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When September hits I find it feels like a bit of a reset to the year. I don’t even go back to school or have kids going back to school but it’s always just felt like a time to wind down a bit from the summer chaos and set my intentions for the new season. One of those things for many people is often getting back on track with cooking at home. This Oven Baked Chicken and Rice recipe is the perfect thing for those busy weeknights running kids to all their extracurricular activities, or just a date night.
Why You’ll Love Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
- Quick Prep: Prep this recipe in only 10 minutes. That’s it!
- Easy: We all need some effortless meals in our back pocket and this is one of them
- Family-Friendly: Make this casserole up and have a complete meal ready that your whole family will love
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs – For this recipe I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. I find having the skin-on and bone-in the thighs hold in so much moisture and flavor when baking for a longer period of time. They are so good and juicy.
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Herbs – For this recipe I used fresh parsley and dill. I don’t like substituting this for dried herbs because they add a pop of freshness and flavor to this recipe that’s so good.
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken and Rice
- Make the marinade: whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, dried oregano, pressed garlic, salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to a bowl and add ¼ cup of the marinade (put the rest of the marinade aside). Toss the chicken to coat it and let sit for 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to an oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Then, add the minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan.
- Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken back in over top of the rice and any juices from the plate / bowl back to the pan as well.
- Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 30-35 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and fluff the rice a bit with a fork.
- Serve topped with fresh dill, fresh parsley, baby tomatoes and cubed feta cheese and drizzle over the rest of the marinade.
Tips and Tricks
- Serve this recipe with your favourite vegetable side or one of our salad’s like the Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad
- If you love one pan meals, try our Greek Chicken and Lemon Potatoes or Sheet Pan Greek Meatballs & Lemon Potatoes
Substitutions
- Feta: You can leave out the feta if you don’t have any but it adds a nice saltiness
- Chicken Thighs: You can use skinless, boneless chicken thighs if you prefer
- Basmati: Use whatever your preferred rice is in this recipe
Best served with
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Common Questions
In moderation the skin on chicken is not bad for you. It’s actually full of healthy, unsaturated fats.
Absolutely. Prepare everything in the casserole dish in advance and throw it in the oven when you’re ready-to-eat. I would advise only doing this a few hours before you plan on cooking.
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Ingredients
For the chicken & marinade / sauce
- 6 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- juice of one lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon or yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
For the rice
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
Toppings
- 2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
- 2 tbsp fresh minced dill
- 1 cup halved baby tomatoes
- ½ cup cubed feta cheese
Instructions
Start Cooking- Make the marinade: whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon mustard, dried oregano, pressed garlic, salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken to a bowl and add ¼ cup of the marinade (put the rest of the marinade aside). Toss the chicken to coat it and let sit for 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to an oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, turn to medium heat and add the chicken thighs skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes and then remove the chicken to a plate or bowl and set aside.
- Add the diced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until just softened. Then, add the minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried oregano. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the rice and stir well to coat with the oils in the pan.
- Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the chicken back in over top of the rice and any juices from the plate / bowl back to the pan as well.
- Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer to the preheated oven and bake until cooked through to 165F, about 30-35 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the oven and fluff the rice a bit with a fork.
- Serve topped with fresh dill, fresh parsley, baby tomatoes and cubed feta cheese and drizzle over the rest of the marinade.
Notes
- Serve this recipe with your favourite vegetable side or one of our salad’s like the Maroulosalata aka my Mama’s Salad
- If you love one pan meals, try our Greek Chicken and Lemon Potatoes or Sheet Pan Greek Meatballs & Lemon Potatoes
49 people are discussing this recipe. Join in
Could I use my Dutch oven instead of a skillet?
I think so yes!!!
Looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. Can you tell me the make of your cast iron. I have been looking for one that looks just like that!
It’s Le Creuset! Please let me know how it goes hun!