Next Post
Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Cups.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs or breasts
- extra virgin olive oil
- plain Greek yogurt
- lemon zest
- garlic, chopped
- black pepper, using more to your taste
- dried oregano
- dried thyme
- paprika
- onion powder
- kosher salt and chili flakes
- dry basmati rice
- salted butter
- roughly chopped broccoli
Details
Start with the chicken. The greek yogurt marinade makes all the difference. 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!
Why do you soak chicken in yogurt and how long can I marinate chicken in yogurt?
Yogurt tenderizes chicken and gives it that juicy taste and tender texture. You can marinade chicken in yogurt for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.
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!
Would love to give this recipe a try however I can’t seem to find details on the chicken. Boneless or Bone -in. Thank you!
Hi Tricia,
This recipe will work well with either one, if you choose to use bone in just be sure it is thoroughly cooked before serving. I hope you love this dish, let me know if you give it a try! xT
I’ve made this twice now and my family loves it! The chicken is so flavorful, and the rice is cooked perfectly! I do add some garlic salt to the rice before cooking, and it’s delicious!
I was thinking about trying it with frozen broccoli next time because that’s always what I have on hand. Any ideas on the best way to do that? Or should I stick with fresh? Thank you!
I’ve used a frozen bag of chopped broccoli in this twice now and it was great. No defrosting either, just tossed it in!
That’s awesome! Thank you! Did you cook it the same amount of time, water, and everything too?
That’s awesome! Thank you! Did you cook it the same amount of time and use the same amount of water and everything too?
Hi Lauren,
So glad to hear that your family has been enjoying this recipe!! I think frozen broccoli would be just fine for you to use, just keep the recipe as written:) Let me know how that works for you! xT
Made this quickly and easily tonight. Had to substitute sour cream for the yogurt and long grain white rice for basmati. I only had time to marinate the boneless skinless thighs for 30 minutes. I covered it with foil and set timer for 35 minutes. Turned out perfectly! Rice was just a smidge past Al dente which I liked because the rice grains were defined rather than mush. Very tasty.
Hi Mary,
Happy Tuesday!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Hi, if cooking with brown rice, how long should we cook it? Our rice tends to take longer than white rice.
Hi Courtney,
Sorry, I have not tested this recipe with brown rice so I do not have exact instructions for cooking. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
Great recipe! I heeded the advice from other reviewers regarding flavor and cooking method and it was very successful. I marinated the chicken breast from 8 AM-5 PM and used Fage 5% as my yogurt so I think that helped with flavor. I only needed 4 servings so adjusted all ingredients appropriately. Sprinkled 1 t Mrs. Dash lemon pepper, 1/2 t Hidden Valley ranch dressing powder, 1/4 t Lawry’s seasoned salt, and 1/4 t garlic salt over the dry rice before cooking and used chicken stock instead of water. I cooked it covered with foil for 30 minutes then removed the foil, added an additional 8 ounces chicken stock and cooked for another 13 minutes. It did make a TON of rice (1 c + 2.6666 T dry basmati rice for 4 servings), so I think next time, I’ll only use 3/4 c dry rice for 4 servings. Would recommend spraying the baking dish before adding ingredients because the rice stuck to the corners of the pan just a little bit (I should have known to do that but forgot). Overall, an easy weeknight recipe with a few tweaks.
Hi Abby,
Awesome!!😎 Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing all of your handy notes! xT
I made this last night and we all enjoyed it. I ended up adding about a cup more water and baked it about 15 minutes longer. I used a spoon and stirred up the exposed areas of rice when I added the additional water to get the crunchy top grains down into the water to cook. When it was done all of the rice was cooked. I think I’d add some chicken stock concentrate to the water next time to boost the flavor. The chicken was very flavorful and moist. The recipe was easy and quick. I’d make it again and the family said they’d happily eat it again.
Hi Amy,
Happy Monday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great week! xT
The chicken in this is really delicious (especially if you can let it marinate), but I thought the rice and broccoli could use a flavor boost. My rec would be to use even more lemon, S&P, and EVOO than you think to boost up those flavors. And make sure the chicken breasts you use aren’t too big or the rice and broccoli will finish cooking way before they do.
