Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice

Why You’ll Love This Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice Recipe

The heady scent of lemon, oregano, and garlic mingling with sizzling chicken creates an intoxicating Mediterranean experience right in your kitchen. This is sunshine on a plate—bright, bold, and deeply satisfying.

Golden chicken thighs rest atop fluffy, aromatic rice that’s absorbed every drop of lemony pan juices. Each grain is infused with garlic, herbs, and that unmistakable briny tang from Kalamata olives. The rice becomes almost risotto-like on the bottom where it touches the pan, creating pockets of crispy, golden treasure.

Creamy feta cheese melts slightly over the hot chicken and rice, adding salty richness that ties everything together. The combination of textures—crispy chicken skin, tender meat, fluffy rice, and tangy cheese—creates layers of flavor that make every bite exciting and different.

Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice Ingredients

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1.5 cups long-grain white rice
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh dill for garnish

The oregano and lemon create that signature Greek flavor profile—bright, herbaceous, and aromatic. Kalamata olives add depth with their fruity, wine-like complexity that balances the richness perfectly.

How to Make Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Use a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven.
2. Pat chicken thighs completely dry and season generously with salt, pepper, and half the oregano.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 5-6 minutes until deeply golden.
4. Remove chicken and set aside. In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil and minced garlic, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Stir in rice, coating it in the garlicky oil. Add chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining oregano, and salt.
6. Bring to a simmer, then nestle chicken thighs skin-side up into the rice. Scatter olives around.
7. Cover tightly with foil or a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes until rice is tender and chicken reaches 165°F.
8. Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta and fresh dill, and let rest covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips for the Best Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice

Searing the chicken first is crucial for developing deep, caramelized flavor. Don’t skip this step—those browned bits add incredible richness to the rice below.

Use good quality chicken broth for maximum flavor. The rice will taste only as good as the liquid it cooks in, so choose wisely.

Don’t peek during baking. Lifting the cover releases steam that the rice needs to cook properly. Trust the process and keep it sealed.

Let the dish rest after cooking. Those final 5 minutes allow the rice to absorb any remaining liquid and achieve perfect fluffy texture.

For extra lemony brightness, add thin lemon slices on top of the chicken before baking. They’ll caramelize beautifully and intensify the citrus notes.

Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice Variations

This recipe adapts wonderfully across different cooking methods. For chicken thigh recipes crockpot preparation, layer raw rice with broth at the bottom, add seared chicken, and cook on low for 4-5 hours until rice is tender.

Make chicken thigh recipes boneless skinless by cutting cooking time to 25-30 minutes. The boneless thighs will nestle into the rice more easily for cohesive texture.

These chicken thigh recipes baked work beautifully with brown rice instead—just increase liquid to 3 cups and baking time to 50-55 minutes.

Classic chicken thigh recipes oven style shine with added vegetables like cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, or roasted red peppers for extra Mediterranean flair.

For chicken thigh recipes healthy, use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice, reduce oil, and skip to the final 15 minutes of covered baking.

Quick chicken thigh recipes easy weeknight versions work with instant rice—add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking for ultra-fast preparation.

With chicken thigh recipes boneless, you can slice them after cooking and toss everything together for a more integrated, pilaf-style presentation.

Planning chicken thigh recipes for dinner parties? This one-pot wonder impresses guests while requiring minimal effort and creates beautiful presentation straight from the skillet.

The chicken thigh recipes skinless version absorbs the lemon-herb marinade more deeply, though you’ll miss the textural contrast of crispy skin.

Try chicken thigh recipes air fryer by cooking rice separately in a pot, then air frying seasoned chicken at 400°F for 20 minutes before combining.

Use chicken thigh recipes instant pot by pressure cooking rice and chicken together for just 12 minutes with natural release for incredibly tender results.

Finally, chicken thigh recipes slow cooker creates falling-apart tender meat over 5-6 hours on low, with rice added during the final hour of cooking.

What to Serve with Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice

A crisp Greek salad with cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion provides refreshing crunch that contrasts the rich, savory main dish perfectly.

Warm pita bread or homemade flatbread is essential for scooping up every grain of that flavor-packed rice and those precious pan juices.

Creamy tzatziki sauce adds cooling tanginess that complements the lemon and oregano beautifully. The cucumber and dill echo the fresh Greek flavors.

Roasted or grilled asparagus drizzled with lemon juice adds elegant, slightly bitter notes that balance the richness of the chicken and rice.

Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice FAQs

Can I use chicken thigh recipes boneless skinless for this dish? Yes, boneless thighs work well and cook faster, about 25-30 minutes. They’ll absorb the Greek flavors beautifully, though you’ll sacrifice the crispy skin texture.

What if my rice isn’t fully cooked? Add 1/4 cup more broth, cover tightly, and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Rice needs adequate liquid and steam to cook properly.

Can I make this as one of my chicken thigh recipes easy meal prep options? Absolutely. This reheats beautifully for up to 4 days. The flavors actually deepen overnight as the rice continues absorbing the lemony, garlicky essence.

Final Thoughts on Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice

This recipe captures the soul of Greek cooking—simple ingredients transformed through careful technique into something extraordinary. The interplay of tangy lemon, briny olives, aromatic oregano, and rich chicken creates a harmony that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Whether you’re expanding your repertoire of chicken thigh recipes oven techniques or seeking reliable chicken thigh recipes for dinner that impress without stress, this one-pan Mediterranean masterpiece delivers. The lingering flavors of garlic and herbs will transport you straight to a Greek island taverna with every bite.

Greek Chicken Thighs and Rice

Tender chicken thighs baked over lemony rice with olives and feta. This Greek-inspired one-pan dinner is bright, aromatic, and packed with Mediterranean flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 6 servings

Calories 520 kcal

Equipment

• oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven
• measuring cups
• paper towels
• meat thermometer

Ingredients

  

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1.5 cups long-grain white rice
• 2.5 cups chicken broth
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• fresh dill, for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Use a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven.
• Pat chicken thighs dry and season with salt, pepper, and half of the oregano.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 5–6 minutes until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.
• Add remaining olive oil and garlic to the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Stir in rice, chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining oregano, and salt.
• Bring to a simmer, then nestle chicken thighs skin-side up into the rice. Scatter olives around.
• Cover tightly and bake for 35–40 minutes until rice is tender and chicken reaches 165°F.
• Remove from oven, sprinkle with feta and fresh dill, and rest covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Searing the chicken first adds depth of flavor to the rice. Keep the pan tightly covered while baking so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the lemony broth.

Keyword chicken thighs and rice, greek chicken thighs, mediterranean chicken dinner, one pan greek chicken