You’ll love this comforting one-pan chicken orzo recipe, prepared Greek-style! Chicken thighs and orzo bake together in a flavorful mixture with garlic, bell peppers, and tomato. Easy and satisfying!
Greek-inspired Chicken Orzo is a Family Favorite!
Chicken dinners are always a hit at my house. This chicken orzo recipe is one of my girls’ favorites! As a busy home cook and working mom, I’m always up for healthy one-pot dinners. Cooking chicken with a grain or pasta in the same pot is a recipe for success. You keep in all the flavor and have fewer dishes to wash. What’s not to like?
Chicken and rice and chicken and couscous, for example, are often on my rotation. Orzo, with its satisfyingly springy texture and rice-like shape, is the best of both worlds! And this recipe, generously seasoned with garlic, lemon, and Greek seasonings like oregano and sweet paprika, guarantees juicy, flavorful chicken every time.
Chicken Orzo Recipe Ingredients
Though this easy chicken recipe will make your kitchen smell like you’re wandering the streets of Athens, it’s made with simple pantry ingredients and seasonings. You likely have most of them on hand!
- Seasoning: Dried oregano, sweet paprika, and coriander give the chicken and orzo a decidedly Greek flavor. Salt and pepper make everything more vibrant.
- Chicken: I love the ease of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can use any cut of chicken you’d like. If using skin-on, bone-in thighs, give them a little more time in your pan to brown. The skin will crisp up nicely. For chicken breasts, check on them about 5 minutes sooner. Make sure the thickest part of the chicken registers at 165°F.
- Fresh lemon juice balances the savory chicken thighs.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I love the richness of a full-bodied Greek olive oil with this recipe.
- Bell peppers: I like to use a mix of colors for more variety.
- Onion: I like the sweetness of yellow onions with savory chicken and orzo, but really, most onions will work. I would just avoid red onions as they can color the ozo and turn it grey.
- Garlic: Six whole garlic cloves add complexity and a welcome kick.
- Tomatoes: Plum tomatoes and their juice bring a sweet-tart flavor to the braising liquid.
- Chicken broth: Use a high-quality, low-sodium chicken broth or stock, or make your own. Vegetable broth will also work.
- Orzo: This small pasta soaks up the flavor-makers like a sponge! You can use standard orzo or whole grain if you prefer.
- Parsley–both the leaves and tender stems–add freshness and color. Cilantro is a worthy substitute.
- Feta adds tang and creaminess, becoming deliciously melty from the heat of the chicken and orzo. It’s totally optional, though! Leave it off to keep this recipe dairy-free.
How to Make Chicken Orzo
You don’t need fancy equipment or techniques to make this recipe; just make sure you have a Dutch oven or an oven-safe pot with a lid. It needs to be large enough to fit the chicken, orzo, and vegetables. Here is how it goes:
Season and Sear the Chicken
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Season the chicken. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 teaspoons dried oregano with 1 teaspoon each sweet paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper. Pat 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry, then add to the bowl and turn to coat. Add the juice from half a lemon and set aside for a few minutes.
- Get your flavor-makers ready. Core 2 bell peppers and slice them into thin rounds. Chop 1 yellow onion. Mince 6 garlic cloves (see my tips in this garlic guide).
- Sear the chicken. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or a large oven-safe pot set over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes in total (it does not need to be cooked through at this point). Transfer the chicken to a plate for now.
- Sear the peppers. In the same pot, add the bell pepper and sear on each side. Remove and place with the chicken for now.
Braise the Chicken and Orzo Together in the Oven
- Cook the orzo. If the pot looks dry, add another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, then add 2 cups canned peeled plum tomatoes (and their juice), 2 cups chicken broth, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon paprika, and a dash of kosher salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in 2 cups (uncooked) orzo.
- Braise the chicken. Nestle the chicken pieces into the orzo mixture and top with the bell pepper slices. Transfer the pot to the heated oven. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the orzo is fully cooked and has absorbed most of the liquid. Remove from oven, cover, and let sit 5 minutes undisturbed (the orzo will absorb any juices).
- Finish and serve: Drizzle everything with a little extra virgin olive oil, and garnish with fresh parsley and feta, if you like.
What to Serve with Orzo Chicken
I typically make chicken and orzo for a simple weeknight dinner, sometimes with an easy Greek salad to carry on the theme. But if you like, you can add a starter or two like Greek baked feta or melitzanosalata with your favorite crusty bread.
More Chicken Recipes
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Extra virgin olive oil
For the Orzo
- 2 bell peppers (any color), cored and sliced into rounds
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups canned peeled plum tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 2 cups orzo (uncooked)
- Chopped parsley, for garnish
- Feta cheese, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Season the chicken. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oregano, paprika, coriander, salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry, then add to the bowl and turn to coat. Toss in the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil and set aside for a few minutes.
- Brown the chicken. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or a large oven-safe pot over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes in total (it does not need to be cooked through at this point). Transfer the chicken to a plate for now.
- Sear the peppers. In the same pot, add the bell pepper and sear on each side. Remove and place with the chicken for now.
- Cook the orzo. If the pot looks dry, add another tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft. Add the garlic, and cook another 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes (and their juice), broth, oregano, paprika, and a dash of kosher salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in the orzo.
