Greek Lemon Chicken
with Rice, Peppers and Olives

Possible Cooking Methods:   Stovetop and Oven   Pressure Cooker   

I love Greek flavors in foods – not just the obvious ones, like oregano and olives, but the subtle nuances from spices like cinnamon and allspice that make their way into so many savory Greek meals. Here the allspice gives that “what is that flavor?” quality and helps the chicken take on a nice deep brown color when seared. This recipe calls for chicken thighs and I often get questions about whether or not it’s possible to substitute chicken breasts. You can substitute chicken breasts, but please leave the skin on. I tested this recipe in the pressure cooker both with the skin on and without skin. Keeping the skin on really helped to keep the chicken tender and moist, but the skin will not be crispy so feel free to remove the skin before eating.

1 cup basmati or long-grain white rice

1½ teaspoons dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest, plus 2 teaspoons for garnish

½ teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone-in

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup white wine

1½ cups chicken stock*

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

lemon wedges (optional)

crumbled feta cheese (optional)

*Quantity changes for alternate methods

Stovetop and Oven Directions

Serves:4 to 6

Cooking Time:38 minutes

1.  Start by soaking the rice. Place the rice in a bowl and cover with water. Let this sit while the oven pre-heats and as you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2.  Pre-heat a large 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

3.  Combine the oregano, allspice, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl and then sprinkle this mixture on both sides of all the chicken thighs. Add the oil to the pan and sear the chicken on both sides until nicely browned – about 4 minutes per side. Remove the browned thighs and set aside them aside.

4.  Add the onion and peppers to the pan and sauté until they start to soften – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Strain the rice and add it to the sauté pan, stirring to coat it with the residual fat in the pan. Add the white wine and let it come to a quick boil. Stir in the chicken stock and season the rice mixture with salt. Return the browned chicken to the pan, resting it on top of the rice. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer the pan to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, add the olives and continue to bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.

5.  Sprinkle the fresh oregano and remaining lemon zest on top. For extra lemon flavor, give the dish a squeeze of lemon. If you like feta cheese, a few crumbles on top will add a nice salty note to the meal. Serve with a Greek salad or Tzaziki (cucumber-yogurt salad).

 

Additional Cooking Directions for

Greek Lemon Chicken with Rice, Peppers and Olives

Pressure Cooker Directions

Serves:4 to 6

Cooking Time:35 minutes

Change Ingredients:  Reduce the stock to 1 cup

1.  Pre-heat a 6-quart multi-function pressure cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting.

2.  Combine the oregano, allspice, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl and then sprinkle this mixture on both sides of all the chicken thighs. Add the oil to the cooker and sear the chicken on both sides until nicely browned – about 4 minutes per side. Remove the browned thighs and set them aside.

3.  Add the onion and peppers to the cooker and sauté until they start to soften – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the rice, stirring to coat it with any residual fat in the cooker. Add the white wine and let it come to a quick boil. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a skillet on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.) Stir in the chicken stock and season the rice with salt. Return the browned chicken to the cooker, resting it on top of the rice, and scatter the olives around. Cover and lock the lid in place.

4.  Pressure cook on HIGH for 8 minutes.

5.  Release the pressure with the QUICK-RELEASE method and carefully remove the lid. Sprinkle the fresh oregano and remaining lemon zest on top. For extra lemon flavor, give the dish a squeeze of lemon. If you like feta cheese, a few crumbles on top will add a nice salty note to the meal. Serve with a Greek salad or Tzaziki (cucumber-yogurt salad).