Lemon Dijon Chicken and Rice
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TikTok Viral Recipe Lemon-Dijon Chicken and Rice Bake is a cost-effective, delicious, fast weeknight meal. With marinated juicy chicken thighs on a bed of rice, this one-dish meal bakes all the flavors in.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Why you will love making Dijon Chicken
Cheap and Easy – As the original recipe said, this recipe is cheap and easy! A serving for 4 was just about $10, making this viral dinner recipe a true winner as a weeknight dinner.
Flavorful – As one can imagine, Lemon and Dijon both pack a delicious and tasty punch to the tastebuds. As a bonus, most people have these ingredients in their homes.
Where did this viral baked chicken recipe come from?
We initially saw this viral recipe from TikTok! Creator @theshayspence had a fantastic “cheap and easy” series across our page, and we knew we had to test it out. With over 4.5 Million views, there is no doubt that lemon dijon chicken and rice will be in many households this year.
See the entire oven baked chicken video recipe below:
Things we altered – I could only get boneless, skinless thighs, so if you swap for something with a bone and chicken skin on, it might take a little longer to cook.
Also, the original recipe creator didn’t share what type of rice he used, so we used “10-15 minutes to cook” rice.
Our thoughts on this viral recipe – This is a delicious meal that works perfectly for busy weeknights. Undoubtedly one of our family favorites now, we love all the extra depth of flavor the dijon mustard adds, and the chicken and rice make it one of the most classic comfort foods.
Also as a side suggestion, make some extra marinade (that you do not dip raw chicken into) to stir in with rice at the end. Yum!
Simple Ingredients
- Marinade – Minced garlic, salt, black pepper, paprika, dijon mustard, vegetable oil, and lemons zest/juice.
- Chicken thighs
- White rice
How to make Lemon-Dijon Chicken and Rice
- In an ovenproof skillet (like cast iron) or baking dish, add garlic, mustard, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk marinade well.
- Add chicken thighs and coat both sides well.
- Transfer chicken to a plate, and set it aside.
- Cover and refrigerate the chicken for at least 30 minutes (an hour works best) to marinate.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In the same ovenproof skillet or baking dish, add uncooked rice and water. Whisk well to combine evenly.
- Add chicken back to skillet or baking dish and season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the juicy chicken is done and the rice no longer has any liquid.
- Place a few slices of lemon onto a skillet and heat on high heat until charred, and use lemon slice as a garnish: store leftover rice mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Baking Tips
- Other garnish ideas for this casserole dish include green onions and fresh parsley.
- Instead of water, substitute for chicken broth.
- Want to skip the rice? Serve chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes, quinoa, or egg noodles instead.
- Spice it up by adding Frank’s hot sauce to the table.
Get a good Meat Thermometer.
As a rule, the chicken should reach 165 degrees internal temperature at its thickest point. If you prefer to manually check meat as it cooks, the ever-popular instant-read thermometer works best.
The only problem is that, in general, these go out yearly, so expect to replace a cheaper thermometer more often.
SEE INSTANT-READ THERMOMETER HERE
Newer in kitchen technology, try the MEATER PLUS, which monitors your meat and gives you exact timing from the oven to the grill right on your phone. No need to open the range to know anymore!
Serve with these Side Dishes
Chicken and rice is a fairly substantial meal, so you may not need additional courses or servings. However, if you want to try a viral side dish that is light and easy, try TikTok’s Favorite salad or air fryer green beans.
When serving skillet chicken and rice dinners, stay away from potato side dishes and bread.
Related Viral Chicken Recipes
- We have a lot of great viral chicken recipes here! Try the TikTok Air Fryer Chicken Thigh Recipe method if you have extra chicken thighs.
- Creamy sundried tomato chicken pasta is another filling, “no side dish needed” recipe.
- Keep it light with tiktok chicken kale salad.
- TikTok taught us how to make the perfect chicken cutlets with this recipe.
- Also going great with rice is honey butter fried chicken recipe and this tiktok bang bang chicken recipe.
Lemon-Dijon Chicken and Rice (TikTok Viral)
Equipment
- cast iron pan or baking dish
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 lemons zested on skin
- 1 lemon juiced
Chicken & Rice Bake
- 4 chicken thighs not frozen
- 1½ cups white rice
- 3 cups water or chicken broth
- salt and black pepper
- paprika
- lemon slices garnish
Instructions
- In an ovenproof skillet or baking dish, add garlic, mustard, vegetable oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk well.
- Add chicken thighs and coat both sides well.
- Remove chicken from the pan and transfer to a plate. Cover and refrigerate raw chicken for at least 30 minutes to marinate.
- Preheat the oven to 350. In the same ovenproof skillet or baking dish, add rice and water. Whisk well to evenly combine.
- Add marinaded chicken back to skillet or baking dish and season generously with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Bake the casserole dish for 40 minutes or until the chicken is done and the rice no longer has any liquid. This timing can vary based on the rice type used and thickness/type of chicken. Chicken should reach 165 degrees by thermometer at its thickest point to be considered done.
- Place a few slices of lemon onto a skillet and heat on high heat until charred and use slices as a garnish.
Notes
- Want to skip the rice? Serve chicken on a bed of mashed potatoes, quinoa, or egg noodles instead.
- Spice it up by adding Frank’s hot sauce to the table.
- Other garnish ideas for this casserole dish include green onions and fresh parsley.
- Instead of water, substitute for chicken broth.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
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Cover while baking
You can cover to prevent overcooking/browning if your oven is suspectable to that.