Ingredients

• 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 kg / 2 lb) (Note 1)
• Zest of 1–2 lemons + 4 tbsp lemon juice (Note 7)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  

• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
  
• 1 small onion, finely diced
  
• 1 cup (180g) uncooked long-grain rice (Note 6)
• 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) chicken broth/stock
  
• 3/4 cup (185 ml) water
  
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• Black pepper
  

• Chopped parsley or oregano (optional)
  
• Fresh lemon zest (highly recommended)

Instructions

Combine all Chicken & Marinade ingredients in a zip-top bag. Seal it, move everything around so the chicken is evenly coated, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes or overnight.

1. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
   
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and keep the leftover marinade nearby.
   
3. Warm 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy skillet (Note 2) over medium-high heat.
   
4. Place the chicken in the pan skin-side down and brown it well; flip and brown the second side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
   
5. Pour off the excess fat, wipe out any burned bits with a ball of paper towel, and return the skillet to the heat.

1. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet.
   
2. Cook the onion until soft and translucent.
   
3. Stir in all remaining rice ingredients along with the reserved marinade.
   
4. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and let it bubble for about 30 seconds.

1. Arrange the seared chicken pieces on top of the rice.
   
2. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil (Note 3).
   
3. Bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has fully absorbed.

Let the dish rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Add fresh herbs and lemon zest on top if you like.

1. Chicken options: Bone-in, skin-on thighs offer the most flavor, but skinless boneless thighs work too—just add them to the pan 20 minutes into baking. Drumsticks can be used; sear briefly and bake for the full 45 minutes. Breast meat works but won’t be as juicy.
2. Pan size: A 26 cm / 10" wide, 6 cm / 2.4" deep skillet is ideal.
3. Covering the pan: Use a pot lid, foil, or even a baking tray if your skillet doesn’t have a lid.
4. Optional extra: Try searing lemon slices in the pan after browning the chicken for an elegant garnish.
5. Stovetop-only versions:
   • Option A: Fully cook chicken on the stovetop, set aside, then cook the rice covered over medium-low heat (reduce liquid by 1/2 cup). Add chicken back on top near the end.
   • Option B: Lightly brown chicken, then finish cooking it over the rice as the rice cooks. Chicken juices flavor the rice, but the skin won’t be as crisp. Skinless thighs work well here.
6. Rice swaps: Works with long-, medium-, or short-grain white rice, jasmine, wild rice, regular brown rice (increase covered cook time to 1 hr 15 min + 10 min uncovered). Don’t use paella, risotto, or brown basmati rice.
7. Lemon amount: Use enough lemons to yield 4 tbsp of juice and all their zest.
8. No marjoram: If you saw marjoram listed somewhere else, ignore it—this recipe does not use it.
9. Nutrition: Based on 5 servings using trimmed bone-in thighs; does not include the fat discarded after searing.