Up for a flavor-packed Mediterranean meal that might become your favorite one pot dinner? Try this incredible Greek-style dish – I promise you, you will love it! This One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice recipe is seriously one of the best one pot dishes I’ve ever had. It is kind of like a mixture between a creamy mushroom risotto and a thick chicken soup and the combination of the rich, white sauce with the freshness of the lemon and dill make this dish one of my all-time favorites.
What makes this One Pot Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice so special?
This recipe is not an authentic Greek Chicken recipe, it’s rather a Greek-French fusion dish. It is made by using classic Greek ingredients like lemon and dill and cooked like a French Fricassee (quick stew). But instead of the common dark brown sauce like you usually make for stews, this one is made with a creamy white sauce that makes this dish so special. It is rich, yet very fresh, with the tangy aroma from the lemon and the freshness from the dill.
How to make this dish
As the name promises, you only need one pot to make this recipe. Start by making the white sauce, then remove it from the pan. Next,sear the chicken, without browning it. If you’re familiar with my recipes by now, you might have noticed that I love everything roasted. But this time, we already have a dish full of deep flavors, so we don’t want to overdo it so we will keep the chicken soft and tender. Then, sauté the vegetables and rice, deglaze the dish with white wine before adding in the chicken and white sauce. To finalize it, add the lemon juice, dill and heavy cream to make it even more creamy, and BOOM, this baby will sweep you off your feet!
ONE POT GREEK CHICKEN AND LEMON RICE
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 140 ml heavy cream
- 700 ml chicken broth
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- A little nutmeg freshly crushed
Chicken
- 3 tbsp butter
- 700 g chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 0.5 tsp salt
Rice
- 1 tbsp butter
- 300 g mushrooms sliced
- 150 g bacon cut into cubes
- 3 leeks cut into thin strips
- 3 spring onions finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 250 g long grain white rice
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 3 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 3 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
To Serve
- 0.5 lemon sliced
- A little black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Sauce
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and stir with a hand whisk until it forms a thick paste. Add the heavy cream and stir it in as well, until fully incorporated.
- Increase the heat, add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes, until the sauce thickens a little. Season with black pepper and nutmeg, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap making direct contact on top of the sauce.
Chicken
- In the same saucepan, melt butter again on medium heat, add the chicken strips, season with salt, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, so that the chicken does not brown, and set aside.
Rice
- In the same saucepan, melt the butter again on medium heat, add the mushrooms and sauté them, stirring occasionally, until they are dark brown and not excreting any more water, and set aside.
- Add the bacon, leek and both onions, season with salt, and sauté for approx. 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms again, together with the rice, and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze with white wine, and bring to a boil until all the wine has evaporated. Add the chicken and the sauce, increasing the heat until this, too, boils and then simmer on a low heat for approx. 10-15 minutes until the rice is al dente. Make sure to start testing the rice after 10 minutes, as it should still be firm on the inside.
- Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and dill, mix, and then remove from the stove.
To Serve
- Place in deep plates or bowls, decorate with lemon slices and, if you like, add a little more fresh lemon juice. Add freshly ground pepper and drizzle over a little olive oil. Serve immediately.
