UntrainedChef
Chicken and Orzo Bake - chicken, one-pot recipe

Chicken and Orzo Bake

40 min
2 portions

One pan, half an hour, and dinner's done. Juicy chicken thighs with orzo, feta, and cherry tomatoes — proper Greek-inspired comfort food.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat a deep frying pan and toast the dry orzo until it turns golden — this step isn't strictly necessary, but it makes a real difference to the flavour. Tip it into a bowl and set aside.

  2. 2

    Cut the chicken thigh fillets in half and season the pieces with oregano, paprika, chili, salt, and pepper.

  3. 3

    Heat the pan with oil and brown the chicken pieces well on all sides, then lift them onto a plate.

  4. 4

    Turn the heat down a little and add the rest of the oil. Fry the garlic quickly without letting it colour. Add the chicken stock, cherry tomatoes halved, and the toasted orzo. Bring to a boil, then nestle the chicken pieces back in. Lower the heat, put the lid on, and let everything simmer for about 15 minutes until the orzo is cooked through but still has a bit of bite.

  5. 5

    Take the pan off the heat and stir in the olives. Crumble the feta with your fingers and top the dish with the crumbled feta and chopped basil.

Per average serving

0
Calories
kcal
0
Protein
g
0
Carbs
g
0
Fat
g
0g
Fiber
0g
Sugar
0mg
Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

  • Toast the orzo until it smells nutty and looks a couple of shades darker than when you started. Pale golden isn't enough. You want it closer to the colour of a digestive biscuit. That's where the flavour is.
  • Brown the chicken properly before it goes back in. If the pieces are steaming instead of sizzling, the pan isn't hot enough. Lift them out and let the pan recover before adding more. Pale chicken will taste fine but you'll miss the depth that comes from a proper sear.
  • The orzo absorbs liquid fast. If it looks dry before the 15 minutes are up, add a splash more stock and put the lid back on. On the flip side, if there's still a lot of liquid left at the end, take the lid off for the last few minutes.
  • Let the dish sit off the heat for 5 minutes before you serve it. The orzo firms up slightly and the whole thing holds together better on the plate.
  • Crumble the feta at the end, not during cooking. If it goes in too early it melts into the sauce and you lose those salty pockets. You want chunks sitting on top, not dissolved into everything.

Ways to vary it

  • Swap the cherry tomatoes for a tin of chopped tomatoes if that's what you have. The sauce ends up a bit more substantial, so you might want to reduce the stock by about half a decilitre to compensate.
  • Add a handful of baby spinach right at the end, just before the feta goes on. Stir it in off the heat so it wilts without going grey and soggy.
  • Leave out the olives if you're cooking for people who don't like them. The dish works without them. Or replace them with a small handful of sun-dried tomatoes for a similar salty-savoury hit.

Storage & leftovers

Keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. The orzo will absorb more liquid as it sits, so add a splash of water or stock when reheating on the hob over low heat, stirring gently. Freezing isn't ideal since the orzo goes quite soft when thawed, but it's not a disaster if you need to.

What to serve with it

A simple green salad with a sharp lemon dressing is all you need alongside this. Warm flatbread or crusty bread works well too if people want to mop up the pan juices.

UC
By Untrained ChefPublished 26 June 2026

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