity that there are other flavor combinations that can be made and my first attempt was this Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bake.
The best thing about this recipe is that it is a one-pot dinner that is super easy to prepare and clean up making it perfect for busy weeknights. All you need is a dutch oven (or oven-safe pot or baking dish). The rice will cook together with the chicken after the thighs are browned. Then I garnish it with red onion, parsley, lemon slices, crumbled feta, and chopped kalamata olives and enjoy!
I like using chicken thighs in this recipe. They get nice and tender and can easily be broken up with just a fork. This is a delicious meal that has a lot of fresh and light flavors. Perfect for spring!
Recipe Tips and Suggestions:
- I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe, but regular thighs work fine too!
- I put 2 cups of broth in the recipe, but you may find that you want to add more as the rice gets to the end of the cooking time or right when it comes out of the oven to add some moisture, anywhere from a 1/2-1 extra cup I recommend having handy in case you need it!
- For the Greek seasoning, any kind of Greek blend will do, but if you cannot find it sold as a blend, you can combine garlic and onion powders, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and salt.
- This recipe can easily be doubled to make more! I put 4 servings, but if you have a hungrier crowd to feed, I would plan for 2-3 thighs per person.
- This recipe is all about the garnishes for me – I add more (raw) diced red onion, parsley, crumbled feta cheese, chopped kalamata olives, and fresh lemon slices to squeeze on top!
Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bake
Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Bake - A delicious and simple one-pot meal made with boneless chicken thighs, Greek spices, and rice!
Ingredients
- 5 chicken boneless thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (see note)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2/3 cup diced red onion
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- crumbled feta cheese
- chopped and pitted kalamata olives
- fresh chopped parsley
- lemon slices
Instructions
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl. Add the salt and Greek seasoning and toss the chicken until it's coated in the seasoning mix. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Pour the olive oil in a dutch oven and place over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs. Let the thighs brown on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot.
- Add in the onions and cook for 1 minute and then add the rice, white wine (if using), and the chicken broth. Stir together. Add the chicken thighs back into the pot on top of the rice. Turn off heat and cover. Bake in the oven 35-40 minutes or until the rice is cooked. If needed, you can stir in additional broth 1/2 cup at a time as needed to moisten.
- Serve with crumbled feta, chopped kalamata olives, parsley, additional diced red onion, and fresh lemon slices for garnishing and added flavors!
Notes
For the Greek seasoning, I like to use a blend like Cavender's. If you cannot get it, you can use a blend of spices like oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, thyme.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1/4thAmount Per Serving: Calories: 465Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 208mgSodium: 1229mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 42g
