If you love a one-pan dinner, this Lemon and Garlic Tahini Chicken and Rice is perfect for you. Crispy, golden chicken thighs bake right on top of fluffy jasmine rice that’s been toasted with onion, oregano, chilli flakes, and strips of lemon peel. Then everything gets finished with a creamy, garlicky lemon tahini drizzle that ties it all together perfectly.
This tahini chicken recipe is bright, cozy, a little sweet, a little savoury, and every bit as good as it sounds. I’m just going to say it — it’s better than all the other chicken and rice recipes out there. The rice cooks underneath and absorbs all the lemony, garlicky goodness from the chicken, and then you’ve got the tahini sauce which is technically optional… but also, no it’s not. Dinner perfection! Want more like it? Try my Honey Mustard Chicken or Lemon Chicken Orzo.
😍 Why You’ll Love This Lemon and Garlic Tahini Chicken and Rice
Big, bright flavour: The lemon and garlic marinade keeps the chicken juicy and vibrant, while the honey adds just enough sweetness to balance everything out.
One pan, less mess: The chicken bakes right on top of the rice, so all the juices drip down and flavour it as it cooks.
Perfect texture contrast: Crispy golden chicken on top, fluffy rice underneath, and a smooth drizzle over everything. Every bite hits.
Meal-prep friendly: It reheats great, which means tomorrow’s lunch is already handled.
🥘 Ingredients To Make This Lemon and Garlic Tahini Chicken and Rice
Olive oil: Used in both the marinade and for searing, it helps carry all that lemon and garlic flavour into the chicken while creating a beautiful golden crust.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs: Rich, juicy, and perfect for baking over rice.
Lemon juice: Brightens the marinade and cuts through the richness of the chicken.
Lemon zest: Intensifies the citrus flavour without adding extra acidity.
Honey: Adds a subtle sweetness that balances the garlic and lemon and helps the chicken caramelize slightly as it bakes.
Garlic: Seven cloves in the marinade plus more in the sauce because this is not the time to be shy. It softens and sweetens as it cooks.
Salt & pepper: Essential for properly seasoning the chicken and enhancing all the other flavours.
Dried oregano: Adds warmth and a Mediterranean-inspired note that pairs well with lemon.
Dried parsley: Brings subtle herbiness to round out the marinade.
Lemon pepper seasoning (optional): Boosts the citrus flavour and adds a little extra punch.
Tahini: Creamy, nutty, and the base of the lemon tahini dressing.
Warm water: Thins the tahini to a smooth, drizzle-worthy consistency.
Maple syrup: Just enough sweetness in the sauce to balance the lemon and garlic.
Yellow onion: Sautéed until soft and fragrant, adding depth to the rice.
Lemon peels: Infuse the rice with a gentle citrus aroma as everything bakes together.
Jasmine rice: Ideal for soaking up the chicken stock and all the pan flavours.
Chicken stock: The cooking liquid for the rice, adding richness throughout.
Chilli flakes: A subtle kick of heat that keeps the dish from feeling one-note.
✔ How To Make This Lemon and Garlic Tahini Chicken and Rice
Preheat your oven to 400 °F. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the chicken marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss well, making sure each piece is evenly coated.
Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium/high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 1–2 minutes per side, just until lightly golden. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
🤝 Sammy’s Tips for Lemon and Garlic Tahini Chicken and Rice
- For best results, cover and refrigerate overnight. If you’re short on time, let the chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes before cooking.
Return the same pan to medium heat. Add the onions, oregano, red pepper flakes, and lemon peels, and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until the onions have softened and become fragrant. Add the rice to the pan and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the rice toast for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat and pour in the chicken stock. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, nestling them into the rice mixture.
Cover the pan and bake for 40–55 minutes, or until the rice is tender and fully cooked and the chicken is cooked through.
While the chicken bakes, add all of the lemon tahini dressing ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, whisk everything together in a bowl until well combined and creamy. If you love extra sauce, feel free to double the recipe.
Once the chicken and rice are fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven. Spoon the lemon tahini sauce over top and serve immediately.
🗒 Variations
A little heat: Add extra chilli flakes to the rice or a pinch of cayenne to the marinade if you like more of a kick.
Extra lemony: Stir a squeeze of fresh lemon juice into the rice right before serving for an even brighter finish.
🗒 Substitutions
Boneless chicken thighs: Reduce the baking time slightly and start checking around the 35–40 minute mark.
Chicken breasts: You can use boneless, skinless breasts, but keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out. They’ll cook a bit faster than bone-in thighs.
Rice: Long-grain white rice can replace jasmine. If using quinoa or orzo, adjust the liquid and cooking time accordingly.
Stock: Vegetable stock works if you want to keep it lighter or simply don’t have chicken stock on hand.
🍴 Leftovers? Lucky You.
This lemon and garlic tahini chicken and rice reheats great. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For best results, keep any extra tahini sauce separate. To reheat, add a small splash of broth or water before warming in the microwave or on the stove. This helps loosen the rice and keeps everything soft and fluffy instead of dry. Add fresh sauce after reheating.
