Greek Chicken Orzo

Greek Chicken Orzo

You know when you’re feeling like “trying something new” for dinner? Scrolling my Pinterest board I landed on this recipe and thought, I’ve never made orzo before, that’s new! Well orzo is basically pasta just harder to find in the grocery store. Either way I was happy I tried this dish because it was delicious and the greek and lemony flavour are very different than what I typically put on a pasta dish.

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INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. paprika + more for garnish
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
8 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme + more for garnish
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 cup white wine*
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 lemon
2 cups spinach
1/4 cup feta crumbled

YIELD

6 servings

TIME

• Prep - 5 minutes

• Cook - 25 minutes

TOOLS

• Medium bowl

• Deep skillet with a lid

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop onion, set aside. Cut lemon in half, juice half the lemon, cut the other half into slices for garnish, set aside.

2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cayenne, paprika, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour 1 tbsp. of olive oil into a skillet and put on medium-high heat.

4. Roll chicken thighs in the flour mixture and place in the heated olive oil in the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. The chicken won’t be cooked completely yet but that’s okay, they will fully cook in the broth! Place aside on a plate.

5. In the same skillet, add the reminder of the olive oil. Turn heat down to medium. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes until onion begins to soften. Then add the garlic, oregano, and thyme. Stir and cook for another minute.

6. Pour in wine, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Add in orzo and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat back to medium. Add the chicken back into the skillet and cover with a lid to cook for 5 minutes.

7. Add in chopped spinach and submerge into liquid. If you notice you are low on broth you can add in a 1/4 cup more. Cook for another 5 minutes with the lid on.

8. Check the orzo is fully cooked (as you would regular pasta) and remove from heat. Garnish with feta, thyme, black pepper, and lemon wedges. Serve warm.

ADAPTATIONS

*I used Pinot Grigio but any white wine can work. If you don’t have wine around you can replace with an equal amount of chicken broth.

Recipe adapted from Jo Cooks.