This Lemon Chicken Rice Bake has incredible lemon and herb flavors, all done in one pot and super fast to prepare! Perfect for any night of the week!
Lemon Chicken Rice Bake
We all have those dishes that are kind of nostalgic to us because it’s something our mom used to make often. When my sister and I were growing up, my mom worked so she always made dishes that were fairly quick and easy after a long day. These dishes would feed the whole family and most importantly were dishes everybody liked.
This lemon chicken rice bake recipe is one that hits a home run with even the pickiest eaters, I mean how can it not when it’s cooked with so much love? If you’re looking for a dish that comes out perfectly every single time, scroll on and enjoy a little walk down my own memory lane.
Ingredients In Lemon Chicken Rice Bake
We’re going to be marinating this chicken so that lemon herb-y flavor is well incorporated. I recommend letting it marinate overnight but if you’re in a rush 20 minutes will do just fine.
Marinade
- Liquids – Olive oil, white wine (I like Sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio), and fresh lemon juice. The white wine can be substituted with low sodium soy sauce or extra chicken stock.
- Oregano – I used dried oregano for this recipe.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
- Garlic – Mom always used lots of fresh garlic, if minced is all you have on hand just keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons is equal to one fresh clove.
- Chicken – Bone in skin on thighs are best but if you’d rather use chicken breast just keep in mind that breast meat cooks quicker. Consider 1 breast is equal to 2 thighs. Drumsticks would also work well for this recipe
Rice
- Olive oil – For sautéing and browning.
- Onion – I used white onion but yellow will work just as well, we want something that hold up well to cooking and mellows out.
- Garlic – Even more fresh garlic! See the section above for substituting with minced.
- Rice – This recipe calls for long grain rice. Other varieties can definitely be substituted, just keep in mind that this may affect cook time. This guide is handy for figuring out how to cook the rice you’ve got on hand.
- Salt & pepper – To taste.
- Chicken broth – Aim for low sodium as we want to control the salt content of this dish. Adjust the salt in the rice if full sodium is all that’s available.
- Lemon – We want both zest and slices so be sure to pick up some lemons before making this dish. We want this lemon chicken rice to be bursting with lemon!
- Parsley – My favorite garnish! Fresh is best but if dried is all you have on hand that will work too.
How To Make Lemon Chicken Rice Bake
- Marinate your chicken: Combine marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag (shake it well) and marinate for at least 20 minutes. Place in the refrigerator if you’re planning on marinating overnight. Make sure to reserve the marinade before cooking your chicken.
- Prepare the oven: Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Brown the chicken: Drizzle olive oil in a large skillet and brown the chicken thighs till golden and crispy, don’t worry about cooking the chicken all the way through.
- Prepare the rice: In the same skillet, saute the onion till it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook just till it become aromatic. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes before adding chicken stock, reserved marinade, salt & pepper, and lemon zest. Give this all a good stir and bring to a boil.
- Finish the dish: Add the chicken back to the skillet on top of the rice and arrange your lemon slices across the top and cover your skillet with a lid. Bake covered for 20 minutes before removing the lid and baking uncovered for a further 10 minutes. Garnish you lemon chicken rice with parsley and serve warm!
What Else Can I Use In My Rice Bake?
My mom made so many different variations of this lemon chicken rice recipe, and not necessarily with just chicken. She would use sausage or fish and lots of veggies. Things like beans, corn, peas, peppers, etc are all so tasty in this dish.
Storing Lemon Chicken Rice Bake
Fridge
Rice is very moist and can begin to grow bacteria in under 2 hours if left sitting out. Seal it in an airtight container while still warm and it will last in the fridge for 4 – 5 days.
Freezer
If you’d like to make and freeze this recipe ahead of time just place it in the fridge till it’s completely cool in an airtight container then transfer to the freezer and it should last up to 3 months. When ready to eat you’ll just want to allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before popping it back in a 350 F degree oven for 20 minutes.
