If you make no other recipes of mine that’s fine, but I’m telling you that you have to make this one-pot chicken orzo! This recipe is a household favourite and I’m constantly making new variations with it where I’ll add different vegetables in the mix like chopped spinach (as pictured above), mushrooms, or asparagus – and I still haven’t messed up this dish. It’s simple to make – yes, even on a weeknight – there is very little work involved with this one, and best of all there is only one pan to wash.
This chicken orzo is delicious, super satisfying, and makes great leftovers (great for meal prep!).
Feel free to adjust the flavours based on your preferences. Like always, I measure a lot of ingredients with my heart and you can too.
Ingredients:
(for about 6 servings)
- 2-3 Tbsp. butter
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 box (450g) orzo
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 32oz chicken broth
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- grated parmesan cheese (to taste)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- optional: I added a sprinkle of the Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse seasoning on top
- optional add-ins: chopped spinach, diced asparagus
Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a pan on medium-high heat. Pat your chicken thighs dry with a paper towel then season with salt and pepper.
2. Add seasoned chicken thighs to your pan and cook them until both sides are deep golden brown (about 4 to 6 mins per side).
3. Remove the chicken thighs from the pan and set them aside.
4. In the same pan, pour in the box of orzo. Stir then let the orzo simmer for 1 minute. Add the minced garlic and simmer for 1 more minute until fragrant and toasty.
5. Pour all of the chicken broth into your pan, nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes (until the orzo has absorbed all of the liquid).
6. To serve, squeeze the lemon juice, and sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese and any seasonings you desire. I love to use the Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse seasoning I got at Costco for this recipe.
Balance it out:
Add a half plate of colourful vegetables
produce: broccoli, peppers
starch: orzo
protein: chicken
fat: butter, cheese
I would love to hear what you think if you make this one!
