Description
A flavorful weeknight dinner featuring juicy, crispy-skinned chicken thighs with bright lemon rice, inspired by Mediterranean cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2–2.5 lbs)
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice (basmati or jasmine)
- 3 cups chicken broth (low-sodium)
- Zest and juice of 2 lemons (about 3–4 tbsp juice)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional)
- Salt and black pepper (to taste; about 1 tsp salt)
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta (optional)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or dill for garnish
- Optional extras: kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, or baby spinach
Instructions
- Prep the chicken by patting it dry and seasoning generously with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and oregano. Rub about 1 tbsp olive oil into the skin.
- Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clearer to remove excess starch.
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Sear the chicken thighs, skin-side down, until the skin browns and crisps, about 5–7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Move the thighs to a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add garlic to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to toast slightly.
- Pour in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
- Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, skin-side up. Bring the liquid to a light simmer.
- Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and transfer to a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the rice absorbs the liquid and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internal temp.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta and parsley, let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
For extra crisp skin, finish the thighs under the broiler for 2–3 minutes after baking. You can easily swap chicken thighs for boneless thighs to cut down on cook time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 100mg