greek chicken orzo

These greek chicken orzo bowls are filled with orzo pasta, seasoned chicken breast, english cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, homemade tzatziki and feta cheese.  A healthy but easy to make dinner the whole family will enjoy.  The perfect summer evening dinner.

Greek Chicken Orzo Bowls

chicken breast

container cherry tomatoes, halved

cucumber,

dry orzo

feta cheese

olive oil

lemon, juiced

oregano

tsp marjoram

Greek seasoning

basil

garlic powder

tsp pepper

greek yogurt

English cucumber, grated water squeezed

lemon juiced

salt and pepper

garlic cloves,

dill

Start by filleting the chicken breasts.  Lay each...

Start by filleting the chicken breasts.  Lay each chicken breast flat on a cutting board, use your knife in a sawing motion to cut through the chicken so you are left with two chicken cutlets.

Place the chicken into a ziplock bag or...

Place the chicken into a ziplock bag or dish and add the chicken marinade ingredients; 1 tbsp olive oil,  juice of half a lemon, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp marjoram, 1/2 tsp greek seasoning, 1/4 tsp dried basil, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/8 tsp pepper.  Mix everything together.

To make the tzatziki stir together the greek...

To make the tzatziki stir together the greek yogurt with the grated English cucumber (only 1/4 of the cucumber), lemon juice, salt, pepper, minced garlic, dried dill and olive oil.  Place in the fridge until the dinner is ready to serve.

Boil the orzo pasta per package instruction, or...

Boil the orzo pasta per package instruction, or until the texture is to your preference.  Orzo can become a bit sticky once you drain the water and it sits, so you may need to rinse it if this happens.

Heat a sauté pan over medium/high heat.  Once...

Heat a sauté pan over medium/high heat.  Once the pan is hot, drizzle some olive oil in the pan and lay the chicken down.  Flip once the first side is golden then reduce the heat to medium.  Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.  Remove the chicken from the sauté pan, wait 10 minutes then cut into pieces.

Chop up the cucumber, tomatoes and onion.

To serve, add the orzo in the bottom...

To serve, add the orzo in the bottom of a bowl, top with the chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes and onion.  Dollop on some tzatziki and sprinkle on feta cheese.  Optionally serve with lemon wedges.

Greek Chicken Orzo is a one-pot wonder made with tender chicken thighs, juicy cherry tomatoes, briny olives, and tangy, creamy feta cheese. This quick and easy Mediterranean-style recipe delivers a restaurant-quality meal that&#039;s sure to become a family favorite.

Greek Chicken Orzo (30 Minutes, One-Pot)

paprika

salt

black pepper

1.5 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs

olive oil (divided)

orzo

chicken stock (or broth, or water)

garlic (minced)

oz cherry (grape) tomatoes (red and yellow, sliced in half)

kalamata olives (pitted, sliced)

Castelvetrano olives (or other green olives, pitted, sliced)

lemon juice

feta cheese (crumbled

extra virgin olive oil

Heat an empty large, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet (such as stainless steel or cast iron) over medium heat for 3 minutes. This allows the skillet to heat through.

Season the chicken thighs on both sides, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub in the seasonings: paprika, dried oregano, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add seasoned chicken thighs. Cook the chicken on one side on medium heat for 5 minutes undisturbed.

Flip the chicken thighs over, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes or longer until it&#39;s cooked through. The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from heat. Remove the chicken from the skillet, leaving the juices in.

How to sear the chicken

To the same, now empty, skillet, add uncooked orzo and minced garlic. Toast the orzo with chicken juices for about 2 minutes on medium heat, constantly stirring.

Add chicken stock and cook for about 10 minutes, uncovered, occasionally stirring to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan. The orzo should absorb all the liquid and be tender in about 10 minutes. You might have to add some extra liquid and/or cook longer if needed.

Cook orzo

Add halved cherry tomatoes and sliced pitted olives to the skillet with cooked orzo. Add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir and gently reheat on low heat—season with salt and pepper.

Add veggies

In a medium bowl, combine cubed or crumbled feta cheese with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper, and half of the chopped fresh basil.

Make feta mixture

Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet with the orzo and reheat. Top the chicken and the veggies with the feta cheese mixture. Top with the remaining chopped fresh basil.

Assembly

Another excellent recipe!  I did use bone-in chicken thighs and adjusted the cooking time. Also added a few handfuls of fresh spinach. But the olives and feta are the stars here don’t leave them out!  Looking forward to making it again.

I made this for just 2 of us and used 3 bone in and skin on thighs, followed the recipe just cooked the chicken longer (of course).  I used 1 c orzo and 2 c stock which was a bit much but I followed the “save/reheat” instructions and she has not let us down!  A perfect side dish easily reheated. This was delicious.  Every other step I followed to a tee. Thank you!

This meal was wonderful.  The flavor was rich and satisfying.  I made three simple changes - used half olives and half capers, roasted the tomatoes so they would be softer, and put a lid over after adding the feta to warm and soften the cheese.  Definitely a keeper.

Thank you for this recipe.  My son and I both really liked it.  Instead of thighs, I used chicken breast which I cut into chunks and marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, and the spices you gave for the chicken.  Cooked it and set it aside as you instructed and then on to the orzo.  It worked a treat.  I didn't have the recommended green olives but used garlic stuffed olives from Costco and they were lovely.  I was short about 1.5 ounces of feta, so added thick cottage cheese and a bit of the feta brine and it proved an acceptable save.  Will make this often.  Next time, I'll try adding spinach with the tomatoes and olives.

This recipe sounds delicious.  Do you think I can sub quinoa for the orzo?

This Greek Chicken Orzo is an easy one-pot recipe with juicy marinated chicken, tender orzo, spinach, tomatoes, olives, and feta tossed in a creamy, lemony Greek-inspired sauce.

