One Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice.

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!