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One skillet Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice—quick, easy, colorful, and delicious! Pan-seared chicken with oregano, paprika, cayenne, and garlicky lemon butter are cooked all together with rice pilaf and spinach for an all-in-one dinner. Top with salty green olives, crumbled feta cheese, and fresh basil for a dinner that everyone at the table will love.
As the days become longer and life gets a little busy, I find myself leaving dinner to the very last minute. That’s when simple skillet dinners come in handy.
As we enter late spring, once the sun begins to set, I constantly feel like I’m running late. After the long winters, I’m totally thrown off. It always takes me a few weeks to find the right dinner groove and time to start cooking for the night!
Thankfully I can rely on simple recipes like this chicken and rice. It’s so delicious, and the bonus is just how easy it is to prepare.
Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs
- Dried oregano
- Paprika
- Cayenne pepper
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Salted butter
- Lemon (for fresh lemon juice and lemon zest)
- Dry orzo
- Dry rice
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Chopped spinach
- Pitted green olives
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
- Lemon juice
This is also the time of year when grocery stores, Whole Foods, and, of course, all the amazing farmers markets, begin to sell fresh herb plants again. When this happens, I get way too excited.
My favorite herb plants are basil and thyme. So when I get my hands on a few, you better believe I’ll use them in all of the recipes I can.
I love it when the in-season produce easily helps me create new recipes. It’s always so fun (and delicious)!
Here are the details
Step 1: Season and sear the chicken
Everything starts with the chicken, which is Greek-inspired and seasoned simply with dry oregano, paprika, cayenne, and fresh thyme. Pan-sear the chicken in an oven-safe skillet until it’s just barely browned.
Once you sear the chicken, pull it out of the pan.
Step 2: the orzo and the rice
Next, add some butter, then add dry orzo and dry rice. I love to use jasmine rice.
Using a combination of pasta and rice makes this more like a Rice-A-Roni or a rice pilaf bake. It’s such a nice addition. It’s perfect if you have an almost empty box of orzo just sitting in the pantry waiting to be used.
Allow the rice and orzo to toast a bit. Add the shallots, garlic, and another tablespoon of thyme, then let everything cook together. At this point, you want things to smell just a little nutty. Get excited, this is going to taste so good!
Step 3: add the lemon
OK. Now, toss in a bit more butter and then the lemon slices.
Let the lemons sizzle in the butter. Wow, yum!
Step 4: add the broth and finish in the oven
Add the chicken broth, then slide the chicken into the rice. Bring everything to a boil and allow the rice to simmer before transferring the entire skillet to the oven to finish cooking.
As the dish cooks in the oven, you’ll find that some of the rice and pasta on top get a nice little crisp. Which we think is pretty delicious!
Step 5: the olives
While the dish bakes, mix the green olives with crumbled feta cheese, fresh basil, lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil. Then a pinch of salt and maybe some chili flakes.
Step 6: serve
Serve the chicken topped with salty olives. I like to add bread or a big salad on the side (or both)—it’s delish!
What’s great about this one-skillet chicken rice bake is that it incorporates a variety of flavors and doesn’t feel basic. Sprinkle sea salt for an added crunch at the end!
This is already in my rotation of “back pocket” recipes. It’s simple and delicious, and my family gave it a double thumbs up!
Looking for other skillet dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce.
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Lastly, if you make this Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 668 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- salt and black pepper
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1/2 cup dry orzo
- 1 cup dry rice
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups chopped spinach
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives, crushed
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, chicken, oregano, paprika, cayenne, 1 tablespoon thyme, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Set the skillet over high heat. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. Remove everything from the skillet.3. To the skillet, add 3 tablespoons butter, the orzo, rice, shallots, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Cook until the rice is toasted. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add 1 more tablespoon of butter and the lemon slices. Allow the butter to brown around the lemons. 4. Pour in 3 cups broth. Mix in the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it. If needed, add more broth. Bake, uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.5. Meanwhile, mix the olives, feta, basil, and lemon juice. Drizzle over olive oil and season with salt. 6. Serve the chicken and rice topped with feta, olives, and fresh basil. Sometimes I like to add avocado too!
