By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 12, 2026
Serves 6
543 cal · 80 min
Chicken Zaytoon (Olive) Rice
Recipe GLPR770980ef163bf9
A Mediterranean-inspired one-pot chicken and rice dish fragrant with garlic, tomatoes, and briny olives. Tender chicken pieces cook together with long-grain rice, fresh green chilies, and a bright squeeze of lemon juice to create a balanced, aromatic meal that is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free.
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Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 cups long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
5 green chilies, sliced or minced
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted green or kalamata olives, halved
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
6 cups water or chicken broth
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the chopped onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened and beginning to turn golden.
Stir in the minced garlic and sliced green chilies, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
Add the chicken pieces to the pot and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to combine with the chicken and aromatics.
Stir in the uncooked rice, coating it evenly with the oil and cooking for about 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently. This helps toast the rice lightly.
Pour in the water or chicken broth, add the black pepper and salt to taste, and stir well to ensure the rice is evenly distributed and submerged.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 40–45 minutes until the rice is tender, the liquid is absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the halved olives and fresh lemon juice, gently combining to distribute the olives and brighten the flavors.
Let the dish rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and taste for seasoning, adjusting salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot.
Comments
Every ingredient is available at every major Charlotte grocer—chicken, rice, olive oil, onion, garlic, green chili, tomato, olives, lemon juice, and black pepper are all staples at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, and Kroger. At typical 2025 prices, a six-serving batch costs roughly $12–14, or $2–2.35 per serving, which is solid for a one-pan chicken-and-rice dish; chicken and rice are the budget anchors. The 80-minute stated time is honest for a proper rice pilaf method (sear chicken, bloom aromatics, toast rice, simmer), though a busy weeknight cook should know 30 of those minutes are unattended simmering. The dish is forgiving and family-friendly—it feeds six, needs only one pot, and tolerates minor variations in chili heat or olive type. Leftovers reheat well in a covered skillet with a splash of water, and the flavors deepen overnight. The recipe has no distinctive Southern root and doesn't lean on North Carolina seasonality, so it lands as a reliable but generic weeknight entry rather than something that celebrates local ingredients or tradition.
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