Go Back
Print Pin
4 from 1 vote

Mediterranean Lemon Chicken & Rice

Ingredients

Marinade & Chicken

  • 6 chicken breast tenderloins (or 4 chicken breasts)
  • 1 c. plain yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 2 lemons, juiced and zested
  • 1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped (Italian flat leaf)
  • 1 tbsp. dried oregano
  • 3 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Rice

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 c. jasmine rice
  • 4 c. chicken broth
  • remaining marinade from chicken (you will cook this to a boil which kills all bacteria, however if you are worried about cooking the rice in the marinade, you can double it and use one portion to marinate the chicken, and set aside the other portion to cook with the rice)

Garnish

  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • fresh parsley, diced

Instructions

Marinade & Chicken

  • Create the marinade by whisking together all the marinade ingredients (except the chicken) in a bowl.
  • Place chicken into a large Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over chicken and let marinate in refrigerator for half an hour, up to overnight.
  • Once chicken has marinated, remove from fridge. Heat a grill or cast iron griddle up to medium heat. Let it get hot for 5 minutes before placing chicken on.
  • Using tongs, remove chicken from bag and let excess marinade drip off into bag, then place chicken onto hot grill or griddle.
  • Cook on each side for 5-7 minutes until chicken is cooked through and brown on the outside. Remove from heat and set aside.

Rice

  • To begin rice, pour olive oil into a large wide saucepan and heat to medium high heat. Add diced onions and cover. Cook onions until translucent.
  • Add garlic, and stir. Then quickly add remaining marinade from Ziploc bag (you will cook this to a boil which kills all bacteria, however if you are worried about cooking the rice in the marinade, you can double it and use one portion to marinate the chicken, and set aside the other portion to cook with the rice).
  • Once you've added the marinade, continue cooking on medium high heat until boiling/bubbling for 2-3 minutes. This will kill any bacteria.
  • Add rice dry and sautee for 2-3 minutes, until rice has soaked up most of the marinade.
  • Add chicken broth and cover.
  • Cook until bubbling/boiling and then reduce heat to low. Just as you would with plain rice, cook on low until rice is done (it will take a little longer than normal rice because of all the additional ingredients). It should take about 25 minutes but look to see when the rice is done.
  • Once rice is done, fluff with a fork. Onions will settle to the top when rice is cooking. Mix the rice together.
  • Top rice with cooked chicken tenderloins/breasts. You can serve it just like this, or you can turn the oven on to low Broil, slice lemons and place on top of the rice and cook until lemons are slightly browned. These taste great squeezed over the dish.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve out of pan on the table. Squeeze lemon on top before eating. Enjoy!