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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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Hi! Would this recipe suffer significantly from not having feta?
Not at all! Enjoy!
I wanted an Instant Pot Max for its advertised ability to pressure CAN produce from my garden. My cousins were going to send on to me for Christmas, but sent the money instead after further research just couldn't find adequate safety testing. Instead, I treated myself to an Air Fryer and IP Duo Mini. Thus the internet search that turned up your website! So many good things to try, my phone's SD card is filling up fast.
So to my question...this sounds like it would be a great recipe to convert to Pressure cooker, yet it's only given as a traditional method. (Which is great for all of us who have only that option). Can you tell me what makes this unacceptable for or not as good from an Instant Pot? Thanks for all the great info
Hi Jeannine! It is hard to get chicken and rice to cook together and both turn out well due to different cooking times--especially when using brown rice. To make this an Instant Pot Recipe, you would need to mix together 1 cup long-grain WHITE rice with 1 cup chicken stock, 1/2 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Dice up the chicken and place on top of the rice mixture. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes with natural pressure release. Then stir in spinach, tomatoes, and feta if using.
What do you think of using cauliflower rice in this instead of the brown or white? It's looks fantastic! Thank you!
I think that is a great idea to keep this low Carb! I love using cauliflower rice myself, just cook the chicken and tomatoes in the wine and seasonings. Then add in the cauliflower rice. You shouldn't need the extra chicken stock. Enjoy!
This looks like just the kind of chicken and rice meal I love for the hectic work week. Usually I'm thinking about what to fix for dinner around 5 o'clock so something like this dish would sure come in handy. Love the hint of thyme you added to the mix too.
This is a perfect one skillet meal for those busy nights Linda 🙂
This is an absolutely amazing recipe! Its looks delicious and it is super healthy for my family and I!!
It really is healthy and delicious!
I'm a little late to the party here, but I've started using your recipes to make my grocery lists! So delicious and I'm all about fast, easy to clean up week night dinners!!
YAY!!! I am so glad you are using my recipes to help make dinner easy! And so glad you are enjoying them. Thanks so much!