Greek Lemon Chicken and Rice (Kotosoupa Rice Style)

About This Recipe

This one-pot dish takes the comforting flavors of Greek avgolemono soup and turns them into a heartier rice dish, with chicken and rice simmered together in a lemony broth until the rice is tender and infused with flavor. It's built for weeknights when a full soup feels like too much but the same bright, comforting flavors are still wanted. Browning the chicken first builds a flavorful base before the rice goes in to simmer directly in the broth, absorbing the chicken's juices as it cooks, similar in spirit to a pilaf.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gboneless chicken thighs(cut into chunks)
• 1onion(chopped)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1.5 cupslong-grain rice
• 3 cupschicken stock
• 0.33 cupfresh lemon juice
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 cupfresh dill(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Heat olive oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and sear 5-6 minutes until golden, then remove.

2. 2

   Cook the aromatics

   In the same pot, cook onion 5 minutes until soft, then add garlic for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Toast the rice

   Stir in rice, coating it in the oil, and cook 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Simmer everything together

   Return chicken to the pot along with stock, oregano, and half the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 18-20 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

   Resist lifting the lid too often — steam escaping slows the rice's cooking.

5. 5

   Finish and rest

   Remove from heat, stir in remaining lemon juice and dill, and let rest covered for 5 minutes before serving.

Variations

• •

  Add a beaten egg tempered with lemon juice at the end for an avgolemono-style creamy finish.

• •

  Use bone-in chicken thighs for extra flavor, adjusting the simmer time slightly longer.

• •

  Stir in baby spinach in the last 5 minutes for added greens.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days; reheat with a splash of stock or water since the rice continues to absorb moisture in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions