This One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice is quick, easy and delicious. It will be on the table in under an hour and uses simple, everyday ingredients. The chicken drumsticks are marinated in lemon, garlic and oregano, then cooked in the oven on top of the most flavourful lemon rice you'll ever try. Plus one pan means less washing up!

This One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice recipe comes from my YiaYia (my Greek grandmother). It's ridiculously simple, but the flavours are unreal and your house will smell amazing as it cooks away in the oven.
I love a good one pot dinner as much as the next person and this one couldn't be easier. There's no pre-browning the meat or fussing over the dish constantly.
You do need to marinate the chicken first, but this can be done in a freezer bag for ease if you'd wish. And I've popped down some sautéed diced onion as optional. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don't. It isn't integral to the taste of the overall dish, I just really love onion and rice together.
Now I know the big drawcard of this recipe is the one pot BUT I'd be remiss if I didn't highly recommend you make these Greek Lemon Potatoes to go alongside this dish. They are so worth the extra washing up. A dollop of tzatziki also wouldn't go astray!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS RECIPE...
- Super flavourful chicken and rice
- Quick and easy weeknight dinner
- One pot = less washing up!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Here's what you'll need to make Greek chicken and lemon rice (full measurements listed in the printable recipe card below)...
- Chicken Drumsticks / Legs
- Oregano - preferably Greek
- Lemon
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Rice
- Chicken Stock
- Salt and Pepper
Optional
- Butter
- Onion
- Greek Tzatziki, to serve
HOW TO MAKE ONE POT GREEK CHICKEN AND RICE - STEP BY STEP
Place chicken, oregano, garlic, olive oil and the juice from ½ of the lemon into a bowl or ziplock bag and season with salt and pepper. Mix together to combine, then leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight, if desired).
Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Place marinated chicken drumsticks in a single layer in a baking dish, discarding any leftover marinade, then cook in the oven for 15 minutes.
OPTIONAL STEP - Heat butter in a skillet on medium heat and sauté onion until softened. Set aside.
Move chicken drumsticks to a plate. Pour chicken stock, rice, the juice from the remaining ½ of the lemon and the sautéed onion, if using, into the baking dish and give it a stir to combine. Nestle the chicken on top, then return to the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice has fully absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through.
Let it stand uncovered for a few minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- I only ever remember to marinate the chicken right before I make this dish, so it generally only gets about 30 minutes to an hour to marinate. Feel free to leave it overnight though, if you remember!
- I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is cooked through - 74C / 165F.
- Recipe will feed 2-3 (2 large serves, or split evenly between 3). Feel free to double the recipe to feed a bigger crowd - just be super to use a larger rectangular baking dish that will fit all the chicken drumsticks in a single layer.
MORE GREEK RECIPES
- Easy Greek Salad
- Greek Chicken and Potatoes
- Greek Chicken Gyros
- Greek Roast Chicken
- Spanakopita
- Greek Tzatziki
- Greek Zucchini Fritters
- OR see all Greek Recipes
If you’ve tried this One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice I’d love to hear how you enjoyed it! Pop a comment and a star rating below!
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📋 RECIPE
One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice
This One Pot Greek Chicken and Rice is quick, easy and delicious. It will be on the table in under an hour and uses simple, everyday ingredients. The chicken drumsticks are marinated in lemon, garlic and oregano, then cooked on top of the most flavourful lemon rice you'll ever try. Plus one pan means less washing up after!
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken Drumsticks / Legs
- 1 tablespoon Oregano (preferably Greek)
- 1 Lemon, halved
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 cup Basmati or Short Grain Rice
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
- Salt & Pepper
Optional
- ½ Brown or Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Butter
- Greek Tzatziki, to serve
Instructions
- Place chicken, oregano, garlic, olive oil and the juice from ½ of the lemon into a bowl or ziplock bag and season with salt and pepper. Mix together to combine, then leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes (or overnight, if desired).
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Place marinated chicken drumsticks in a single layer in a square baking dish, discarding any leftover marinade, and place in the oven to cook for 15 minutes.
- OPTIONAL STEP - Heat butter in a skillet on medium heat and sauté onion until softened. Set aside.
- Move chicken drumsticks to a plate. Pour chicken stock, rice, the juice from the remaining ½ of the lemon and the sautéed onion, if using, into the baking dish and give it a stir to combine. Nestle the chicken on top, then return to the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice has fully absorbed the liquid and the chicken is cooked through.
- Let it stand uncovered for a few minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
Notes
- I only ever remember to marinate the chicken right before I make this dish, so it generally only gets about 30 minutes to an hour to marinate. Feel free to leave it overnight though, if you remember!
- I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is cooked through - 74C / 165F.
- Cooking time for the rice will vary - I recommend checking at the 20 minute mark and going from there.
- Recipe will feed 2-3 (2 large serves, or split evenly between 3). Feel free to double the recipe to feed a bigger crowd - just be super to use a larger rectangular baking dish that will fit all the chicken drumsticks in a single layer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 612Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 240mgSodium: 537mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 52g
Jeanne Gallagher says
thanks Cassie, i should have seen that, i guess i just got carried away with how delicious it all looked and didn't bother reading properly.
Cassie says
I'm a skim reader at the best of times so no apology needed 🙂
Jeanne Gallagher says
sounds delicious. can i do this in the oven rather than stove top?
Cassie says
Hey Jeanne - this one is all done in the oven 🙂 the only stove top element is if you want to add sautéed onion in, but it's not a necessity and can easily be skipped. Enjoy!