Chicken & Rice Avgolemono

Avgolemono is the Greek answer to making a sauce out of nothing but eggs and lemon, and it works like magic when you do it right. This one-pan version simmers skinless chicken drumsticks with long grain rice in chicken broth until everything is tender, then folds in chopped spinach and a tangle of fresh dill before the egg-and-lemon mixture thickens it all into something glossy.

Using liquid egg substitute and a touch of flour as insurance keeps the sauce from breaking, which is the classic avgolemono trap. The result is a lighter, weeknight-friendly take on the Greek classic with all the bright lemon punch and barely any fat.

Pro Tips

• Whisk the egg mixture with the flour and lemon juice well before adding it. The flour stabilizes the eggs against scrambling when they hit the hot pan.
• Temper the egg mixture by stirring in a ladle of hot broth before pouring it back into the pot. Pure cold eggs into hot pan equals scrambled eggs.
• Stir constantly once the egg goes in and pull the pan off the heat as soon as the sauce thickens. Just a minute is enough.
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice only. Bottled lemon juice tastes flat and metallic, and avgolemono lives or dies on lemon brightness.

Variations

• Use bone-in chicken thighs instead of drumsticks for richer flavor and easier eating.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta at the end for a salty, briny finish.
• Swap dill for fresh parsley or mint, or use a mix of all three for a more aromatic herb hit.