Lemon Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Rice
This is an EASY recipe that also tastes like a fancy restaurant meal. Ultra juicy succulent chicken meets buttery parmesan rice with kicks of tangy lemon, feta cheese, and garlicky tomatoes and spinach. It's one deliciously addictive meal that's ready to devour in just 30 minutes.Yes, this recipe is LOADED with garlic - but don't worry, it's the perfect amount and this dish feeds 4-6 people. I always use fresh garlic and don't substitute with squeeze tube garlic or pre-minced garlic in a jar. It's just not the same.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken tenders thighs or breast
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 5 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- 10-12 oz clamshell cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups rice jamine, basmati, cauliflower, etc.
- 4 cups chicken stock water can work instead
- 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 2 lemons sliced in half, for serving
Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce
- 1 stick butter
- 8-10 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan grated
- 1 tbsp hot sauce more if desired
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley minced
- 3 green onions, sliced green and white parts
Chicken Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prep chicken by drizzling with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Combine your chicken seasoning mixture and coat chicken on all sides. Leave the chicken whole for grilling/air frying or cut them into 3" pieces if packing onto skewers.
Make the Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce
- Add butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until partially melted. Add in remaining ingredients and mix until smooth like a soft paste. (If sauce gets too melted and separates, just add 1-2 tablespoons of softened butter and stir to re-emulsify.)
- Scoop out 1/3 of the sauce and use that for basting the partially-cooked chicken to avoid cross contamination. Be sure to wash your basting brush in between.
Cook The Chicken & Make Rice
- Place chicken in an air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken, baste with sauce, return to finish cooking (12-14 minutes total) basting every 4-5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Meanwhile, bring chicken stock (or water) to a boil in a pot, add rice, cover and simmer until cooked through according to package instructions.
Sauté Veggies
- While the rice and chicken are cooking, add 3 tablespoons of butter to a skillet over medium-low heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and sliced tomatoes. Add in the spinach, handfuls at a time. Saute until tomatoes soften and spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble and serve:
- Add remaining garlic parmesan butter into the cooked rice (about 4-5 tablespoons), tossing to coat.
- To plate, start with a bed of rice, top with a few spoonfuls of feta crumbles, then tomatoes and spinach and finally add the chicken on top. Squeeze lemon over the whole dish and enjoy.
Notes
Oven Preparation:Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and cook for 14 minutes, flipping half way through and basting with butter a few times throughout the baking process. Switch the oven to broil and cook an additional 2 minutes so get the tops golden brown. Remove from the oven and baste it one last time with the butter sauce and sprinkle with leftover parmesan.
Grill Preparation: Preheat your grill to medium-high. Place the prepared chicken over direct heat and cook each side for 5-6 minutes each, basting with butter throughout the cooking process. Remove from the grill and baste it one last time with the butter sauce and sprinkle with leftover parmesan.