Fresh and aromatic, this One Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice is bound to become your new favorite comfort dinner with buttery chicken, brown rice and savory spices. So delicious and easy!

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I love lemon! There is no other flavor outside of garlic that I could eat every single day of my life. I love lemon desserts, savory lemon meals, lemon drinks, etc., etc. You can imagine my shock when I realized that I hadn’t created a Lemon Chicken and Rice recipe yet. Happily, I got to work on that very quickly but I wanted my version to be different than the traditional Greek lemon chicken. After being inspired by Diethood’s Lemon Rice I realized I wanted something similar but with a little more of a savory edge. This One Pot Chicken and Rice has become an absolute favorite of mine. It is economical, easy and is bursting with incredibly fresh and savory flavors.

How to make this a Crock Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice

To turn this One Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice into a Crock Pot version follow step 1 from the recipe instructions below but rather than transferring seared chicken to a plate, transfer to a large Crock Pot instead. Follow step 2 up to sautéing the brown rice. Once the rice is sautéed for a few minutes transfer to the Crock Pot and stir. Pour in lemon juice and chicken broth and stir gently. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or until liquid is absorbed, chicken is cooked thru and rice is tender.

Tips in making One Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice

What makes this chicken and rice dish healthy? Oh my goodness, where to start. Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate so it takes longer for the body to break it down and convert it to sugar. Check out 1o Health Benefits of Brown Rice for even more motivating details of why to eat brown rice. In addition to the brown rice, reading up on the health benefits turmeric, lemon juice and ghee is enough to inspire that this Lemon Chicken and Rice recipe be on the weekly menu.
Can this dish be baked rather than cooked on the stovetop? Absolutely! Just follow the steps up though step 3. Bring the rice to a boil cover and bake in a 350℉ oven for about 60 min give or take 10 to 15 minutes.
Can this chicken and rice dish be made with white rice? Yes, however my personal preference would be a basmati or jasmine rice. Basmati will create fluffier rice and jasmine will create a sticker rice. You will need to lessen the chicken broth down to 1 1/2 cups as white rice does not need as much water as brown rice and cooking times will be as much as 15-20 minutes faster. (affiliate)
For a great price on Organic Turmeric CLICK HERE. (affiliate)

One Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice

Fresh and aromatic, this One Pot Lemon Chicken and Rice is bound to become your new favorite comfort dinner. Buttery chicken, brown rice and savory spices. So delicious and easy!

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dinner

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 361kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs chicken thighs and legs *with or without skin
2 tbsp butter or ghee
1 med brown onion *diced about 1 1/2 cups
2 tbsp minced or crushed fresh garlic *about 5-6 large cloves
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup long grain brown rice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
fresh parsley as garnish *optional

Instructions

Preheat a large dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add butter and coat bottom of pan with melted butter. Sear half of the chicken in butter, skin side down first, for 7-8 mins per side or until lightly golden brown. Remove seared chicken to a plate and repeat with rest of chicken.
Over the same heat add onions to the butter and sauté until translucent, making sure to stir often removing brown bits. Add garlic, spices and pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes. Stir in brown rice and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. Pour in lemon juice, chicken broth and stir. Place seared chicken pieces evenly through out dutch oven. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling cover and lower heat down to medium/low. Cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 50-60 minutes. Garish with fresh chopped parsley.