One Pot Chicken and Quinoa Dinner
This one pot chicken and quinoa dinner is not only delicious but healthy too. Make it once and everyone in the family will be hooked for good.
We all love quinoa and I am always looking for new ways of enjoying it. This one pot chicken and quinoa dinner is one of our favourite go to recipes. In our house, it’s a win-win kind of meal. I get to make a meal in one pot, my husband gets to wash only one pot and the kids love it, so we are all winners when it comes to this meal. I get to add all kinds of healthy ingredients to it and everyone enjoys the healthy meal.
The Ingredients for Chicken and Quinoa Dinner
Quinoa, some greens, some spices and herbs, and some feta is all it takes to make this really delicious one pot dinner.
The Ingredients List for Quinoa and Chicken Dinner:
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 red onion
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups arugula
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup olives
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup feta crumbled
- Toasted almonds for topping
Other Entree Recipes you will Like:
The Chicken
The first step to enjoying our one pot chicken and quinoa dinner is to marinate the chicken:
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh oregano (remove stems), and paprika to a bowl.
- Mix everything to combine.
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and using tongs or your hands, toss the chicken, so it gets well coated with the marinade.
- Set aside, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
The Cooking Process
While the chicken is marinating, we can start by chopping the onions, and garlic and cleaning the arugula. Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook until they are soft and start to brown a little.
By now the chicken should have marinated well enough. Add the chicken to the pan and cook on medium high heat until all sides of the chicken are browned. We do not need to cook the chicken all the way through. The idea is to brown the chicken so it holds on to its juices while it continues to cook in the oven. Once browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
The Quinoa
Add the quinoa to the pan and stir well, so all the quinoa is evenly distributed. The quinoa will absorb all the flavour left over from the chicken. Allow it to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the water to the pan and stir well. Time to add the arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and olives to the pan. Make sure you remove the pits before adding, if your olives are not pitted, Allow the water to come to a boil.
Once the water has boiled, the chicken can be returned to the pan. I like to place the chicken on top of the quinoa and not mix it into the quinoa. This allows for the chicken to cook and absorb the flavours and brown as the rest of the meal is cooking.
Baking the Chicken and Quinoa Dinner Recipe
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the pan on the middle rack and bake it for about 20 minutes. By the time the one pot chicken dinner is ready, all the liquid will have been absorbed. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with feta and slivered toasted almonds.
Serving Suggestions
We enjoy this hot and I often set it with a side of:
– My Heirloom Carrot and Radish Salad
– Or my Raw Zucchini and Bocconcini Salad
– Even my Green Bean and Mango Salad
– Or perhaps my Asparagus and Edamame Salad
Storing Suggestions for Chicken and Quinoa Dinner
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge. To reheat, remove from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Add the leftovers to a pan and add a couple of tablespoons of water. Toss well and heat on high heat for a couple of minutes and enjoy. Alternatively, heat in the microwave.
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One Pot Chicken and Quinoa Dinner
Course: EntreeCuisine: MediterraneanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes20
minutes386
kcal30
minutesThis one pot chicken and quinoa dinner is not only delicious but healthy too. Make it once and everyone in the family will be hooked for good.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 chicken thighs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
2 cloves garlic
1 red onion
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups arugula
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/3 cup olives
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup feta crumbled
Toasted almonds for topping
Directions
- In a bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, balsamic, oregano, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and mix well to coat the thighs. Allow them to sit in the marinade while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Chop the onion and garlic finely. Wash and dry the arugula.
- Heat the rest of the oil, and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook for a few minutes or until they have softened and start to brown a little.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add the chicken thighs and the marinade to the pan. Brown each side of the chicken. Do not cook the chicken all the way through. It will continue to cook in the oven. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Add the quinoa to the bowl and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add water, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and olives to the pan and mix well. Bring the water to a boil.
- Once it has boiled, add the chicken thighs on top of the quinoa and place the pan onto the middle rack of the oven.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or so.
- Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with the feta and toasted slivered almonds.
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