Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe (Easy One-Pan Bake)
This Mediterranean Chicken and Rice Casserole is an easy one-pan bake loaded with juicy chicken, fluffy rice, and colorful veggies, finished with a bright, creamy tahini sauce.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 448kcal
Ingredients
Chicken and Rice Casserole
- 1 pound chicken breast cubed in 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cup rice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 cup zucchini chopped
- ½ cup Italian olives sliced
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes drained
- ½ cup artichoke hearts
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice / juice from one lemon
- Optional, crumbled feta to garnish
- Optional, chopped parsley to garnish
Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 to 6 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Season chicken with half a teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil and cook the chicken until no longer pink (about 4-6 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, combine rice, chicken broth, and water. Stir in the spinach, garlic, fennel seeds, and the remaining salt.
- Layer the chicken, tomatoes, zucchini, olives, sundried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts on top, layering half of each ingredient at a time (this ensures even distribution). Squeeze a lemon over the casserole and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until rice is softened.
- To prepare the tahini sauce, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and 4 tablespoons of water to a blender. Blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to get the sauce to the desired consistency.
- Garnish casserole with tahini sauce, feta cheese crumbles and parsley. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use a deep baking dish to avoid spills and give everything room to cook evenly.
- Layer ingredients twice (half and half) for even browning and distribution.
- Don’t skip the fennel if you have it—it's subtle but adds that special something.
- Let it rest for 5–10 minutes after baking, allowing the rice to finish absorbing the liquid.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in individual portions up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Microwave or reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered with foil. Add a splash of broth or water if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 448kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 1012mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1219IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 3mg