Greek Chicken Orzo

chicken broth

half and half

Greek vinaigrette salad dressing (see notes)

honey

Dijon mustard

hot sauce (I use Frank’s)

Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base (optional. See notes)

EACH: dried oregano, parsley, onion powder

lemon pepper seasoning (see notes)

avocado oil (can sub olive oil)

dry white wine (see notes)

butter

red onions (finely diced)

orzo (uncooked)

baby spinach

cherry tomatoes (halved)

green and Kalamata olives (pitted)

(16 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

feta cheese (crumbled)

Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure remaining ingredients before beginning.

Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound it to an even ½-inch thickness. Slice into 2-inch pieces, pat dry, and season with the lemon pepper seasoning. Transfer to a gallon freezer bag along with 1/3 cup Greek dressing. Seal out the air and marinate at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a deep, 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and discard the remaining marinade. Sear for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside. If the skillet has any blackened spots, carefully wipe them away, leaving the brown fond behind. The fond adds flavor to the sauce.

Add the wine and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the skillet to loosen the flavorful browned bits. Reduce the wine by about half, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the butter and red onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Turn the heat off and let the pan cool for 1 minute. Add the combined sauce mixture, then bring the liquid to a gentle boil.

Add the orzo and bring it back to a gentle boil. Cook uncovered according to package instructions, stirring frequently. Important: Slide a silicone spatula along the bottom of the skillet throughout cooking to lift any orzo that may be settling.

Reduce heat to medium-low. The sauce will still be fairly loose at this point; the orzo will continue to absorb it as it stands.

Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives, and chickpeas and cook for 1 minute, just until heated through.

Reduce heat to low and add the lemon juice and cooked chicken. Stir to combine and heat through.

Add the feta and stir to combine, it will melt slightly, but some texture will remain. The orzo and sauce will continue to thicken upon standing. Remove from heat and serve!

Amazing as always! I left out the cherry tomatoes (didn’t have a spare kidney to sell) and halved the Dijon but it was still such a lovely balanced dish! The briny flavors followed by that sweet aftertaste from the honey could make a grown man cry 😭 
It was a huge hit for all different palates in my household, thank you for another keeper Stephanie!

SOOOO GOOOD!! My husband loves 'tangy' recipes and this was a huge hit! So easy and yet it tasted like I had cooked all day! I did add those small mozzarella balls because I love cheese! You have the absolute best recipes - thank you for being my meal planner ;)

Bro. This was incredible. It's already in my personal top 5 of your summer recipes. (We are obsessed with the Milanese chicken and Italian pasta salad.)

But it needs a warning. Do not, under any circumstances, snack or sample the chicken after it is cooked. It's so darn good, you'll have none left. Idk if you know, but it makes for an EXCELLENT chicken skewer or grilled chicken marinade. I did the seasoning and marinade steps from this recipe, then coated some cubed veges in some of the extra CC greek dressing, before poking it with a stick and throwing it on the grill. This is actually how we did it the 2nd time i made this recipe. 4 days after  making it for the first time. Lol. The Orzo etc actually makes a super good side dish if you grill the chicken on a skewer. Add hummus and pita and you can pretend you are on vacation at some nice seaside restaurant in Croatia or Greece.

Its just such a good recipe. Its got so much flavor to it. I think my favorite thing about it is that each bite is a little different depending on where your fork lands.

I was a little intimidated by this one or assumed it would take a long time because of all the ingredients but it's a surprisingly speedy cook. And very much one you can make without much skill. I did mess it up a little the 2nd time by adding one extra thing of honey, but it wasn't noticeable. I actually liked the teeny tiny bit of extra sweet.

And it heats up fine in a microwave or, if you live somewhere where hot lunch sounds awful, when eaten cold from the fridge, it is equally good. 

I ate the last thing of leftovers today and am already planning on when we will make it again.

10/10 for this one for sure. 

(BTW. The link for the lemon seasoning wasn't working the other day and is still being goofy today.)

😊 thank you for the kind comment! I feel like I need to now mention that we ate the leftovers last night, I just reheated it in a make shift double boiler (stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water with a lid, added a splash of whole milk because it was handy… ) and I’m not sure it wasn’t even better after spending the night in the fridge!!! This one’s a keeper for sure.

But honestly I’ve never tried one of your recipes that we didn’t love! Don’t get me wrong, some are more loved than others but all are loved at least a bit!!!! 🥰

I made this last night and it was a hit with hubby. It makes a lot, we are big eaters so I expected to get four servings but it looks like I’ll get six so it’s a bargain for that! Even for those of us who have large appetites! I did add a few sliced peppadew peppers because hubby loves them and I had them in the fridge anyway! I also marinated the chicken for a few hours in the fridge rather than for the short time called for in the recipe because I did all my chopping and measuring for this recipe early in the day. That way all I had to do when I was ready to cook dinner all I had to do was pull all the ingredients out of the fridge and cook! I even made up the sauce and kept it in the fridge. (That’s the way I cook most things, I do all the prep work early in the day when I’m full of energy. Then I refrigerate what needs to be refrigerated and clean up all my prep utensils. When dinner time comes and I’m a bit tired all I have to do is pull out my ingredients and pull it together! Sort of self made meal prep!)

It’s delicious, easy to make, makes enough to serve six easily, and doesn’t call for hard to find ingredients. What more can you ask for!!!

As soon as you posted this, I knew I had to try it! It’s amazing! My husband and I devoured it, even my pickier seven-year-old loved it!! 

https://videos.scriptwrapper.com/9728/O2lVLKSvDoEOyVnceJex/original/video.mp4

The Cozy Cook

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Greek Chicken Orzo (30 Minutes, One...

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