This post was originally published on April 29, 2024
I wasn’t sure what temperature or time was needed for step 3 🥹 I want to try this again
Hi Aysha,
I would say about medium heat, you just don’t want to burn the butter. I hope this helps for next time! xT
Made this tonight with only the cup of rice and it was very well received! We enjoyed the flavor profile, both with and without the feta/olive mixture. Definitely a keeper and we will be making it again! Thank you!
Thanks so much, Teri:) So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xT
Very good recipe!
Thanks so much, Cindy!
This recipe was absolutely delicious ! Loved the olives. Will fix this again and again. My husband loved it
Hey Linda,
Love to hear this! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and your comment! Have a great day:)
Very good! I used goat cheese instead of feta. Will definitely make again!
Thanks so much, Tammy! Glad to hear this dish was enjoyed! Love the goat cheese idea! xT
Made this tonight, and it turned out great! I really like the mix of orzo and rice, and my husband appreciated the balance of herbs and spices with the lemon.
I thought the instructions in step 1 were a little odd (combine all spices and oil in the skillet, toss to coat, then set the skillet on high), so I did change that a little.
Instead, I coated the chicken with those ingredients in a bowl, and waited for the skillet to heat up so i would get the sear I wanted. That’s the only thing I did differently than what was written!
Thanks for a great recipe. I can’t wait to make this again!
I did the same. Mixed in a bowl prior.
Hey Lori,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear it was enjoyed and thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT
Made this for dinner tonight and it was soooo good! Once I had all the ingredients ready and measured out, it was super fast from start to finish. Highly recommend!!
Hey Stacy,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this dish and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Amazing!!!!!! And even my pickiest eater ate it (no olices on his fish!)
Amazing!!!!!! And even my pickiest eater ate it (no olives on his dish!)
Hey Maryann,
Awesome!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for trying it! xT
Question? Can I leave out the rice? Should I double the orzo?
Thank you! I love your recipes.
Hi Carolyn,
Sure, I would just add 1/2 cup of orzo. Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xT
Chicken, rice, and orzo are exhausted! Let them rest!
These fabulous ingredients could never be exhausted. Why don’t you give it a rest, tr0llhole?! Go back to the cesspool.
Chicken, rice, and orzo are delicious! Keep these recipes coming!
“Serena”, maybe get a job. While your dedication to boosting T.‘a engagement rate is noble, it can’t be helping your obviously low self-esteem.
Serena, leave.
Useless, idiotic comment, Serena. Be better.
Your whole hater gimmick is exhausted. GTFO.
Serena – Extremely rude and unnecessary comment/review. Unless you’ve made and tried the dish – zip it!!
Tieghan – It was absolutely delicious. Made it last night. Thank you for always giving us such yummy recipes!
Serena is so, so wrong.
This recipe looks great! However, I have some chicken thighs with bones that should be cooked soon. How should I adapt the recipe? Your input is much appreciated!
Thanks so much Karen! I would add an extra 15 minutes of baking to the recipe to ensure the chicken is cooked through. I hope you love this dish! xT
Made this with bone in chicken thighs. No need to increase cooking time. Recipe does make a LOT of pilaf, buts it’s yummy.
Thanks so much, Barita! Glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! xT
Can you make this ahead and bake it the next day?
Hey there,
I would probably complete the recipe through step 4 and then cover and heat on low the following day. I hope this helps! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
What type of rice are you using in this recipe? I will not be using the orzo and adding additional rice, but want to make sure that I pick the right rice and correct liquid measurements. Thanks!
Hi Heather,
I like to use jasmine rice for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
What type of olives are you using?
Hi there,
I used green olives for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Try Castlevetrano olives.
I can’t wait to try this! Making tonight 🙌🏻
I hope you love the recipe, Tawnya!!
There needs to be a way to turn off that extremely annoying chatbot that keeps bouncing up and down.
Thanks for your feedback, Cecily. So sorry for any frustrations! xx