Tired of bouncing around from one recipe to another for meal prep ideas? Look no further because once you’ve had Citrus Chicken and Rice, you won’t even care that you’re repeating the same meal over and over again. The juicy chicken is perfectly seasoned and has a nice hint of citrusy lemon. To make things easy, it’s cooked over a tender bed of rice. Pair it with your favorite veggie and you’ve got yourself a delicious, well-balanced meal! And you’ll only have two dishes to clean up. Citrus Chicken and Rice really makes your life a breeze when it comes to meal planning!
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 16 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
- 2 cups long-grain rice, uncooked
- 4 tablespoons lemon zest, grated and divided
- 2 medium lemons, sliced
Directions
Step 1 –In a large, shallow dish, combine the water, the soy sauce, the lemon juice, the olive oil, the garlic, the ginger, and the pepper.
Step 2 –Add the chicken to the soy sauce and spice mixture and turn to coat.
Step 3 –Cover the chicken dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Step 4 –Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Step 5 –Grease two 19×13-inch baking dishes.
Step 6 –Spread 1 cup of the rice into each of the prepared dishes.
Step 7 –Top the rice in both dishes with 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, 8 of the chicken thighs, and 1/2 of the marinade.
Step 8 –Top both dishes with the sliced lemons.
Step 9 –Bake, covered, for 40 minutes.
Step 10 –Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 170-175 degrees F, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 11 –Sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest.
Step 12 –Serve.
