Recipe Finder blog
Lemon Garlic Chicken with Tomato Rice & Roasted Veggies
Simple lemon garlic chicken served with tomato-infused rice and roasted potatoes, carrots and onion—ready in under an hour.
Why this recipe works
This straightforward recipe pairs lemon-garlic chicken with tomato rice and oven-roasted potatoes, carrots and onion. It’s suited for weeknight dinners, simple family meals or easy meal prep. Prep is ~25 minutes and the whole meal cooks in about 45 minutes, with flexible swaps for dairy or one-pan finishing.
- lemon garlic chicken recipe
- tomato rice side dish
- roasted vegetables with chicken
- easy weeknight chicken dinner
- one pan chicken and veggies
- how to cook chicken with rice
Key takeaways
Marinate chicken at least 15 minutes for better flavor.
Roast vegetables at 200°C (400°F) for 35–40 minutes until golden.
Use milk or stock in rice for creamier texture; add herbs to finish.
Recipe guide
This straightforward recipe pairs lemon-garlic chicken with tomato rice and oven-roasted potatoes, carrots and onion. It’s suited for weeknight dinners, simple family meals or easy meal prep. Prep is ~25 minutes and the whole meal cooks in about 45 minutes, with flexible swaps for dairy or one-pan finishing.
A full, balanced meal ready in under 1 hour.
- Marinate chicken at least 15 minutes for better flavor.
- Roast vegetables at 200°C (400°F) for 35–40 minutes until golden.
- Use milk or stock in rice for creamier texture; add herbs to finish.
Ingredients (condensed)
Ingredients (serves 4): - 4 chicken pieces (bone-in or boneless) - 1 lemon, juiced - 4 cloves garlic, minced - 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for roasting - Salt and pepper to taste - 1 cup long-grain rice - 2 medium tomatoes, diced - 1 cup milk + 1 cup water (or 2 cups water) - 2 medium potatoes, chopped - 1 medium onion, chopped - 2 carrots, chopped - 2 eggs (optional, hard-boiled to serve)
Method — step-by-step
1) Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Mix minced garlic, lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper; toss chicken and marinate 15+ minutes. 2) Toss potatoes, carrots and onion with oil, salt and pepper; roast on a sheet for 35–40 minutes, turning once. 3) Rinse rice. Sauté half the garlic in a splash of oil, add rice and diced tomatoes, then add milk+water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, reduce to low, cover and simmer 15–20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. 4) Sear chicken in a hot skillet 6–10 minutes per side (depending on cut), or cook until done; rest 5 minutes. 5) Boil eggs 9 minutes for hard-boiled, cool and halve. Serve chicken with tomato rice and roasted vegetables.
Tips, swaps and timing
Timing: start veggies first, then rice, then chicken so everything finishes together. Swaps: use stock instead of milk for richer rice, or add chopped herbs (parsley/thyme) to finish. One-pan option: brown chicken, remove, roast vegetables in same pan and finish chicken in oven alongside. Leftovers: rice and chicken reheat well; add a splash of water or stock to revive rice.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces chicken (bone-in or boneless)
- 1 cup rice
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 medium onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 eggs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Crush or mince garlic and combine with juice of lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper to make a marinade.
- Toss chicken in marinade and let sit at least 15 minutes.
- Chop potatoes, carrots and onion into bite-sized pieces, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Spread vegetables on a baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes until tender and golden, turning once.
- Rinse rice until water runs clear.
- Dice tomatoes and reserve.
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add a splash of oil and sauté half the minced garlic until fragrant.
- Add rice and stir to coat, then add diced tomatoes, 1 cup milk plus 1 cup water (or 2 cups water), and a pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid absorbed.
- While rice cooks, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook marinated chicken until browned and cooked through (15-25 minutes depending on cut), turning occasionally.
- Place cooked chicken on a tray and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Place eggs in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then simmer 9 minutes for hard-boiled; cool, peel and halve to serve alongside.
FAQs
How do I know the chicken is fully cooked?
Cook until internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F) for white meat or 80°C (175°F) for dark meat; juices should run clear. Browning then oven-finishing works well for bone-in pieces.
Can I substitute the milk in the tomato rice?
Use equal parts long-grain rice and liquid (milk+water counts together). For a dairy-free option, replace the milk with extra water or stock.
Can I prepare components ahead of time?
You can marinate chicken up to 24 hours, roast vegetables a day ahead and reheat, and cook rice fresh or chill and reheat gently with a splash of water.