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The easiest One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice. Trust me, this is going to become your new go-to chicken and rice dinner. Chicken breasts or thighs marinated with olive oil, garlic, yogurt, lemon, pepper, oregano, thyme, and paprika. All tossed together with dry basmati rice and broccoli. This juicy marinated chicken and rice is all made in one pan without even having to cook the rice separately. Simply mix, bake, eat, and enjoy! You’re going to LOVE this.
I couldn’t think of a better Monday night dinner. I can’t even begin to express to you how simple this is, but even more importantly, how delicious!
We all know the story. When I grew up our dinners consisted of beef tacos, pasta with red sauce, maybe a takeout pizza here and there, or on very special nights, BW3s. And then, of course, there was chicken and rice. So much chicken and rice. Aside from tacos, chicken and rice was the staple meal. And it was on rotation once, twice, sometimes even three nights a week.
We ate a lot of chicken and rice growing up. It was either mom’s Sunday roasted chicken with boxed rice pilaf, dad’s grilled chicken (and rice), or my brother’s favorite, potato chip chicken (and rice). Again, so much chicken and rice.
You’d think it would be a dinner that I would not want to repeat as an adult. Shockingly, I’ll revert back to our staple family meal once or twice a month. I guess it’s just my comfort food.
For the longest time, I tried to recreate the Monday night dinner my mom would often make. Roasted chicken (whole chicken or just tenders) with a boxed rice or roni-style mix. I’ve never come close, but then I made this – and this is it.
You need just one baking dish with the most minimal ingredients and almost zero prep time.
The secret to this recipe, and all the flavor, is actually the reason the recipe is so SIMPLE – cooking the rice and chicken slowly together. This creates the most flavorful, juicy, pull-apart, tender chicken, and the tastiest rice.
Sounds too good to be true, but this is one of those recipes that just works so wonderfully well.
Details
Start with the chicken. Marinate it in olive oil and yogurt with lemon zest, pepper, and garlic. Then add dried oregano, thyme, paprika, and a nice helping of salt and chili flakes (if desired).
If time allows, you can marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or overnight. If you’re in a time crunch, just start cooking. I’ve now made this both ways and there’s not a huge difference.
Start off by grabbing a baking dish. Use something around the size of a 9×13-inch pan. Add the dry rice, I love to use basmati, and then add broccoli. Pour water overtop and then add a couple of salted pats of butter.
Place the chicken directly over the rice, then bake. I don’t even cover the pan or anything. This cooks up beautifully in just about 30 minutes. But the timing will depend on the size of your chicken and the size of your baking dish.
Top with any fresh herbs you enjoy most, then serve and enjoy.
As the chicken roasts, the juices drip down into the rice creating a REAL chicken-flavored rice situation. It’s so delicious!
And the chicken doesn’t dry out since it’s roasted over a bit of water. As the water cooks into the rice, the chicken slowly and beautifully roasts and gets perfectly crisp.
It’s honestly just the best. I might not go back to cooking chicken and rice any other way! Just add some 5 ingredient beer bread to really complete the Gerard family staple. A comfort meal at its best!
Looking for other easy chicken and rice dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Spicy Sesame Chicken and Ginger Rice
Lastly, if you make this One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 593 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs or breasts (skin on or off)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1- teaspoons black pepper, using more to your taste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- kosher salt and chili flakes
- 1 3/4 cups dry basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups roughly chopped broccoli
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, toss together the chicken, olive oil, yogurt, lemon zest, garlic, pepper, oregano, thyme, paprika, onion powder, and a good pinch of salt and chili flakes (if desired). If time allows, marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.2. Preheat the oven to 400°. 3. Pour the rice and broccoli into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour over 2 cups of water. Add the butter. Arrange the chicken over the rice and broccoli. Add lemon wedges, if desired. Bake 30-40 minutes, until the rice is fluffy and the chicken is cooked through. If the rice is hard, add 1/3 cup water and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 4. Severe the chicken, rice, and broccoli topped with fresh basil and or thyme. And enjoy!
I don’t have any basmati rice. Could I substitute with orzo??
Hi Amanda,
You can use the orzo, it’s just going to cook differently than the rice so you might have to make a few adjustments. Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it! xT
Easy and tasteful. Will make again!
Hey Jennifer,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well for you!🍒🥭
So so delicious and it’s so nutritious. Once again, spices instead of salt, so delicious. I used whole grain basmati and twice the amount of broccoli. We’re empty nesters so this meal will be a go to for a couple of nights.
Thanks again
Hi Andrea,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
I loved this recipe! Its now on my regular rotation. Simple but good flavors, super easy, one pan…couldn’t ask for more!
Hi Tracy,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks for trying it! Have a great weekend:) xx
I should’ve believed the reviews, but I have always loved HBH recipes. This one is a fail! Very bland. If you decide to make this, definitely doctor it up with some chicken bouillon and other seasonings.
Hi Heather,
Thanks for sharing feedback and making this recipe, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Rice never fully cooked even after adding the water. Chicken had good flavor but the rice wasn’t edible.
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear the rice never cooked. What kind of rice did you use? Please let me know how I can help! xx
Easy and delicious!! It really makes eating chicken, rice, and broccoli (which is a staple in my house) not boring. I add the extra water and cook for longer every time and the rice is never crunchy.
Hi Ayden,
Happy Friday!! I’m thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and your comment!😎🍑 xx
Surprisingly bland. Super easy fish but would maybe use chicken broth instead of just water next time to add more flavor.
Meant to say *dish*
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your review, sorry to hear it was bland for you! Let me know if you try it again with the chicken broth! xx
I followed the recipe exactly, used basmati rice & it never fully cooked! No matter what, there were crunchy uncooked pieces. This is a super underwhelming recipe all around unfortunately. The only good part was it was easy!
Hi Ashley,
So sorry to hear that this recipe did not turn out for you. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with or clarify. Again, my apologies for the trouble! xx
I really want to give this more stars, but I have to agree with the comments about the “bland” rice. The chicken was soooo good, but the rice lacked flavor for me. I think maybe next time I’ll use chicken broth instead of water and mix in some seasonings with it for a boost. I will definitely use this recipe again just tweak it to my own preferences. Overall, I love the quick recipes they make life so much easier!
Hi Courtney,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear it was enjoyed except for the rice, let me know if you change anything for next time! xT
Wasn’t a fan 🙁 so bland, yet way too much oregano (and I put less than it calls for!). I added salty chicken bouillon to the water, put a little salt on the broccoli too, and it was still all bland. Also added water during cooking as suggested, since the rice looked dry, but the rice still ended up with crunchy pieces throughout. Ugh, was excited for this, too!
Hi Jess,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. What kind of rice did you use? My apologies for the dish being so bland! Let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
Would cooking this in a foil pan make a difference? Looking to make something for my friends who just had a baby and want to make sure they don’t have any dishes to do!
Hey Jill,
I think that would be just fine for you to do! Let me know if you have any other questions, congrats to your friends!! xT
Any suggestions for if I wanted to make this with tofu instead of chicken? Could I sub tofu instead of chicken directly?
Hi Jacque,
I’ve never tested this recipe with tofu, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
So easy to put together for a night I wasn’t in the mood to cook! And it’s healthy! I really loved the citrus on this one too. I think I’ll be a bit braver next time and add some more chili flakes for a bit more kick.
Love to hear this Emily!! So glad to hear this dish was enjoyed and we appreciate the feedback:) xT
This recipe was amazing! My boys devoured it! Thank you so much!!
Hi Roshnee,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe and appreciate your notes and feedback! xT
This is a clean dinner recipe when you’re looking for whole nutritious foods.
The magic of this recipe is the left overs. Put it on a salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and T’s easy tzatziki as salad dressing and you’re in business.
Hey there,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx