Oven baked chicken and rice

A complete and delicious meal of oven baked lemon chicken and vegetable studded rice!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tbsp dried Greek oregano
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. 2Butcher your chicken to give you 8 serving pieces; you should end up with 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings and 2 breasts. If your chicken breasts are large, you can cut them in half and therefore end up with a total of 10 pieces. Remove any excess fat, but leave the skin on the chicken. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and oregano evenly over your chicken and set aside.
3. 3Fry: In a deep frying pan heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add your chicken to the pan and begin frying it. Do not overcrowd your pan as this will reduce the heat; it is better to fry your chicken in two batches if your pan is not large enough to fit it all in at once.
4. 4Fry your chicken for approximately 5 - 7 minutes per side, until golden brown. As your chicken cooks, place it on a platter and set aside. When all of the chicken has been browned, pour the lemon juice over it to coat all the pieces.
5. 5Cook: In the same oil in which you fried the chicken, fry over medium heat the onion, celery, carrots, parsley and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for approximately 3 - 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir well.
6. 6Cook: Pour the contents of the pan, including any oil, into a large oven safe casserole dish. Add the chicken broth, water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, oregano, chili flakes and cinnamon, if you're using it. Stir well. Set the chicken pieces on top of the rice and pour in any juices which collected on the plate. Place the lemon slices randomly over the chicken. Cover and cook in the middle rack of your oven for 50 - 60 minutes, until the rice is done and the liquid has been absorbed.
7. 7Serve warm.
8. 8Enjoy!