Lemony Chicken Thighs and Rice
This one-pot lemony chicken thighs and rice is on the cover of “Don’t Think About Dinner” for a reason and it’s one I continue to make in my own kitchen whenever I need an easy, nourishing dinner. The best part (other than the taste)? You only need one pan to make it so you’ll have minimal cleanup but a tasty meal that you’re going to want to make every week! It also happens to be dairy-free and gluten-free, even better if you have restrictions! This recipe is originally from my May 2023 series where I turned a $50 grocery haul into a week of healthy dinners, and continues to be a favorite!
lemony chicken thighs and rice ingredient notes:
Lemon: Not only an aesthetic garnish, but also the juice is added to the pot to give the whole meal a bright freshness. Lemons help boost immunity + hydration and are packed with vitamin C. To use up the whole lemon, you can also add a bit of zest when you add the kale and juice.
Chicken Thighs: I like to use chicken thighs in this dish not only because they are cost effective, but because the dark meat really enhance the flavors and adds moisture to the dish. You can also opt for chicken breast if you prefer.
Curly Kale: This is the perfect recipe to make when you have a bag of kale about to go bad laying in the refrigerator, using about 4 1/2 ounces, but you can always add more as the kale wilts down easily. It gives this dish an added immune boosting element and can be swapped out for other in-season vegetables throughout the year.
Parsley: I highly encourage you not to skip out on the fresh parsley garnish, as it adds another level of freshness to your plate. If you’re not using the whole bunch, I like to keep mine in a glass jar of water in the fridge with a plastic bag over the top of the leaves, keeping it fresher longer for use throughout the week.
Lemony Chicken Thighs and Rice
4
servings15
minutes35
minutesThis one-pot lemony chicken thighs and rice is on the cover of “Don’t Think About Dinner” for a reason and it’s one I continue to make in my own kitchen whenever I need an easy, nourishing dinner. The best part (other than the taste)? You only need one pan to make it so you’ll have minimal cleanup but a tasty meal that you’re going to want to make every week! It also happens to be dairy-free and gluten-free, even better if you have restrictions!
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Ingredients
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, small-diced (about 3/4 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk (about half a well-shaken 13.5-ounce can)
3 cups shredded curly kale (about 4 ½ ounces)
juice of 1 lemon
fresh chopped parsley
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the oregano, smoked paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the black pepper. Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season both sides evenly with the herb-spice mixture.
- Heat the oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through on the inside, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth, coconut milk, and a big pinch of salt and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the kale and lemon juice, mix well, and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Place the chicken on top and transfer to the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fluffy, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Divide among four plates or shallow bowls and garnish with the parsley.
Notes
- Store It: Refrigerate the leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat It: From the refrigerator, microwave until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. From frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then microwave in 30-second increments until warm.
- Rice: To rinse rice, add the rice to a fine-mesh sieve and run under cold water for about 30 seconds. Let the water drain thoroughly, then gently shake the sieve to remove any remaining water. Cooking rice in less starchy water improves the texture, making it fluffy and less prone to sticking.
- Note: Play with this base recipe — swap in sage, thyme, and butternut squash in the fall; mushrooms and rosemary in the winter; and fresh corn kernels, tomatoes, and lime in the summer.
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The family loved this one. They keep saying I need to make it again. I will, but I am still working through several of your other recipes.
I really enjoy your recipes… Thank you!!!
This is one of my favorite meals ever. Love a one pot situation, love that it’s really quite budget friendly, and love how delicious it is! The flavors are *chefs kiss*. I have found that I need to add a bit more liquid for my rice though, it’s turned out a bit crunchy a couple times. This is the kind of meal I would serve to guests. So so so good.
This was so good! I subbed spinach for the kale. Yummy!
I subbed white fish for the chicken and mushrooms for the kale because it’s what I had and it was delicious!!!
I love this recipe and the other version with buffalo sauce. Can you share whether or not there should be a lid on the pot when it’s placed in the oven? It’s not clear to me.
I tried tthis recipe last weekend and have been enjoying it all week! I will definitely keep this in rotation.
