What can momentarily transport you to the Mediterranean coast better than food? Zesty, savory, fragrant, and just insanely delicious, many Mediterranean meals are not that difficult to make. But many people are afraid to try making them at home because they think it takes hours or requires special cookware, spices, ingredients, or techniques.
But you can easily make your favorite Mediterranean dishes using what you already have in your kitchen or what you can buy in your local supermarket. To prove it to you, I invite you to cook this delicious and simple Mediterranean chicken with rice recipe. No, it’s not Spanish paella. It’s just a one-pot chicken and rice dish, with typical Mediterranean region condiments and herbs.
You can go right to the simplified recipe or read step-by-step instructions.
Jump to RecipeHow to make Mediterranean chicken with rice recipe?
1. Prepare the chicken
For this recipe, I use boneless chicken thighs. They tend to be juicier and more tender when cooked. Cut the thighs into small cubes and season with salt, pepper, 1 ½ teaspoons of paprika, 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. Mix everything well so the spices coat the chicken evenly. Cover and leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
2. Sear the chicken
Heat a large frying pan. The bigger the better, because we’ll use the same pan to cook the rice, so make sure that the one you choose can handle all the ingredients. Pour a bit of olive oil and let it heat up. Place the marinated chicken cubes in the pan and sear them until they are nice and golden brown. Once done, remove the chicken to a separate dish.
3. Make the base for the rice
Chop half of a medium-sized onion and two large tomatoes. In the same frying pan you used for the chicken, add a tablespoon of butter, chopped onions, and tomatoes. Add a teaspoon of dried thyme and let everything cook for a minute until fragrant. Then add fried tomato paste and mix everything. Add two cups of long-grain rice and pour in dry white wine. Let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes, and then start pouring the broth and add a bay leaf.
4. The longest part of the recipe
Pour chicken broth over the rice until it’s nice and tender. You don’t need to stir it constantly, just make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the pan. When it starts to break, add more broth. Check the flavor to adjust the salt and other spices.
5. Add the chicken
When the rice is almost done, add the chicken back and stir everything together. Let it cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Serve
Turn off the heat and sprinkle everything with fresh parsley. Skanaus!
One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken With Rice
Ingredients
- 500 g Boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 Onion
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1 Bay leaf
- 200 ml Fried tomato sauce
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 cups Rice
- 1 cup Dry white wine
- Chicken broth As needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
Instructions
- Cut chicken into cubes, and season it with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and oregano. Marinate 30 min to 2 hrs.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan. Cook chicken until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, sauté onions and tomatoes with butter and thyme for 1 minute. Mix in fried tomato paste, then add rice. Pour in white wine, let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes.
- Gradually add chicken broth and bay leaf. Cook until rice is tender, adding more broth as needed. Adjust seasoning.
- When the rice is almost done, return the chicken to the pan. Cook for 5-10 more minutes. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve. Skanaus!
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