Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 5 chicken thighs (, skinless and boneless (see notes))
  • 4 garlic cloves (, minced)
  • 1 lemon (, zest only)
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil ((use low calorie cooking spray for slimming version))
  • 1 ½ tbsp olive oil or low calorie cooking spray
  • ½ lemon (, juiced)
  • 2 onions (, finely diced)
  • 1 green bell pepper (, finely diced (replace with red if preferred))
  • ⅔ cup (120g) marinated pitted olives (, diced (optional))
  • 1 cup (180g) long grain rice
  • 2 cups (500 ml) chicken broth / stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 lemon slices ((optional))
  • 5 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
  • ⅔ cup (115g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • Salt and pepper (, to taste (if needed))
  • Finely chopped parsley or oregano
  • lemon wedges

Instruction

  • Combine the chicken thighs with the marinade ingredients in a bowl set aside for 20 minutes or preferably overnight (in the fridge, covered).
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large casserole dish and sear the chicken for a few minutes per side over medium heat until coloured but not cooked through. Set aside.
  • Add the lemon juice to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits, and the olive oil. Sauté the onions, pepper and olives over low heat for about five minutes. Cover the pan but give the occasional stir until the onions have softened.
  • Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil and other ingredients.
  • Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaves and chicken pieces. Cover the pot and cook for 30-35 minutes in the oven. At this point the liquid should be absorbed and rice tender.
  • Carefully remove the pot from the oven and preheat the grill (broiler) to high. Scatter and feta and tomatoes over the dish and drizzle with a little more olive oil if you like. You can also add a couple of lemon slices (more for appearance than taste!).
  • Place the pot (uncovered) fairly close to the grill and cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to burst and feta cheese colour a little.
  • Remove the bay leaves. Taste and season (if needed), garnish with the chopped parsley and serve immediately with a crisp white wine or a cold beer.