Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice

The Chunky Chef says “Marinate the chicken first.  Overnight gives the best flavor, but even if you forget and only have 10-15 minutes… it still gives a great extra punch of flavor! Searing the chicken first is super important here.  Not only does it ensure a beautiful golden color on the chicken thighs, but it gives the skin a great crispy texture.  Plus, it gives some chicken fat, which is perfect to the onion in! If you don’t have a tight fitting lid, no worries.  Cover the pan with foil and it works just fine.”

If you are not a thigh person, like me see notes on how to adjust this Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice recipe for boneless skinless chicken breasts. I’ve also added/substituted a few ingredients from the original recipe. What would you change?  Like adding thyme or rosemary to the marinade. 

Serves 5 Total Time: 55 minutes plus time to marinate 



If you are not a thigh person, like me see notes on how to adjust this Skillet Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice recipe for boneless skinless chicken breasts. I’ve also added/substituted a few ingredients from the original recipe. What would you change?  Like adding thyme or rosemary to the marinade. 

Serves 5 Total Time: 55 minutes plus time to marinate 



Ingredients:

MARINADE:

2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper m to taste
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil to make a loose paste
5 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs *see below for boneless skinless chicken breasts

RICE:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 cup dry long-grain white, brown, multi-grain or wild rice (NOT minute or quick cooking varieties) 
*Note: different types of rice have different cook times. Brown rice needed longer to cook than white. Adjust uncovered cooking time to insure rice is tender
2 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced in half
Or 1/2 cup capers (optional)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Lemon slices, optional
Fresh minced parsley, for garnish
Extra lemon zest, for garnish

Directions:

In a large resealable plastic bag, add all marinade ingredients (except chicken), and massage to combine. Add chicken thighs and turn/massage to coat. Refrigerate 15 minutes up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil to large cast iron or heavy oven safe skillet, and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Shake off excess marinade from chicken thighs and add chicken thighs, skin side down, to pan. Cook 4-5 minutes per side. Remove to plate and wipe skillet lightly with a paper towel to remove any blackened bits, reserving chicken grease in pan. Reduce heat to MED and add onion to pan. Cook 3-4 minutes, until softened and slightly charred. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add rice, olives or capers, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir together and cook 1 minute. Pour in chicken stock, raise temperature to MED-HIGH and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, nestle chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture. Cover with lid or foil, and bake 35 minutes. 

*Uncover, return to oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until liquid is removed, rice is tender, and chicken is cooked through. Internal temperature reaches 160F-165F. Garnish as desired and serve. Easy Peasy!

NOTES: To make using boneless skinless chicken breasts, add chicken to the pan 15 minutes into the covered baking time, then continue as directed. Chicken breasts won't need as long to cook, and this ensures that they won't dry out too much

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