Baked Greek Chicken

Tender marinated chicken thighs baked until golden and caramelised, served over lemon-herb rice with homemade tzatziki and a fresh cucumber-tomato salad.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 125 g plain Greek yoghurt
• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 60 ml water

Lemon Dill Rice

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 1 tsp freshly minced garlic
• 400 g basmati rice, washed and drained
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Tzatziki

• 250 g plain Greek yoghurt
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
• 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp freshly minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

Salad

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, diced
• 150 g grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 30 g fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. Combine all the marinade ingredients (except water) in a dish and coat the chicken well. Marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours, or cook straight away.
2. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Transfer chicken to a baking dish, add the water, and bake uncovered for 1 hour.
3. Rest the chicken for at least 10 minutes before serving.
4. For the rice, cook onion and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add rice, lemon juice, stock, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low for 12-14 minutes.
5. Let the rice stand covered for 10 minutes, then fluff and stir through the lemon zest, parsley, and dill.
6. Mix all tzatziki ingredients together in a bowl.
7. Toss the salad ingredients together.
8. Serve the chicken over the rice with tzatziki and salad on the side.

Tips

• Even a brief marination produces great flavour, so don’t stress if you’re short on time.
• For boneless skinless thighs, bake at 220C for 25-30 minutes. For chicken breast, flatten to 1.5 cm and bake at 220C for 18-20 minutes.
• All components can be prepped ahead: marinate chicken up to 24 hours, tzatziki keeps 3 days, salad components store separately for 2 days.