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Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

I was inspired by a recipe I saw for lemon and chicken baked with orzo on Everybody Likes Sandwiches that looked simple and delicious.  I decided to add artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, tomatoes, and feta to make this dish extra special.  It was fun & easy to make, smelled terrific while it baked, and tasted wonderful.  My husband, my son, and I really loved it while my daughter said it was okay.  Oh well – I can’t please everyone all of the time.

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

How to Make a Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Add the chicken to the Dutch oven once it is HOT. Cook one side of the thigh for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove the chicken thighs from the Dutch oven and place them onto a plate.

Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and orzo to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and chicken broth.  Place the chicken thighs and juices back into the Dutch oven along with the artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, and kalamata olives.  Sprinkle half of the fresh parsley on top.

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

Cover with a lid and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the lid and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until the orzo has soaked up most of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through.  Sprinkle with the feta cheese and remaining parsley then serve.  Enjoy.

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

 

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Bake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4
Author: Pam / For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 5 Boneless and skinless chicken thighs
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
  • ½ sweet yellow onion sliced thinly
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 ½ cups of orzo
  • Zest & juice of one lemon
  • 3 cups of chicken broth
  • Handful of frozen artichoke hearts thawed
  • Handful of grape tomatoes
  • Handful of kalamata olives
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • 1-2 tbsp feta cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven once it is HOT. Cook one side of the thigh for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the chicken thighs from the Dutch oven and place them onto a plate.
  • Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and orzo to the Dutch oven and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and chicken broth. Place the chicken thighs and juices back into the Dutch oven along with the artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, and kalamata olives. Sprinkle half of the fresh parsley on top.
  • Cover with a lid and place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until the orzo has soaked up most of the liquid and the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and remaining parsley then serve. Enjoy.
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30 Comments

  1. Oh my gosh…I love everything about this dish, and especially that it is a one pot dish! My family will love this, but my children will pick out the olives. That’s ok, ’cause that just means more olives for me! 🙂

  2. Looks delicious Pam. I’m a big fan of the Med flavors so I am sure I’ll really like this when we try it and one pot is an added bonus.

  3. Oh man, I was just telling my coworker how I needed a new orzo dish this morning, and this one looks divine. It has so many of my favorite things rolled into one entree!

  4. Can’t please everyone all the time? What kind of attitude is that! Now get back in that kitchen and pray about your attitude, “Missy”! (sorry, Southern Baptist roots slipped out there, ha ha)

    Braising like that is the best way to cook chicken thighs, IMO. It extracts the best out of their flavor and really lets you pack in other tastes too. And you nailed this one, love the flavors.
    PS: Your frying pan rocks!

  5. Pam, this looks AMAZING. I was getting ready to cook it tomorrow night but noticed there isn’t an oven temperature listed? Or maybe I’m just not seeing it. Help! 🙂

  6. Thanks for posting this. I’m always on the lookout for orzo recipes. I’m going to give it a try. Maybe even do a variation on a theme and do it without the chicken for my vegan daughter.

  7. While I admit that I made a couple of minor adaptations to suit my tastes, this one was a bit hit. I am making this for the second time in about three weeks, and that rarely happens in my kitchen! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    doesn’t look as though anyone has done this since 2012, but we made i and just love it. Such a great melange of flavors and 1 pot to boot. Fabulous!