Description
Whip up Chicken Tzatziki with Rice for a quick Mediterranean escape right in your kitchen. Creamy yogurt sauce and tender chicken make this one-pan meal a total weeknight winner that brings Greece straight to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 4 chicken breasts
Starches:
- 1 cup uncooked white rice
Seasonings and Extras:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cucumber
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and select a 9×13 inch baking dish for the recipe.
- Finely mince 2 garlic cloves and dice 1 whole cucumber into small, consistent pieces.
- Spread 1 cup of uncooked white rice across the bottom of the baking dish in an even layer.
- Arrange 4 chicken breasts directly on top of the rice layer.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil across the chicken and rice to create uniform coverage.
- Sprinkle the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper evenly over the chicken.
- Seal the baking dish completely with aluminum foil to trap moisture during cooking.
- Bake the covered dish for 35 minutes, allowing the rice to become almost tender.
- Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for an additional 10-15 minutes.
- Prepare tzatziki by combining 1 cup Greek yogurt, diced cucumber, 2 tablespoons fresh dill, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a mixing bowl.
- Verify the chicken’s internal temperature reaches 165°F using a meat thermometer.
- Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes after removing from the oven.
- Plate the chicken over the rice and generously top with the freshly made tzatziki sauce.
Notes
- Chicken thickness matters for even cooking, so aim for uniform breast sizes around 1-inch thick.
- Salt and pepper generously to enhance the chicken’s flavor and prevent bland results.
- Let chicken rest after cooking to help redistribute juices and keep the meat tender and moist.
- Substitute brown rice for white rice if planning a more nutritious version of this dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 408 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 590 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 88 mg