- Braise the chicken. Nestle the chicken pieces into the orzo mixture and top with the bell pepper slices. Transfer the pot to the heated oven oven. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the orzo is fully cooked and has absorbed most of the liquid. Remove from oven, cover and let sit 5 minutes undisturbed (the orzo will absorb any juices.)
- Finish and serve. Drizzle everything with a little extra virgin olive oil, and garnish with fresh parsley and feta, if you like.
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- Leftovers & storage: allow any leftovers to cool completely and store in the fridge in tight-lid containers. If stored properly, leftovers orzo and chicken will keep for 3 days or so.
Nutrition
Try Our Greek Oregano!
This dried herb straight from Greece is lemony, fragrant, and perfect for everyday use.
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2018 and has been updated with new media and information for readers’ benefit.
Hi There,
I’d like to try this with boneless chicken breasts. Does that change the cooking time? Breasts tend to dry out. Look forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!
Hi, Noelle! It depends on the size of the chicken breasts. If they are on the larger side, they will take longer to cook. You may want to cut them into smaller pieces and cook them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees fahrenheit. Enjoy!
If somebody ever asked me what was my favorite type of orzo, I would answer without any doubt – this one. Fantastic combo of ingredients, and just the way I like it!
That’s so sweet, Mahy! Thank you!
This is such a comforting, tasty dish! Everyone loved the orzo and the chicken was so tender!
Fabulous to hear, Jamie! Thanks so much!
First time I have cooked with orzo. It wont be the last. !
Loved the glorious soft texture and the tang of the lemon
I will make this again.
Thank you
So glad, Valerie! Thank you for sharing
We love this meal! I do have a question, when you brown the chicken, is it 8 minutes total with 4 minutes per side or 8 minutes per side?
So glad you liked it! It is 8 minutes in total as the chicken will cook some more in the oven. You’re just looking for it to have a nice color on both sides.
Made this recipe tonight and it turned out great! It was amazing…we can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow night! I’m so happy to have stumbled across your blog…I love every recipe you post! Both of my parents were born in Egypt too, but my mother is a terrible cook (she’ll be the first to admit it!!) so I never learned to make authentic dishes until reading your blog! I made your kofta kabobs for the first time last month and they were amazing!!! Better than my mother’s! I can’t wait to try so many more!
Thanks for sharing such great middle eastern recipes!!
Thanks for the kind words Denice and I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
I only had one pound of chicken thighs, but it was very easy to adjust recipe. One pound was four boneless thighs. I used one can of tomatoes, 3/4 of a 16-oz can of chicken broth (saved the rest to add when warming up the leftovers), 1 cup of orzo. Cut the other ingredients to 1/2+. Added a little cayenne pepper. Only had orange pepper for the top. I don’t think you mess up this recipe. It was a keeper!! Janice
thanks for sharing your adjustments, Janice! Very helpful. Glad you enjoyed it!
Made this according to recipe. It was a big hit, simply delicious. Paired it with Balela salad. What a great meal. will make this again.
Awesome, Bill! Thank you so much for sharing
Amazing!! So flavorful and easy to put together. I don’t have a cast iron skillet so I used a regular skillet and transferred everthing to a backing dish. I halfed the recipes, as that was all the chicken I had – turned out great. Will definitely do a full recipe next time, as the leftovers are great too!!
Making this sun it looks amazing! However I am not a huge fan of tomatoes. I only use small chopped tomato’s when they will cook down alot and are needed for the flavor. Does the orzo need the tomato juice for flavor? It says 2 cups canned so I wasn’t sure if that was just the tomatos or the juice as well for flavor. If not I may use artichokes instead of tomatoes!
Hey Heather, sorry I’m just now able to get to your question. But yes, the tomatoes and their juices are needed here to help cook the orzo and impart flavor. They won’t overwhelm at all though.
This looks amazing! Can I make it ahead and reheat?
Hi Kari, yes, you can make this ahead and reheat. Bring to room temperature if you can so you don’t have to leave it in the oven too much. I’d add a little liquid if needed. Heat in medium-heated oven.
Can I use chicken with the bone in?
Hi Sue, so bone-in chicken will take longer to cook. To use bone-in chicken, you may cook them first for a bit, then add them in with the orzo before you bake.
Your recipes are amazing. This is my third time making this one. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much, Donna! Means a lot!
I made this for dinner tonight i didn’t have thighs so i used chicken breasts instead it tasted wonderful..no leftovers unfortunately, will need to make more next time .Great recipe thanks
When there is no leftovers, you know it’s a winner! Thanks for trying it, Lisa!
I made this meal last night and it was great! I made it exactly as directed and it was just missing the Feta cheese. I can never seem to keep Feta on hand! I awoke this morning to the wonderful smell of the chicken lingering in the kitchen, and had to immediately dig into some of the cold, leftover orzo. This recipe definitely makes it into my normal rotation of meals. Thanks!
Thank you so much, Mark! If you’re willing to eat this cold, it must be a winner. Love hearing form you. Thanks.
I made this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious! Everything is so flavorful and the directions were spot on. Thank you so much for this recipe. It is a definite keeper.
So glad you gave this one a try, Robin! And thank you for the kind comment!