Greek Chicken Rice Bake
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This Greek chicken rice bake is an oven-baked chicken and rice meal with capsicum, tomatoes, zucchini and Kalamata olives. It works as a dump and bake dish in the oven, leaving your kitchen free for other meal prepping. Or you can just have it as a low maintenance family-friendly weeknight dinner.Note - ingredients can be approximate (just be aware of adding more veggies as it can impact the moisture)
Equipment
- Large casserole dish, 40 x 27cm (15.5inch x 10.5inch)
Ingredients
- 1 cups basmati rice, see note 1
- 2 cups chicken stock, homemade recommended or see note 2
- 1 capsicum
- 1 zucchini
- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, optional
- Lemon, juice and zest
- ½ cup feta
Chicken and seasoning (or 1 ½ tablespoon storebought)
- 600 g (1 ⅓ lb) chicken breast
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules/powder
- 1 teaspoon onion granules/powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preparing
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Dice the 600 g (1 ⅓ lb) chicken breast into evenly sized chunks. Toss with storebought Greek seasoning or a mixture of: 2 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic granules/powder, 1 tsp onion granules/powder, ½ tsp dried parsley, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper.
- Chop the 1 capsicum, 1 zucchini, and drain the ½ cup pitted kalamata olives.
- Add the 1 cups basmati rice (uncooked), Lemon (juice and zest) and seasoned chicken to a baking dish. Pour over the 2 cups chicken stock and gently distribute the ingredients so the rice forms an even layer with every grain submerged.
- Spread the vegetables and olives over the top. Cover tightly with aluminium foil, sealing the edges to trap steam.
Cooking
- Bake for approximately 60 minutes. If using individual oven-safe containers, cover each separately and start checking at approximately 45 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and check the rice in the centre; it should be tender without a hard or chalky centre. Check several of the largest chicken pieces with a food thermometer; they should reach 75°C/167°F.Note - If the rice is cooked but liquid is pooling, bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes if serving immediately. For meal prep, a little remaining moisture is fine, as the cooked rice continues absorbing it during storage.Note - If the rice is still hard, cover and continue baking, checking every 5–10 minutes. If it also looks dry, add a small splash of hot stock before resealing.
- Rest for approximately 5 minutes, then gently loosen the rice and distribute the chicken and vegetables. Finish with ½ cup feta if serving immediately.
Notes
Note 1 - rice
Use uncooked white basmati rice; it held its shape better than jasmine in my reheating tests. Brown, instant and precooked rice are not direct substitutes with these cooking times and liquid quantities.
Note 2 - chicken stock
Choose a stock you enjoy the flavour of, as it flavours the rice throughout. A reduced-salt stock gives you more control alongside the salt, olives and feta.
Storage
Store in sealed containers in the fridge below 5°C for up to 3 days. Texture is best in the first 2 days.
Reheating
Add a splash of water, cover loosely and microwave until steaming hot throughout, stirring partway through to loosen the rice and heat evenly; reheat only once.
Freezing
Freeze cooked portions without fresh toppings for up to 3 months, then thaw in the fridge and reheat within 24 hours, expecting softer vegetables and softer rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 484kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 43gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 875mgPotassium: 995mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1494IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 159mgIron: 2mg
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