This delicious one-pot chicken and orzo recipe comes together in 40 minutes and is so simple to make. It’s a great, well-rounded dinner you will come back to again and again.
One-pot dinners are my favorite. They just make everything simpler, fewer things to keep track of, and fewer dishes to wash at the end. In this delicious Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo, we are cooking a full, well-rounded meal in one skillet. It is made with easy-to-find ingredients and is something that you will want to add to your regular menu rotation.
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo
Here is a brief overview of how this Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo recipe comes together. For the full recipe, including all ingredients and their measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Cook the Chicken
Cook the chicken until lightly browned on both sides, about five minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside. It doesn’t need to be fully cooked through at this point.
Sauté the Vegetables
Cook the bell pepper, red onion, and garlic. Season with the oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook until the bell pepper is soft, about five minutes.
Add the Tomatoes and Broth
Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the orzo. Add the chicken back to the pan and cover, simmering for ten minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil. Stir the orzo, and continue cooking the orzo for five minutes or until it is tender.
Add the Spinach and Feta
Stir in the spinach, allowing it to wilt. Remove the skillet from the stove and stir in the feta. Return the chicken to the skillet and garnish with parsley.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use Chicken Thighs. Replace the chicken breasts with skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. Cook them for 8 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second side. Then leave them in with the orzo for the whole cooking time once you return them in step 3.
- Add Kalamata olives. These are a great addition to any mediterranean inspired dish! Stir in about a half cup of chopped olives when you add the feta.
- Swap the feta for Parmesan. Feta isn’t for everyone. If someone in your family isn’t a fan you can leave it out or swap it for Parmesan.
- Make it spicier. You can increase the heat a bit in this by adding more crushed red pepper flakes.
- Boost the flavor with white wine. White wine isn’t for everyone, but it does add a lovely layer of flavor in recipes like this. Replace 1/2 a cup of the chicken broth with a white wine you really love.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken and orzo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat until heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken and Orzo
If you want to stretch this meal a little further, here are some great side dish options.
If you make this Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo recipe or any of my other recipes, be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you enjoyed it!
Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (look for chicken breasts that are 6 to 8 ounces each)
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 small red onion diced small
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes undrained (411 grams)
- 2 cups chicken broth (453.5 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups dry orzo (286 grams)
- 3 cups baby spinach (90 grams)
- 1 cup crumbled feta (114 grams)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry and then season lightly with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook the chicken in the hot skillet until lightly browned on both sides, about five minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the remaining two tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Sauté the bell pepper, red onion, and garlic. Season with the oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook until the bell pepper is soft, about five minutes.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 red bell pepper, 1/2 small red onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Stir in the tomatoes and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the orzo. Add the chicken back to the pan and cover, simmering for ten minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil. Stir the orzo, and continue cooking the orzo for five minutes or until it is tender.14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
- Stir in the spinach one cup at a time until it is wilted. Remove the skillet from the heat. Then stir in the feta. Return the chicken to the skillet and garnish with parsley.3 cups baby spinach, 1 cup crumbled feta, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Notes
LEAVE A COMMENT