One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice featuring delicious sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, and more! Level up your weeknight meals with this healthy and flavorful Mediterranean-inspired one-pot meal!

I saw a meme the other day of a kitchen that was a total disaster with pots and pans all asunder and dishes everywhere and the text read, “My kitchen after making a recipe I saw on Pinterest.”

Of course I had a good laugh because I’ve heard similar reviews from friends and family about recipes they have found on the internet. But it also made me a bit sad.

While I try to keep the majority of my recipes super simple, I’m sure I’ve been part of the problem every once in a while.

So here I am. Taking my personal responsibility. Single-handedly providing a recipe literally anyone can make in one single pot.

Can we rectify years of messy kitchens with one fell recipe? I sure hope so.

One of my favorite parts about this delicious meal is that aside from browning the chicken, this is a dump-and-go recipe. Meaning most of the ingredients need no fancy cooking maneuvers and simply get tossed into the pot.

Fabulous for those times you’re trying to get dinner on the table quickly or meal prepping for the week.

Little prep, less cleanup, still lots of fresh flavors to enjoy. 

Which brings me to the Mediterranean portion of this meal.

We’re combining big bold flavors with some briny elements to generate that rustic countryside vibe. Have I ever wanted to live in a pot of rice so badly in my life? Nay. I’m moving in.

This one pot chicken and rice recipe is where you go when you’re looking for huge flavors to slam dunk you in the face while still holding true to clean eating. It’s a family favorite when the last thing you’re interested in doing is spending a great deal of time cooking.

The prep and total cooking time from start to finish is around 40 minutes. The best choice for a full meal after a long workday.

For my macro-minded friends, you can increase the amount of chicken you use to get proportionally more protein out of the meal if you’d like.

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for this easy one-pot meal!

Ingredients for Mediterranean Chicken and Rice:

Bone-in Skin-on Chicken Thighs: The star of the show! Bone-in chicken pieces make for a rustic and delicious meal.

I like using bone-in thighs because the chicken turns out nice and juicy and tender. You will need 1.5 to 2 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs, equivalent to 4 large thighs.

Avocado Oil: Used to brown the chicken and sauté the onion, we need quality high-temperature cooking oil.

I don’t recommend using olive oil in this application because we are searing the chicken over a high heat, which causes the olive oil to burn.

Yellow Onion & Garlic: The classic combination of onion and garlic brings delightful flavor to the meal. Red onion works here too!

Uncooked White Rice: Bringing carbohydrates to this delicious dinner recipe, we need a long-grain white rice, like basmati rice or jasmine rice.

Yup, you can use brown rice or wild rice too. Just be sure to follow the instructions indicated in the recipe card.

Uncooked rice is added to the pot, not to be confused with rice that is already cooked.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Artichoke Hearts: The Mediterranean goodies that get added in for big bursts of flavor.

I love the combination of artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and sun-dried tomatoes because they are tangy, briny, and have lovely texture in addition to richness.

All three items come packed in oil or water in a jar, found in the canned vegetable or pasta sauce aisle of the grocery store. Just remember to drain any excess liquid or oil before adding them to the pot.

Chicken Broth: Used to bring the rice to life, we need some liquid for the rice to absorb. I love using chicken stock or bone broth for delicious flavor, but water will work in a pinch too.

Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning: The simple seasonings here! We sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to perk up the flavor and we add Italian seasoning to the rice. How easy is that?

If you love certain flavors, feel free to add in more spices. I love the idea of adding red pepper flakes for some heat. Dried parsley, sweet paprika, and oregano are lovely as well.

Looking for ways you can customize this healthy dinner recipe? Here are some options!

Recipe Adaptations:

• To increase the proportion of protein in the meal, use up to 3.5 pounds of bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 8 thighs).
• You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken drumsticks, or boneless thighs instead of bone-in pieces if you prefer. Note that if you use chicken breasts, they may not need to cook as long so be sure to check their internal temperature throughout the cooking process. Breasts are fully cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix in more Mediterranean goodies, like capers, chopped roasted red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or pepperoncinis for a little heat.
• Use brown rice instead of white rice (see the instructions below).
• Add 5 ounces of chopped spinach to the pot 10 minutes before it’s finished cooking to get an infusion of vitamins.
• If you’re a big fan of mustard, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of dijon mustard to the rice mixture.
• Mix in some fresh herbs like fresh parsley or oregano if you enjoy them.
• Substitute 1/2 cup of white wine (such as sauvignon blanc) for 1/2 cup of the chicken broth.

Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients for this hearty weeknight dinner recipe, let’s make it!

How to Make One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice:

Remove the chicken thighs from their packaging and place them on a large plate. Pat both sides dry using paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) or a large skillet with a deep lip over high heat. Allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes until it is sizzling hot.

Place the chicken thighs on the hot surface, skin side down. Brown for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and set them aside.

Keeping the pot on the stove top, reduce the heat to medium heat (or medium-high heat depending on your stove top setting) and add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn golden-brown, about 5 to 8 minutes. 

Stir in the minced garlic and white rice. Sauté, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. This process allows the rice to brown slightly, which generates light and fluffy rice in the end.

Add the artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot, along with the chicken broth and Italian Seasoning. Give everything a big stir.

Add the browned chicken thighs back into the pot on top of the rice mixture in a single layer.

Cover the pot and bring to a full boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

To check the internal temperature of the thighs, insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.

Serve chicken thighs with Mediterranean rice and enjoy! If you’re a cheese lover, give everything a generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese or feta cheese.

I like serving the dish with lemon wedges so that you can drizzle everything with lemon juice if you’d like. Toasted pine nuts are a marvelous addition too!

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The leftover rice tastes even better the next day!

Now, I know what you’re going to ask me..

Can I Make This With Brown Rice?:

Yes, you can! The only downside to using brown rice is the recipe takes longer to cook, but I often prefer brown rice over white rice for the fiber.

To make the recipe with brown rice, follow all of the same instructions, but add an extra ½ cup of broth and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked.

Note that it will take the chicken less time to cook than the brown rice. You have a few options here.

First, you can cook the chicken as long as you cook the rice if you don’t mind the chicken being a little overdone.

The second option is you can add the chicken to the pot about 8 minutes into the cooking process.

A third option is to monitor the internal temperature of the chicken as it cooks and pull it out when it reaches 180 to 200 degrees.

The next time you’re trying to get a complete meal on the table in less than an hour, allow this quickie to be your guiding light.

Easy enough to make after a long day at work yet fancy enough to serve guests, I’m confident you’ll love this flavor-blasted straightforward recipe.

If you enjoy one-dish or one-pot meals like this, also try out these reader favorites.

More One-Dish Meals:

• Chicken and Rice Enchilada Casserole
• One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Potatoes  
• Easy One-Pot Jambalaya  
• Crock Pot Thai Chicken Curry  
• One-Skillet Ground Turkey Thai Curry with Rice  
• Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken  
• 30-Minute Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet

One pot wonder to the rescue!

One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

4.80 from 5 votes

This easy one-pot meal is big on flavor, yet low-fuss and nutritious! Perfect for meal prepping or special occasions alike, this easy dinner recipe is fun to customize using different add-ins.

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Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Equipment

• large pot such as a Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1.5 to 2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs 4 large chicken thighs
• Sea salt black pepper, garlic powder
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 (14.5-oz) jar artichoke hearts drained
• ⅔ cup sliced kalamata olives drained
• ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Remove the chicken thighs from their packaging and place them on a large plate. Pat both sides dry using paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with sea salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
• Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) or a large skillet with a deep lip over high heat. Allow the oil to heat up for a few minutes until it is sizzling hot.
• Place the chicken thighs on the hot surface, skin side down. Brown for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and golden brown. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and set them aside.
• Keeping the pot on the stove top, reduce the heat to medium heat (or medium-high heat depending on your stove top setting) and add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to turn golden-brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Stir in the minced garlic and white rice. Sauté, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. This process allows the rice to brown slightly, which generates light and fluffy rice in the end.
• Add the artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot, along with the chicken broth and Italian Seasoning. Give everything a big stir. Add the browned chicken thighs back into the pot on top of the rice mixture in a single layer. Cover the pot and bring to a full boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and the chicken thighs reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. To check the internal temperature of the thighs, insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh.
• Serve chicken thighs with Mediterranean rice and enjoy! If you’re a cheese lover, give everything a generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese or feta cheese.

Notes

To make the recipe with brown rice, follow all of the same instructions, but add an extra ½ cup of broth and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. See blog post above for more details.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 4) · Calories: 702kcal · Carbohydrates: 79g · Protein: 49g · Fat: 21g · Saturated Fat: 4g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g · Monounsaturated Fat: 9g · Sodium: 1291mg · Fiber: 4g · Sugar: 7g

Author: Julia Mueller

Course: Chicken Main Dishes, Main Dishes

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Keyword: chicken and rice, gluten free dinner recipe, gluten free dinner recipes, healthy dinner recipes, healthy meal prep recipes, healthy meals, one-pot chicken and vegetables, one-pot meals, one-pot mediterranean chicken and rice

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