🤔 FAQ’S
Do I have to sear the chicken first?
You can skip it if you’re short on time, but searing adds flavour and helps develop that golden colour on the skin. It’s worth the extra few minutes if you can swing it.
Can I use something other than rice?
You can swap the jasmine rice for a small pasta like orzo, or even quinoa. Just keep in mind that cooking times and liquid ratios will vary, so adjust accordingly.
Can I use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock?
Veggie stock works great and still gives you plenty of flavour.
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs?
Yes, but reduce the baking time slightly and keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out.
How do I store leftovers?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of stock to loosen the rice. Keep extra sauce separate if possible.
👩🏻🍳 Hungry For More?
If you loved this Lemon and Garlic Tahini Chicken and Rice recipe, then make sure to check out a few of my other chicken recipes you may also love:
- Crispy Fried Chicken
- Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Spicy Honey Mustard
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Best Chicken Marinade
- Golden Citrus Chicken Marinade
- Honey Mustard Chicken
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest! If you do make this lemon and garlic tahini chicken and rice recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Lemon & Garlic Tahini Chicken & Rice
Equipment
- 1 oven safe frying pan
- 1 small blender or whisk
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp honey
- 7 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp lemon pepper seasioning, optional
Lemon Tahini Dressing:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 3-4 tbsp warm water, to thin, as necessary
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 lemon, juiced, about 1 tbsp
- 1/4 tsp salt,
Everything else you'll need:
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying the chicken thighs
- 3 cups chicken stock, salted
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 lemon peels
- 1¾ cup jasmine rice, uncooked
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 °F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the chicken marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss well, making sure each piece is evenly coated.*For best results, cover and refrigerate overnight. If you’re short on time, let the chicken marinate for at least 20 minutes before cooking.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium/high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 1–2 minutes per side, just until lightly golden. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Return the same pan to medium heat. Add the onions, oregano, red pepper flakes, and lemon peels, and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until the onions have softened and become fragrant.
- Add the rice to the pan and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the rice toast for 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Turn off the heat and pour in the chicken stock. Return the chicken thighs to the pan, nestling them into the rice mixture.
- Cover the pan and bake for 40–55 minutes, or until the rice is tender and fully cooked and the chicken is cooked through.
- While the chicken bakes, add all of the lemon tahini dressing ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, whisk everything together in a bowl until well combined and creamy.If you love extra sauce, feel free to double the recipe.
- Once the chicken and rice are fully cooked, remove the pan from the oven. Spoon the lemon tahini sauce over top and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I will try to make this Lemon Tahini Chicken
Hope you love it Doris!
Delish! I made it for my husband and three boys, as well as my parents, and everyone gobbled it up. Thanks for the great recipe!
Can I use skinless chicken breast instead of thighs? If so, should I do anything different? Thanks
This recipe is right up my alley! Thanks for all the images and step-by-step instructions!
Hi Elyssa, well isn’t this the sweetest comment. You are soooo welcome. Thanks for the review! xo
Could I replace the rice with another type of rice or couscous? Thanks!
Of course! Any rice or orzo would work great here.
Dinner was a hit in my house tonight!!! Everyone loved it!!!
Hi Christina! Yay – that makes me so so sooooo happy! thanks for sharing!
So good! I only had calrose rice so I used that and I threw in some veggies. Turned out great. Lemon, garlic, creamy tahini goodness!
Hey Jessica! OHHH that sounds good. And I love how you customized it. Thanks for the review, it means so much to me.
Delicious!! May have gotten a bit carried away with my garlic in the tahini sauce (is there such thing? Haha) But fantastic, and great leftovers!
There is no such thing Erin!! LOL – so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the review!
Eating it right now, this is by far the best recipe I’ve found on tiktok!!! Love every bite!
Well BLESS your dang heart. Thanks for the review and I am so happy you enjoyed it!
I’m making this for dinner tonight, im excited to try one of your recipes for the first time! I was wondering, can I use this in a slow cooker?
Hey Jayy! I haven’t done it in the slow cooker so I can’t say for sure! If you try it in there can you please let me know if it turned out? All the best,
Sam
Omg! I made this for dinner tonight and subbed in b/s chicken breasts and it’s so DELICIOUS! The garlic tahini finishing sauce is fantastic! 🤤♥️
Hi Helena, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review that is so sweet of you. I am soooo happy you loved it!
Delicious! Everyone at my table liked this – toddler, college student, husband and Grandma! A crowd pleaser that also seems modern. The one thing I would add to the recipe is to pat the chicken dry before browning it in the oil to get the most efficient sear. I should have known to do this, but it’s kind of a pain to do, so need a little push from the recipe!
Hi Elizabeth. Love this feedback and I will actually update my recipe with this tip! Thank you!
I’m making this now! Everything smells great. Will report back. My sauce is pretty thick and chunky, did I do something wrong? Almost a curdled vibe, but tastes great!
Hi Elizabeth! It’s likely just your sesame paste. Most of the time I use an immersion blender for the sauce just because it really does take a bit to make it a smooth consistency, so maybe try that next time!
Delicious! Will definitely make again. Served it with garlic sautéed kale which was made even better with the tahini sauce. Thank you!!
ommmmg yum. Kale always is soooo tasty with tahini, nice call!
My husbands new favorite dinner! This is so delicious. One thing I am changing for next time is to make the tahini sauce the day before. I think it tasted better when we ate the leftovers the next day. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Hi Carol! Thanks for sharing this comment with me 🙂 I am so glad you and your husband loved it. Tahini dressing def tastes good the next day. I always make a big salad dressing using tahini and love it more the next day as well. Let me know what else you end up trying! 🙂
My family of 4 loved. One pot and easy to make. Will make this again and again.
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for sharing. I am so happy you and your family enjoyed it!
I was a little skeptical, but can confirm, this is a winner! I had some leftover frozen peas in my freezer that I added before popping in the oven and it turned out to be a great addition!
Hi! Thanks for sharing I am so happy you liked it!!
I made this to ight. It was so good! I prepped the chicken first thing in the morning and let it marinate until evening.
I made the dressing, it was good on its own but it was extremely thick. I added 6 tbsp of water but still very thick. It didn’t seem to work with the rest of the dish. I wonder what went wrong here.
I’ll definitely make the chicken and rice again! Thanks! 🙂
Greatings from Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Very tasty and easy to make dish! family loved it. Pretty sure that it will become one our regular go to dish
Hi Paulo!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a review. It means so much to me! I am also so happy the family loved it. Have an awesome day!
Sam
This was a delicious, flavorful and very approachable recipe. The only change I made was using boneless, skinless thighs. My whole family gobbled this up. I can’t wait to remake this. It will be at the top of my list to make when entertaining.
This tastes amazing!
Thanks for the review, Katelyn!
This recipe was delicious but kind of a lot of work! Yes it cooks in one pot, but it would probably have been faster to just make the rice separately in an instant pot or rice cooker instead of baking it. I had to take the chicken out before the rice was done because it was fully cooked. The recipe included 2 different sauces, so lots of clean up for a “one pot” meal.
This recipe is so simple yet so delicious. The sauce is what makes it! The sauce would be so great as a dressing over an arugula salad. Or any salad for that matter. This is now on my weekly rotation. Well done!
So happy you loved it Amber! Thanks for sharing!
I just made this recipe for dinner/ lunch leftovers during week and it is delicious and moist! Used boneless skinless thighs instead, the chicken was so moist. This is a meal that you look forward to eating during the week instead of a boring lunch. I love the dressing too! I shook it up in a jar so I could use leftover dressing for other meals during the week. Love all your recipes thank you 😊
Excellent and easy! Even my picky 11-year-old cleaned her plate ❤️❤️
Oh this was STUNNING! It’s your first recipe I’ve tried and it was a hit. So so delicious, and even my 6 year old claimed it was the best! So many nice cozy flavours. Thank you for this one!
Hi Tanvee! Thanks for sharing this feedback, I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
this is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made, I hate cooking but it’s so easy and it freezes SO WELL. 10/10 sent it to multiple friends
My boyfriend picked up chicken breast instead of thighs. So I had to cook it a different way. Turned out amazing still. Definitely takes longer than 20-30 minutes but it’s worth it. Thanks girl
Absolutely delicious! This is in constant rotation in our house. The only tweak I make is to leave out the lemon peels- find it gives a bit of an “off” flavor. Otherwise, perfection!
I LOVE this recipe! I add peas too! If I only have chicken tenders, around how much (weight) should I use?
I did this for my family today in Sweden. We all loved it! Thanks for sharing with us.
Hi Anna – thank you for leaving a review. So happy you all loved it!
Can this be made in a Dutch oven?
Absolutely.
The sauce recipe doesn’t make sense when you’re putting it together BUT dang it, it is good and honestly enhances the dish 1000%! I have made this countless times, told friends about it and it has become a staple in our house!
Hi Jessica! I hear ya, lol! Although, I am happy you like it as much as we all do! Thanks for this wonderful comment.
What a delicious recipe!! I’m also wondering how many calories are in this recipe?
10/10. I make this all the time and am about to make it again right now!
Full of taste and I love that is in easy to make
What happens with the lemon peels at the end? Pick them out? Eat them? Going to make for friends this weekend.
You bet – just take the peels out at the end.
Our favorite dinner recipe ever. We make it at least once a month. It’s SO delicious. Highly recommend using cast iron and getting a good sear on the skins- makes it so flavorful.
We loved this recipe. The rice was incredible with the seasonings and the drippings from the chicken.
My second time making this recipe and I absolutely love it! I use quinoa instead of rice though 🙂
This meal is ADDICTING! My husband and I eat this every week.. it has become a staple in our weekly rotation (and of course the favorite dinner of the week!) do not skip out on the tahini sauce!