One-Pan Chicken and Spinach Rice
By Matthew FairmanPublished on February 26, 2021
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe using Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Greek seasoning, salt, and pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 4 teaspoons Greek seasoning mixture.
- Heat oil in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken skin side down and cook, without moving it, until skin is crispy and golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until golden on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate.
- Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in rice and remaining 1¼ teaspoons Greek seasoning mixture and cook until edges of grains begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in broth, spinach, olives, and lemon juice and bring to simmer. Nestle chicken into skillet along with any accumulated juices. Place large sheet of aluminum foil over skillet, then cover with lid. Transfer to oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove skillet from oven and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Fluff rice with fork and sprinkle with feta, mint, and scallions. Drizzle with extra oil and serve with chicken and lemon wedges.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe was inspired by Greek spanakorizo, a vegetarian spinach rice pilaf commonly garnished with feta, lemon, and olive oil. We wanted to serve the comforting pilaf as part of a one-pot square meal, so we began by rendering the fat out of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. A 12-inch cast-iron skillet worked great here because there was room to brown eight thighs in one batch (enough for four people to have two thighs each), and the relatively deep skillet held all that rice and spinach. Briefly sautéing the rice (which we also rinsed) helped ensure a fluffy pilaf. To the schmaltzy rice, onion, and garlic, we then added chicken broth, fresh lemon juice, a handful of briny kalamata olives, and the spinach. We learned that (thawed) frozen spinach was an easy, delicious, and affordable choice. After nestling the thighs back into the skillet, we popped it (covered) into the oven to cook the chicken and rice through evenly. Finally, we plated up the tender pieces of chicken; sprinkled some fresh scallions and mint onto the rice; and finished it with crumbles of potent, salty feta cheese.
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