I’m a huge fan of the one pot meal. This one starts on the stove top and ends in the oven with just enough time for a glass of wine while it bakes. I’ve modified it from one posted on New York Times to suit our tastes. This makes 4 servings with plenty of extra rice.
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1½ pounds)
- Salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 lemons – one to cook and one to squeeze on the finished dish
- 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano or kalamata olives, smashed and halved
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium shallot or ½ medium onion, minced
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Step 1: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels until dry on all sides. Pre-season the chicken with salt, pepper, a pinch of crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon of oregano.
Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Let the oil get very hot. Add thighs to the pot, skin side down, and let cook undisturbed until they self-release from the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
Step 3: Slice one lemon into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add to the pot and cook until caramelized and softened, about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Note: you’ll want at least two slices per thigh, so if needed slice another lemon.
Step 4: Add the olives, garlic, shallot, and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and 2 teaspoons dried oregano to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat. Saute, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to high, add the rice and broth to the pot. Stir to combine and cover until it comes to a boil, about 3 – 5 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the pot from heat, add the browned chicken thighs on top of the rice, skin side up, and cover the chicken thighs with the lemon slices. Place the pot, covered, into the oven and bake until the rice and chicken are fully cooked, 18 – 25 minutes depending on the size of the thighs. Test with a meat thermometer (160+ degrees) and test that the rice is cooked.
Serve topped with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.
