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Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is an easy one-pan dinner made with tender chicken, fluffy rice, spinach, tomatoes, feta, olives, and plenty of lemon. Everything cooks in one skillet, making it a flavorful, complete dinner that is easy enough for a weeknight but feels a little more special than basic chicken and rice.
For more easy Mediterranean-inspired dishes, don't miss my Mediterranean Frittata, Mediterranean Couscous Salad, and Mediterranean Chickpea Salad.
Mediterranean Chicken & Rice at a Glance
- Ready in about 40 minutes, including prep. Most of the cooking time is hands-off while the rice simmers and rests.
- Big Mediterranean flavor. Lemon, tomatoes, and oregano do the bright work, feta and olives bring the salt.
- Family-friendly and flexible. Leave the olives off individual servings, replace the wine with additional stock, or swap chicken breasts for thighs if needed.
- The key to fluffy rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly, keep the skillet covered while it cooks, and let it rest for 10 minutes before fluffing.
Kristen's Keys for Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Skillet
When cooking chicken and rice together in one skillet, these tips help keep the chicken tender and the rice fluffy.
- Use a deep 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid. You need enough room for the rice to cook evenly and a lid that traps the steam.
- Rinse the rice really well. Rinsing removes excess surface starch, which helps prevent the rice from becoming overly sticky or gummy as it cooks.
- Don't fully cook the chicken when browning. Sear it for about 2 minutes per side, just until lightly golden. It will finish cooking as the rice simmers.
- Once the skillet is covered, resist the urge to peek. Every time you lift the lid, steam escapes, which can throw off the cooking time.
- Don't skip the 10-minute rest. After cooking, leave the skillet covered and off the heat. This gives the rice time to absorb any remaining moisture and finish steaming until fluffy.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work. Cut the chicken into evenly sized 1- to 1½-inch pieces so it cooks at the same rate.
- Rice: Use long-grain white rice for this recipe. Brown rice takes much longer to cook, which can overcook the chicken. I love jasmine rice here because it has a slightly sweet, light flavor that pairs well with the lemon and oregano. That said, basmati or a bag simply labeled "long-grain white rice" works as well.
- White Wine: A dry white wine adds another layer of flavor and helps loosen all those browned bits from the skillet. A Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio works well here, but if you prefer not to cook with wine, simply replace it with additional chicken stock.
- Lemon: Do not overlook the fresh lemon here. Adding both the zest and the juice to the skillet brightens and balances the dish.
- Spinach: Baby spinach wilts quickly from the residual heat. If using a heartier green such as kale, finely chop it and stir it into the skillet before covering and simmering the rice.
- Kalamata Olives: I love the rich, briny flavors the olives add to the dish, but my family prefers this chicken and rice skillet without them. Therefore, I just add them to my own plate when serving.
- Feta: Adds a nice salty, slightly creamy bite to the dish, but is completely optional. If you omit it to keep this skillet dairy-free (or simply because you don't care for feta), you may need to add an additional pinch of salt.
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
- Cube the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, removing any fat or gristle as needed, then season with salt and pepper.
- Sauté chicken. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for about 2 minutes per side, just until lightly browned. If needed, brown the chicken in batches rather than piling it together. Crowded chicken steams instead of browning.
- Build the flavor. Add the garlic and sauté the garlic for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Deglaze with wine. Add the wine (or additional stock) and let it reduce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Those little bits are a lot of flavor.
- Add rice. Stir in the chicken stock, rinsed rice, oregano, and an additional pinch of salt and pepper.
- Simmer chicken and rice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Keep the lid closed while the rice cooks.
- Let rest, then add lemon and fluff. After simmering, remove the skillet from the heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, add zest and juice of a lemon, and fluff the rice with a fork. That keeps the rice nice and fluffy.
- Add spinach. Add the spinach and gently stir the spinach throughout the rice. If you find your spinach isn't wilting quickly, return the lid to the skillet for a minute or two.
- Finish with toppings. To give this dish Mediterranean flavors, I like to finish with crumbled feta, sliced Kalamata olives, halved cherry tomatoes, and fresh parsely. Serve with additional lemon slices if desired.
How to Serve Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
One of the best things about this skillet is that it really is a complete meal on its own. You have chicken, rice, spinach, and tomatoes all in one pan.
For a little something extra, serve it with:
- A simple cucumber and tomato salad
- Greek salad
- Warm pita bread
- Hummus and fresh vegetables
- Tzatziki spooned over individual servings
For kids or picky eaters, you can also serve the chicken and rice first and let everyone add feta, olives, tomatoes, and lemon to taste.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Let leftovers cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: Add a splash of chicken stock or water before reheating to help keep the rice from drying out. Microwave individual portions until heated through, or warm gently in a covered skillet over low heat.
- Freeze: The chicken and rice mixture can be frozen for up to 2 months. For the best texture, freeze it without the fresh tomatoes, feta, olives, or parsley and add those after reheating.
More Easy Skillet Dinners
If easy skillet dinners make your week run a little more smoothly, try these next:
- Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potatoes: Chicken and sweet potatoes with taco night flavor.
- Homemade Hamburger Helper: A boxed classic made without the box!
- Chicken and Green Beans: Chicken, green beans, and tomatoes with a simple pan sauce kissed with lemon.
- Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet: Bright lemon flavor with a kiss of honey.
- Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy: A 15-minute stir-fry with a sweet and savory sauce.
They all deliver plenty of flavor without requiring half the kitchen to make it.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Skillet
Mediterranean Chicken and Rice is an easy one-pan dinner with tender chicken, fluffy rice, spinach, tomatoes, feta, olives, and lemon.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, or thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, ~3-4 cloves
- ¼ cup dry white wine, or additional chicken stock
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed really well
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 large lemon, zest and juice + more for serving if desired
- 2 cups baby spinach, ~2 ounces
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced, optional
- fresh parsley, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Remove any excess fat or gristle from the chicken, then cut it into 1- to 1½-inch bite-sized pieces. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large, deep 12-inch skillet with a lid over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for about 2 minutes per side, just until lightly browned. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage. Work in batches if needed, then return all the browned chicken to the skillet.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine, or additional stock, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half.
- Stir in the chicken stock, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, oregano, and rinsed rice and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Resist the urge to peek.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and let it rest, covered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid. Zest the lemon over the rice using a microplane, then juice it over the skillet. Gently fluff the rice mixture with a fork as you distribute the lemon throughout.
- Add the spinach and gently mix to combine. If your spinach isn't wilting easily, let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes so the spinach can wilt from the residual heat.
- Top with sliced tomatoes, feta, Kalamata olives, and minced parsley before serving. I like to serve with additional slices of fresh lemon, but that is optional.
Equipment
- 12-inch deep skillet that has a tight fitting lid
Notes
Rice: The cook time is based on using long-grain white rice. Basmati and jasmine rice are great options.
Spinach: Omit if desired, or replace with kale. If using kale, finely chop it and stir it into the skillet before covering and simmering the rice.
Dairy-Free: Omit the feta, but you may need to add an additional pinch of salt.
Oregano: Feel free to replace the oregano with Greek seasoning if desired.
Storage: Let leftovers cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Add a splash of broth or water before reheating gently in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 23gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 661mgPotassium: 553mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1248IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What size skillet do you use?
Hi Chuck, great question I should have addressed---it is a 12 inch with lid
This looks so absolutely delicious! I love the veggie and veto combo.
Thank you Heather! Feta and arugula are a match made in my mouth's heaven 🙂
As if I needed another reason to come back to NC! Wish I could run over and enjoy some of this with you right now!! (Maybe someday ... Lord willing!) <3 Love the fresh thyme and that rice looks divine. Five stars!
I wish you could too sweet friend. Praying for one day!
This is perfect for a last minute meal!
Why yes it is!
This is my kind of dinner! I love chicken any day of the week!
And with this being so quick, you can't go wrong
That sounds delicious, and the photos are gorgeous! Love your flatware too. =)
Thanks Karen! I love those serving spoons myself!
This is such a beautiful dish!
Aw, thank you! The more important thing is that it is tasty too!