Amazing meal! Is there a way I can double it to serve a bigger crowd?
This was so so good! Inhad to cook my rice a little longer but otherwise so delicious!
In the screenshot from IG you list 2 tsp of Italian Seasoning but below in the full recipe you have 2 tsp of Oregano.
Do you cover the pan when placing in the oven?
I have made this a few times & the last time I was low on ingredients so I added a bag of frozen cauliflower rice, replaced the chicken with tofu, & replaced the kale with broccoli & WOWZA! Chefs kiss! Love this recipe so much & so does my family. Thank you!
How would you adjust the recipe for cauliflower rice?
Does anyone know what the note is for the dry jasmine rice? I used TJ’s brown jasmine rice and it was no where near done in 20 minutes. Thanks for any help!
Hi! Brown rice takes much longer to book than regular white jasmine rice. If you’re using brown rice, you’ll need to add more liquid and at least 15 minutes of additional cook time, potentially more. I haven’t tested this recipe with brown rice before so I can’t say for sure
Thank you! I didn’t realize the difference. I ended up baking it for 40 and it turned out so tasty!
You can’t sub brown rice for white rice and get the same result unfortunately! Brown rice takes much longer to cook
Made this for meal prep and it came out beautifully! Lasted the week for healthy work lunches. Very cost effective meal that doesn’t weigh you down even with the rice. My mom has been suffering from gall bladder attacks and she was able to eat this meal without any ill-effects. Will definitely make again!
I made this last weekend and we loved it! Easy to prepare and lots of flavor. I don’t have an oven-proof pan (yet) so I prepped in the frying pan and then poured it into a glass dish to put in the oven. This will definitely be a regular in our rotation. Thanks Jenn!
My family (including 2 toddlers) and I really enjoyed this one. Didn’t have any leftovers! I substituted spinach for kale – and as someone else mentioned, had to add a little more liquid & cook for a bit longer to get the rice fully cooked – but it turned out very tasty.
My husband and I have made this probably at least several times a month for the past almost 2 years. It is our number one go-to dinner. And I can’t believe we would say that about a recipe with kale! I absolutely love the toasted rice flavor and the creaminess of the coconut milk. We use the entire 12 oz can of coconut milk and just subtract that from the amount of chicken broth. It also works well with substituting chicken broth for water if you don’t have any on hand. We often make it with breasts instead of thighs, and sometimes cook on the stove instead of the oven- it’s pretty versatile. Thanks Jenn!!!
My husband and I enjoy the recipes and this one is no exception! I love the zing from the lemon and umami flavor from browning the chicken thighs. Healthy yet so satisfying! This will be a regular! (It’s also lovely with a crisp white wine or a Mocato!) 🙂
So delicious! The lemon added such a good flavor! My picky kids ate it too (around the pieces of kale, but still lol). Husband rated it 5 stars also.
So good! My partner and I loved it and it’s super presentable for friends
So much flavor and so easy! My grocery store only had bone in skin on thighs so cooked them for a little longer. The skin was so crispy, I would totally use them again! I also only had light coconut milk so I used that and I think it was delicious! I’ve never made this recipe before so I don’t have anything to compare it to but I think it could definitely work as a sub.
This was really delicious! My whole family liked it, including an 8 and 11 year old. My husband described it as a “nice cozy meal”. I wanted to have a second helping but decided to save some for leftovers. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the rice with kale. We don’t eat much kale as we prefer spinach but the kale wilted down nicely. The lemon added a nice zip of flavor.
I want to try this recipe soon…but the coconut milk is really throwing me off…how does that contribute to the overall flavour, I’m worried it might make the dish creamy and sweet? Should I sub it for chicken broth instead??
You can’t really taste the coconut milk. I think it’s just a healthier alternative. You could probably use 1/2 and 1/2 or something if you wanted too!
I really enjoyed this recipe and so did my husband! I think next time we’re going to add some greenbeans or asparagus to the side. But I love that I can cook it all in one pot, but it’s still a good and healthy meal!