Looking For More Chicken Recipes? Try These:
- Chicken Rice Pilaf
- Lemon Rice and Chicken Soup
- Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
- Mexican Chicken and Rice Salad
- One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
- Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus
- Harissa Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
- Coconut Basil Chicken Curry
- Chicken Fricassee
Lemon Chicken Rice Bake
Ingredients
For Marinade
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup white wine I used Sauvignon blanc
- 1/4 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1 tsp oregano
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 chicken thighs with bone and skin
For Rice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup rice long grain uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
- zest from 1 lemon
- lemon slices
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a ziploc bag combine with wine, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, garlic and chicken thighs. Shake the bag well and marinate for at least 20 minutes up to overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet that's oven safe. Add the chicken thighs and cook on both sides until skin is golden brown and crispy. Make sure to reserve marinade. Chicken doesn't have to be cooked through since it will continue cooking in the oven. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- In the same skillet add the onion and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes just until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds just until it becomes aromatic.
- Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, reserved marinade and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Add the lemon zest, stir and bring to a boil. Add the chicken back to the skillet on top of the rice, arrange lemon slices around the chicken and cover the skillet with a lid.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes then remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Dina says
June 27, 2019 at 1:18 pmI used boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into wide strips. Delicious! Made it twice now and everyone in the family loves it!
Joanna Cismaru says
June 27, 2019 at 1:31 pmGlad you loved it!
nela says
March 13, 2019 at 4:03 pmThank you for another great recipe :**
it it very easy to make and very tasty. we had some leftovers and it tasted great the next day as well.
i will definitely be making it again!
Joanna Cismaru says
March 13, 2019 at 4:24 pmMy pleasure, so glad you enjoyed it!
Courtney says
January 10, 2019 at 12:44 pmJust found this recipe online and I don’t have a pan that can go in the oven but have a casserole dish. Could I do everything in the pan and transfer to a casserole dish and bake?
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 10, 2019 at 3:16 pmYeah that will work for sure! Make sure you have it covered well with foil to make sure the rice cooks properly.
Tessa says
December 18, 2018 at 5:09 pmThis dinner was so easy to make and to clean up. My family loved it! It’s going into regular rotation. Definitely the easiest and tastiest lemon chicken recipe. I added parboiled broccoli on top of the rice and under the chicken before putting the pot into the oven. Also, I used boneless breasts being careful to only sear them before putting them into the oven.
Fiona says
July 2, 2018 at 5:13 amFollowed recipe exactly, but used boneless, skinless chicken breasts (in order to avoid dry chicken, they only need 15 minutes in oven after browning on stovetop). Recipe had good flavour, but rice took an additional 15 minutes in the oven to cook through – it was crunchy and hadn’t absorbed liquid after the suggested 20 minutes in the oven and then 10 minute resting period.
Nicole Beaulieu says
July 3, 2018 at 10:22 amWhat type of rice did you use? Different varieties can affect the cooking times quite a bit.
Sarah says
June 25, 2018 at 8:14 pmLooks delicious! Finding so many fantastic recipes on your site – thank you!! What modifications would I need to make to this recipe if I’m using chicken breasts? Same cook time? Skip the step of “browning” the chicken? Many thanks!!
Nicole Beaulieu says
June 27, 2018 at 9:21 amKeep all the steps, temp, and time the same! Browning the chicken adds tons of great flavor, I wouldn’t skip it 🙂
Jeanette says
May 7, 2018 at 5:39 pmI made this for my brand I a few months and loved it but lost it and forgot about it. I did add the broccoli as another poster suggested and it really is one pan meal when done that way. My 2nd is a chicken fanatic and eats it almost evertday…so it’s great cause well left overs!
Jeanette says
May 7, 2018 at 5:40 pmCorrection for my boyfriend…stupid auto correct.
