This greek chicken and rice dinner is an absolute favorite weeknight meal at my house. Greek seasoned chicken, fluffy rice, hints of lemon, feta and basil. Everyone loves when I make it and there are never any leftovers! It only takes 30 minutes to make and the entire dinner is made in one pot which makes cleanup a breeze.
This recipe was first published 08/25/2021.
I don't know about you but when I'm brainstorming meals for the week and I want something really easy (like really easy) I always go for chicken and rice. Everyone loves lemon chicken and rice, it's such a crowd pleaser.
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For this greek chicken and rice you only need a few extra ingredients to build on to a basic chicken and rice recipe.
You'll need some greek seasoning, fresh lemon, feta cheese and basil leaves.
It's only a 30 minute meal but that doesn't mean we can't have something special to eat and be quick to prepare. Just like this pizza pasta bake and this one pot skinny chicken parmesan. All great 30 minute dinner options my family loves.
Ingredients Needed
- olive oil
- chicken thighs - can substitute chicken breast, see the FAQ section below with more info on this substitution
- greek seasoning
- dried oregano
- diced onion
- minced garlic
- basmati rice
- lemon - both zest and juice
- chicken broth
- salt and pepper
- feta cheese
- fresh basil
How To Make Greek Chicken and Rice
Step 1 - Season and sear the chicken in some olive oil in the pan. It doesn't need to be fully cooked, just the outside.
Step 2 - Add butter to the pan and saute some onion and garlic then add in the basmati rice, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cooking the lemon zest in this step makes it more fragrant.
Step 3 - Pour in the chicken broth, oregano, salt and pepper. Add back in the chicken and some lemon slices. Cook until the chicken is cooked and the rice is fluffy.
Step 4 - Top it with feta cheese and chopped basil leaves.
What You Will Love About This Recipe
I may be a bit biased, but I think there are so many things to love about this recipe!
Quick and easy. I mean, 30 minutes, that's one fast dinner! You just made an entire dinner in the same amount of time it takes to watch an episode of Friends. Just saying.
One pot. Anyone else love a good one pot meal? Less pots and pans is always a good thing!
Simple ingredients. It doesn't get much easier than chicken and rice, but because we add lemon zest, fresh basil and feta cheese it's just fancy now (without any effort).
Kids love it. Even the pickiest of eaters will like this greek chicken and rice.
FAQ
Yes. I would use a mallet to pound the chicken breast since chicken breast does take a lot longer to cook than chicken thighs. You'll want the chicken breast to be thinner so it doesn't take so long and you still get a 30 minute meal.
Feta cheese is a greek cheese, I strongly would recommend sticking to the recipe. For the purpose of this recipe there really isn't a substitute because it is sprinkled on top (vs being used in some kind of sauce where you could sub it out).
When rice comes out mushy it usually means there was too much water added or from using the wrong kind of rice. It's best to use the rice a recipe calls for, for best results. This recipe calls for basmati, if you substitute that out for jasmine rice you'll have very different results. Jasmine rice is really sticky so you could have sticky gooey rice. Bottom line, use basmati.
One Pot Greek Chicken and Basmati Rice (30 Minute)
This greek chicken and rice dinner is an absolute favorite weeknight meal at my house. Greek seasoned chicken, fluffy rice, hints of lemon, feta and basil. Everyone loves when I make it and there are never any leftovers! It only takes 30 minutes to make and the entire dinner is made in one pot which makes cleanup a breeze.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 1 ½ tsp greek seasoning
- ¾ tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 c basmati rice
- 1 lemon
- 2 ¼ c chicken broth (may need ¼ c more)
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- ¼ c feta cheese, crumbled
- 5 large basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan, over medium heat
- Season the chicken with greek seasoning and ½ tsp oregano
- Sear the chicken in the pan for 2 minutes on each side then set the chicken aside on a plate
- Melt 1 tbsp butter in the pan, add the diced onions and minced garlic
- Add the basmati rice to the pan, stir
- Cut the lemon in half, zest one half then juice it, add both the juice and zest to the pan
- Cut the other half of the lemon into slices, set aside
- Pour in the chicken broth, ¼ tsp oregano and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Bring this to a boil, add the chicken back in with the lemon slices and reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is fluffy
- Depending on the brand of rice you use you may need an extra ¼ cup of chicken broth, if it’s looking like it already absorbed everything and is almost done cooking then add an extra ¼ cup in
- Once fully cooked sprinkle on the crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil
- Serve
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 348Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 1050mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 29g
This information comes from online calculators. Although moderncrumb.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Greg Divine
This was amazing! I made it tonight for dinner and I’m glad I did . I’m all in on anything Mediterranean / Greek Cuisine it’s my absolute favorite . I already add it to my favorites and will definitely be making it again. My Wife says I need to make again soon and she’s absolutely right about that . Excellent recipe and thank you so much for sharing it with us . 5 stars by the way !