Hey Emily,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing your notes! Have a great weekend:)
The perfect weeknight recipe. Definitely making this again. Thank you!
Hi Jennifer,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
I made some adjustments that fixed the issues people have been talking about here and the dish came out awesome! So, hope this helps: I marinated the chicken for a full hour. I used frozen broccoli instead of fresh which I think provided a bit more water for the rice. I cooked covered with aluminum foil for 40min and uncovered for 30min. It took a bit longer than anticipated but the chicken is cooked through and moist, the rice is soft, and it’s got great flavor! I also added the optional lemon wedges and that seemed to help the flavor as well.
Hi Rebecca,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Have a great weekend:)
I am wishing that I read the comments here before attempting the recipe. Like other commenters, this did not turn out for me. I used stock instead of water and salted the dish so I thought the flavor was good but the rice did not cook – cooked over 1 hour and there were still raw grains. I want to try it again but will likely use my covered braising dish to give the rice a better chance to cook through.
Hi Paige,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. What kind of rice did you use? Let me know how I can help! xx
My whole family loves this even my picky eaters! Had to leave another post because I forgot to rate. Thanks so much, can’t wait to try your others.
Hi Sophia,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your review!🍓🍑 xT
The chicken was delicious but I agree with others that altogether, this was a bland dish. I used a very rich stock that I’ve used for other dishes instead of water, and it did not enhance the rice. I also added some seasonings to the rice (salt, pepper, garlic) and lemon slices it was still bland. I have made other recipes, but this one was not what I had hoped it would be.
Hi Jodie,
Thanks for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
I’ve tried this twice and it’s failed me both times! Such a bummer because it looks and sounds so good! Half of the rice isn’t cooked and then the chicken is drying out so I can’t keep cooking the dish. 😵💫 Please tell me it’s not just me!
It’s not just you. Against my better judgement (and without reading these reviews) I cooked exactly per the instructions. Cooked it for over 50 min and rice still was undercooked and bland. Broccoli wasn’t very tender either. I think it would be better if it was cooked covered for 30 min or so and then the cover removed for the last 10-15 min to crisp the chicken.
This dish turned out great! My Family loved it. After reading all the reviews, I was worried about it being a little bland. But, after salting each layer, rice then broccoli, and a little bit again on top of the chicken and also using 2 1/3 cups chicken stock instead of the water, it turned out to be very flavorful. I also added the lemon slices between the rice and the broccoli layer to flavor it. I baked it covered for the first 40 minutes, and the rice was already perfectly done. I had to cook it another 20 minutes uncovered as I had a large chicken thighs. I will be making this again for sure!!! Thanks for another great recipe Tieghan. 😉
Hi Ann Marie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing what worked well for you, I’m so glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks again! xx
Hi Jillian,
So sorry to hear this recipe is not working for you! What kind of rice are you using? What about the chicken? Is there anything you are adjusting? Let me know how I can help! xx
I’ve made this twice now. So hearty and satisfying & really just tastes like comfort southern food. Im a hard core HBH fan and I make your recipes for dinner a few nights awake. I did cut up two onions and toss in the bottom of the pan, I used broth instead of water & heavily seasoned all the things based on reviews and eye balling it. I also used a smidge more water. Rice and chicken came out delish. Even my one year old devours this! Thank you! Love an easy one dish dinner💙
Hey Sarah,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was tasty! Thanks so much for your kind message! xT
Have to agree with other commenters here. This has been in the oven for over an hr now, and all I’ve done is keep adding water to somehow try to cook the rice. Unsure if this will come out edible. Maybe suggest covering the pan and baking first to give the rice a chance to steam up before uncovering and finishing it off? I used basmati rice and cooked it exactly per the instructions. Eventually I had to put a cover on because the rice seems like it’s barely softened. I just pulled it out of the oven with the cover still on to give the rice one last chance to steam and cook through. Who know what it will do to the texture of the chicken thighs 🤷🏻♀️ time will tell.
Hi there,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you are having issues with the cooking. I’ve tested this recipe several times so I’m not sure why it’s not working for you! Let me know how it turns out! xx