Madeline Carlisle says
March 6, 2018 at 9:10 amI made this recipe for dinner last night – quick and really easy. I threw in some fresh raw broccoli for the baking part only and it came out perfect along with the rest of the dinner. Chicken was cooked through and moist, the rice was soft but not mushy with just the right amount of seasoning. I did use vegetable stock instead of chicken and I also added a little butter at the end as the combination of olive oil and butter is one of my favorites.
Linda says
December 15, 2017 at 9:36 pmThis recipe is spot on. It needs no adjustment.
My family loved it.
Karyn Brady says
December 1, 2017 at 10:03 pmMade this tonight and my whole family LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!! A perfect dish to make for company. Looks gorgeous and tastes divine. I made it exactly as the recipe was written.
Joanna Cismaru says
December 3, 2017 at 8:44 pmI’m so happy you liked it. 🙂
Rachel says
November 19, 2017 at 1:43 pmHow many servings does this make?
Joanna Cismaru says
November 19, 2017 at 1:45 pm6! It’s listed in the top header of the recipe. 🙂
Nadia Ramos says
August 28, 2017 at 9:04 amHi! Thinking of making this tonight. Was it a white rice you used? Could I substitute the white rice for brown maybe?
Joanna Cismaru says
August 28, 2017 at 9:06 amYes you can, you just need to cook it a bit longer.
Wendy says
August 21, 2017 at 5:32 pmI made this tonight and it was delicious! I thought it might be too lemony but it was just perfect. The rice taken with each piece of chicken flavored them perfectly. The only thing I would add to your recipe is in the step after you fry the chicken, I would add to drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil before adding onion. I had about 3-4 tablespoons of oil and rendered fat in there and the resulting dish left a bunch of oil on the plate and felt greasy to eat even though it was delicious
Joanna Cismaru says
August 21, 2017 at 8:31 pmGlad you liked it, Wendy!
Dorothy Dunton says
August 14, 2017 at 6:14 pmHi Jo. This has comfort food written all over it! When I roast a whole chicken I always cut a lemon in half and put it in the cavity along with a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary. Had to laugh about your family’s differing appetites. My dad only liked well done (overcooked) beef and potatoes. No pork, chicken or fish. If I’d married a man like that I would probably have hit him over the head with a skillet! 🙂
Joanna Cismaru says
August 14, 2017 at 8:45 pmLOL that’s funny my dad likes his beef well done too, I’m not sure if it’s because how he likes or that’s how my mom has always made it for him.
Jean says
August 14, 2017 at 10:15 amwhat temp do you bake this at?
Nicole Beaulieu says
August 14, 2017 at 10:47 am350F! It’s in step 2.
Charles says
August 14, 2017 at 8:47 amGreeat one-pot recipes ! What brand of pots do you use in your videos and where can I buy them ? Thx
Joanna Cismaru says
August 14, 2017 at 10:50 amThanks Charles! I usually use Le Creuset for my pots and pans because I love them. I find them here in Calgary at the Le Creuset store, but most of the time I’ll buy them on amazon when they are on sale. You can find the one used in this video here: http://amzn.to/2wXMDFm
ARLENE says
January 22, 2018 at 9:06 amWhat size?
Joanna Cismaru says
January 22, 2018 at 9:22 amThe pot used here is a 3 3/4 quart braiser, you can find it here: http://amzn.to/2mZOoyu
Dorothy Erikson says
August 14, 2017 at 7:46 amWhen do you add the rice????
Joanna Cismaru says
August 14, 2017 at 7:58 amIt’s been added to step 5, thanks for catching that.
Judy Goldin says
August 14, 2017 at 7:26 amYou didn’t write when to add the rice.
If using soya sauce instead of wine how much soya
Joanna Cismaru says
August 14, 2017 at 7:58 amIt’s been added to step 5. If you’re using soy sauce, I would go with 2 tbsp of soy sauce. Also you may need to adjust the salt if using soy sauce.