One-Pan Lemony Chicken and Rice with Spinach

One-Pan Lemony Chicken and Rice with Spinach is a light meal with bright citrus flavor. A complete and healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.

What You’ll Love About One-Pan Lemony Chicken and Rice with Spinach:

If you are looking for the easiest meal to throw together when you don’t have much time, this One-Pan Lemony Chicken And Rice with Spinach will have dinner on the table fast. The flavors are simple but so fresh and light, you’ll feel good with every bite!

With the new year upon us we are all looking for healthier options but also ones that don’t require a whole lot. The holidays already gave us the gift of busyness.

It’s time for fresh meals with great flavor and preferably little effort, thank you very much! This recipe uses basic pantry seasonings and everyday items you likely have stocked right now!

One-pan dinners are where it’s at. With our full schedules this one will become and new favorite to enjoy many times over.

I am a huge fan of chicken and rice combinations. I love them all! Our top favorites here are my One-Skillet Chicken and Rice, and Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole.

Simple Ingredients:

• Oil- You will need a little oil to help brown the chicken and toast the rice. You can also use butter for extra flavor.
• Chicken- I like to use chicken breasts for this recipe for a healthier option but you can also do boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Seasonings- Lemon pepper (such as Dash) for the chicken salt, pepper, and for the rice you’ll need turmeric, dried thyme, and dried dill.
• Rice- You’ll want to use a long-grain rice. I like to use basmati rice. It cooks up nice and fluffy and has great flavor.
• Garlic- Offers subtle garlic flavor.
• Lemon juice– This will also infuse lemon flavor into the rice as it cooks.
• Chicken broth- Use a good quality broth or stock. I love the Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base. It’s rich and really infuses savory flavor into the rice.
• Spinach- Use tender baby spinach.
• Parmesan cheese- This is optional but is a wonderful finisher that gives the rice another layer of flavor.
• Lemon slices- Optional garnish.

Substitutions and Options:

How To Make One-Pan Lemony Chicken and Rice with Spinach:

See full instructions in recipe card below

Step One. Season chicken generously on both sides with lemon pepper seasoning and a touch of salt. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sear on both sides until golden. You don’t need to cook the chicken all the way through at this point. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Step Two. After transferring the chicken to a plate add rice, garlic, turmeric, thyme, and dill to the heated skillet. Toast rice and seasonings for a couple minutes, then add lemon juice and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add chicken back to the pan. Place the lid on and cook for 15-minutes.

Step Four. Once the rice and chicken are cooked and there is no more liquid in the pan, top with parmesan cheese and scatter the spinach over the chicken and rice. Put the lid back on and turn the heat off. Allow to set for 5-minutes to wilt the spinach. Stir the wilted spinach into the rice and garnish with lemon slices.

Tips:

Common Questions:

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Zesty Lime Chicken and Rice
• Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
• Cajun Chicken Sausage Orzo Skillet
• Teriyaki Chicken Casserole
• Skillet Salsa Verde Chicken

One-Pan Lemony Chicken and Rice with Spinach

One-Pan Lemony Chicken and Rice with Spinach is a light meal with bright citrus flavor. A complete and healthy dinner the whole family will enjoy.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 412kcal

Equipment

• 1 large skillet with fitted lid

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3-4 medium size boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning, salt free such as Dash
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup basmati white rice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 3/4 tsp dried dill
• 1 medium lemon juiced, about 1/4 cup juice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese for garnish optional
• lemon slices to garnish

Instructions

• Combine 2 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning and 3/4 tsp kosher salt. Coat both sides of the chicken with seasoning mixture.
• Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once pan is hot, sear seasoned chicken on both sides until browned, about 3-4 minutes per side. The chicken WILL NOT be cooked all the way through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add minced garlic, 1 cup basmati rice, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 3/4 tsp dried dill to the hot skillet. Toast the rice and seasonings for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.
• Stir 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 3 cups chicken stock in with the rice. Place chicken back in the pan and nestle it down in the rice. Bring the liquid to a medium boil and place the lid on. Turn the heat down to low and cook without stirring or lifting the lid for 15-minutes.
• Once the rice and chicken are cooked and there is no more liquid in the pan, top with parmesan cheese, mostly over the rice, and scatter the spinach over the chicken and rice. Put the lid back on and turn the heat off. Allow to set for 5-minutes to wilt the spinach. Fluff the wilted spinach into the rice and garnish with lemon slices.

Notes

Tips:

 

• Using chicken thighs- If you’re using chicken thighs you’ll want to make sure they are boneless and skinless. You’ll also want to cook them a little longer during the browning stage so they fully cook when you continue to cook them with the rice.
• Make sure your chicken is thaw. It’s important that your chicken is completely thaw before starting the process to ensure it cooks evenly with the rice.
• Do not use instant rice. This recipe will not work using instant rice. The rice and chicken cook together and need at least 15-minutes of cooking time.

 

Substitutions and Options: 

 

• Veggies- You can definitely add other veggies like peas and carrots, broccoli, or asparagus.
• Rice– Other rice options include long-grain white rice, or jasmine rice.
• Seasonings and herbs- Try swapping out dried thyme for oregano, Italian seasoning, or herbs de provence. Fresh herbs add great flavor. Parsley or basil would be a nice addition.

 

Common Questions: 

 

Can I use brown rice for this recipe?

It is not recommended to use brown rice for this recipe. This is because the chicken only needs about 15 extra minutes to cook and the brown rice can take up to 50-minutes to become tender.

What if my chicken isn’t cooked through by the time the rice is done?

If you follow the steps and instructions using a medium, boneless skinless chicken breast, and brown it in the first step, your chicken will be completely cooked. In the rare event that your chicken needs more time, you can always cook the rice and chicken for an additional 5-minutes.

 

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be understood as an estimate rather than a guarantee. The Menu Maid makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1090mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2184IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg

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