This Mediterranean chicken orzo is a tasty one pan dinner that's packed with marinated lemon chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach all combined with orzo pasta for a perfectly balanced meal.
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Why this recipe works
I love all the delicious flavors of Mediterranean cooking and this dish combines many of the best. The chicken is marinated in a classic Mediterranean mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano similar to my chicken souvlaki.
We'll also add tons of flavor and nutrients to the dish with sweet sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Then it's all topped with tangy, salty feta cheese. And best of all, this is a one pan dinner so clean up is a breeze!
Ingredient Notes
- Sun-dried tomatoes - I recommend using dry packed sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe. These can typically be found with the salad toppings in your grocery store.
- Spinach - Fresh spinach will work best in this dish. If you must use frozen spinach, be sure to that it and squeeze out all of the excess moisture before adding it in.
- Feta Cheese - I recommend using block or chunk style feta and crumbling it into the dish yourself. It's more moist and flavorful than pre-crumbled feta.
How to make chicken and orzo
- Cut chicken into bite sized cubes and place in a large zip top plastic bag. Whisk together ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken and seal the bag, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned but not cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken stock, orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining teaspoon of oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cook until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has cooked off, about 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the pan.
- Gradually add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, then top with crumbled feta cheese and serve.
Expert Tips and FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a splash of stock and heat in a pot over medium low heat until warmed through or reheat smaller portions in the microwave.
You can swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and leave out the chicken to make this dish vegetarian friendly. You can also swap in whole grain orzo for a nutrition boost.
To make this Mediterranean orzo creamy, replace half a cup of the chicken stock with heavy whipping cream and stir in about a quarter of the feta cheese towards the end of cooking so that it melts into the sauce.
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Chicken Orzo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup orzo, uncooked
- ½ cup dry packed sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Cut chicken into bite sized cubes and place in a large zip top plastic bag. Whisk together ¼ cup of olive oil, 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the chicken and seal the bag, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned but not cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken stock, orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining teaspoon of oregano. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cook until the orzo is tender and the chicken is cooked through and most of the liquid has cooked off, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Gradually add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, then top with crumbled feta cheese and serve.
Notes
- Sun-dried tomatoes - I recommend using dry packed sun-dried tomatoes in this recipe. These can typically be found with the salad toppings in your grocery store.
- Spinach - Fresh spinach will work best in this dish. If you must use frozen spinach, be sure to that it and squeeze out all of the excess moisture before adding it in.
- Feta Cheese - I recommend using block or chunk style feta and crumbling it into the dish yourself. It's more moist and flavorful than pre-crumbled feta.
Nutrition Facts
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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