One Pot Greek Chicken and Orzo
One pot Greek chicken and orzo packs a creamy, cheesy punch with a hint of lemon, butter, and Italian seasonings under perfectly seasoned, tender, marinated chicken thighs cooked all together in one pot for easy clean up!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Marinating time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 4 servings
- 6 chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon oil
- grated parmesan cheese
marinade
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
for the orzo
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano or dried Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
In a medium bowl whisk together marinade ingredients. Add chicken, toss to coat, cover tightly and chill for 30 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Use tongs to transfer marinated chicken to the pan (discard excess marinade) and brown for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in garlic for 1 minute til fragrant.
Stir in orzo pasta for 1-2 minutes til lightly browned. Stir in chicken broth, dried oregano, and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a high simmer. Add chicken back to the pan on top of the orzo.
Cover and cook for about 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through and orzo is soft.
Transfer chicken to a plate, fluff the orzo with a fork. Garnish chicken and orzo with parmesan if desired, and serve.
- Easily swap chicken thighs for chicken breasts (one medium chicken breast per person)
- If you have stuck on orzo and you are finding it hard to clean the pot during dinner clean up, do what I do: Fill the pot with hot (can be boiling) water in the sink with half a cup of baking soda and leave it to soak for an hour or so — clean up will be a breeze!
- Fresh lemon juice will give you the best flavor - always opt for fresh if you have it but a squeeze of bottled lemon juice will do in a pinch.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Calories: 702kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 474mg | Potassium: 569mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg