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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
Can’t wait to make this. Is your pan in the pictures a staud? I’m looking to get a good two handle large pot like in the pictures.
Hi Danielle! Thank you so much, hope you love this recipe! I have some of my favorite pans linked here, my Staub skillets, dutch ovens, and braisers are all awesome! https://fett-weg.today/kitchen/%3C/a%3E xT
Hi, can you use frozen spinach?
Hi Margo! Yes you can definitely use frozen spinach for this recipe! xT
Hi,
Can you please tell me which one of your recipes books the One Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice comes from?
Best Wishes,
Boston Gal
Hi Linda,
So sorry, this recipe is only on the blog:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Hi! I made this recipe and loved it! I wanted to make it again, but a friend is gluten free. Do you think it would it be possible to omit the Orzo and do all rice? I’m assuming I would need to add more liquid.
Hey Brittany,
Awesome! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! You could do all rice, you may need to add some liquid and cook time. Have the best week:)
The cayenne pepper is not needed – and you can double the chicken with this amount of rice in my humble opinion 😎
Thanks so much, Sherri! Glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed:) I appreciate your feedback! xT
How should I adjust this if I’m cooking for 5-6 people?
Hi Mariel,
If you have 2 skillets, I would make 2 batches of this recipe for best results:) You might also like this recipe and then you could serve rice on the side:
https://fett-weg.today/garlic-butter-chicken-and-potatoes/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope this helps! xT
I ended up making the other recommended garlic butter chicken – everyone LOVED!!
Yay!! So glad to hear this, Mariel!!
I made this before and love it. I’m making this for a dinner party and I’m tight on time. Do you think I could I make it up through the baking step then refrigerate till the next day and bake to finish it?
Hi Andrew,
So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed! I’m sure that would be just fine for you to do. I hope it turns out nicely:) xx
I don’t have an oven atm, can I put the lid on my skillet and cook on stove top?
Hi Suz,
Sure, I bet that would be just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Such a flavorful recipe! Making it for the 4th or 5th time tonight
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! xx
This recipe is definitely a keeper. I added artichoke hearts and Kalamata olives just before putting in oven last 15 minutes. Perfection!
Thanks so much, Pamela!! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xT
Can you use chicken thighs with skin on and bone in for this recipe? Would there need to be adjustments to cooking times?
Hey Vicki,
Totally, I would just add cooking time to the chicken until it’s cooked through. If you have a meat thermometer that would be best to use. I hope this helps! xx
This dish is one of the most delicious and comforting things I’ve tried! Very easy to follow and put together. Going in my rotation for sure!!
Hi Meaghan,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Happy Tuesday!
I loved it! So tasty and one pan, heck yeah! I added some plain Greek yogurt on top.
Hi Patricia,
Fantastic! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
How long do you usually toast the rice for? And what does it mean to crush an olive? 🫒 they look whole in the picture! Thanks!
Hi Jelen,
The rice needs no more than 5 minutes to be toasted, just until it has that slight golden color. I just use a fork to gently crush the olives. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hello,
I have to watch my sodium, can you add the nutrition information please
Hi Steve,
So sorry, unfortunately, we do not have that info at this time. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx