One-Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken and Rice

Some nights call for a dinner that doesn’t leave you with a sink full of pots. This lemon garlic chicken and rice is one of those meals: everything cooks in a single skillet, the rice soaks up all the flavor the chicken leaves behind, and cleanup takes about two minutes. It’s the kind of recipe that looks like more effort than it actually is, which is exactly what a Tuesday needs.

Why it works

Searing the chicken first builds a browned crust and leaves behind little golden bits in the pan. Those bits are flavor, not mess, so we don’t wipe them out. The rice simmers right in that same pan with garlic, lemon, and stock, which means the starches pull in everything good instead of it going down the drain with pasta water.

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 4 boneless, skinless thighs)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 lemon (zest of the whole lemon, juice of half)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Steps

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the chicken skin-side down and sear for 5 to 6 minutes, until deeply golden. Flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes, then remove the chicken to a plate. It won’t be fully cooked yet, and that’s fine.
3. Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the drippings left in the pan and stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
4. Stir in the rice, letting it toast in the drippings for a minute so it picks up flavor.
5. Pour in the chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, and oregano. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
6. Nestle the chicken back into the pan on top of the rice, skin-side up. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F.
7. Turn off the heat and let the pan sit, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. This lets the rice finish absorbing the last bit of liquid.

Fluff the rice gently with a fork before plating, working around the chicken rather than through it, so you don’t break up the pieces. If you’re using boneless thighs, start checking for doneness a few minutes earlier since they cook faster than bone-in. No fresh lemon on hand? A splash of white wine vinegar plus a pinch of extra zest from a bottled lemon juice will get you close enough. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to three days and reheat nicely with a splash of extra stock stirred in.