Description
Whipping up Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice transports your taste buds straight to a sunny Mediterranean kitchen. Tender chicken nestled in zesty rice delivers a comforting meal that feels like a warm embrace from a Greek grandmother.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup long-grain rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and pepper
Garnishes and Optional Toppings:
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, juice from 1 lemon, 3 minced garlic cloves, salt, and pepper together in a shallow dish to create your marinade.
- Submerge 4 chicken breasts in the marinade, ensuring each piece gets coated thoroughly. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Heat a skillet to medium-high heat (375°F). Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan.
- Place marinated chicken breasts into the hot skillet. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Keep warm while preparing rice.
- Pour 2 cups chicken broth into the same skillet. Add 1 cup long-grain rice, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Stir rice mixture and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.
- Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer rice for 18-20 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
- Optional: Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Return chicken to rice skillet, gently mixing to combine flavors.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley and ½ cup crumbled feta cheese over the dish before serving.
Notes
- Marinate chicken longer for deeper flavor, up to 2 hours in the refrigerator for maximum taste absorption.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest to brighten the entire dish and enhance the Greek-style profile.
- For a gluten-free version, confirm your chicken broth is certified gluten-free and use tamari instead of traditional soy sauce.
- Swap chicken with tofu or chickpeas to create a vegetarian alternative that maintains the recipe’s Mediterranean essence.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-34 minutes
- Category: Sautéed
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg