Not only is ground chicken or turkey a fast-cooking weeknight superstar, but the fat leftover from crisping it up can get work done. Case in point, this low-lift one-pan dish. The leftover fat is used to blister olives that then get mixed with cooked rice (or any other cooked grain you’ve got) and chopped greens like spinach, kale, or chard. Za’atar provides another layer of flavor. Be sure to check the ingredient list on your blend and season accordingly—if it includes salt, you might not need to add any extra.
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Large Nonstick Skillet
$50 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
½
1
3
1
3
1
2
2
Preparation
Step 1
Place chicken in a medium bowl. Sprinkle paprika and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt over chicken; season with pepper. Gently mix with your hands to combine.
Step 2
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Arrange chicken in pan in a thin, even layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown and crisp underneath, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring and breaking up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate, leaving oil and fat behind.
Step 3
Add olives to same pan and cook, undisturbed, until heated through and blistered, 1–2 minutes. Add rice and 1 Tbsp. za’atar and cook, stirring often, until slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. Add greens and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in lemon zest, feta, and chicken. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Step 4
Transfer chicken and rice to a large shallow bowl; sprinkle with more za’atar and top with dill.
How would you rate Crispy Chicken With Za’atar-Olive Rice?
Leave a Review
Reviews (76)
Back to TopDelicious! I love anything with olives, and this had the right amount of tang with the feta. I've been looking for a new recipe that uses za'atar and this did not disappoint. I'll keep this recipe in rotation.
Xtopher
Plano, TX
4/10/2024
So so good. The chicken browning technique is key!
SE LA
Altadena
3/14/2024
This felt like less than the sum of its parts. Good feta helped but I wouldn’t make it again.
A. Mani
Brooklyn, New York
10/8/2023
This was just fine. The ground chicken is still ground chicken no matter how much you dress it up. But did a heaping half table spoon of hot smoked paprika, didn’t measure the zaatar but definitely more than written, used the olive juice brine along with pickle juice brine to deglaze the pan. My rice stuck a bunch to the pan, could just be that it was too soft and warm still. Good feta is key
Anonymous
Seattle
8/18/2023
Glad I read all the reviews before starting this dish. I doubled the paprika, added fresh crushed garlic, garlic powder and onion powder, and also doubled the za’atar as I cooked the rice. When serving, I added toasted pinenuts, and a dollop of hummus. Yummy!
Dale
San Francisco, CA
3/3/2023
We loved this recipe. It had so much flavor. Don't skip any of the seasonings, nor the lemon zest, juice and dill. I thought the proportions were perfect. (Except for personal preference, I doubled the amount of spinach.) The cast iron pan did get dry when cooking the ground turkey so I simply added a couple tablespoons of water to get the browned bits up after I removed the cooked turkey to another plate.
jsbjk
Winnetka, IL
2/2/2023
yummy and easy, needs a sauce, we added a lemon vinaigrette
Anonymous
11/25/2022