My Baked Orzo couldn’t be easier and is loaded with Mediterranean flavor. While you can serve this as a side dish, it’s definitely substantial enough to enjoy as a main course!
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This one is a keeper and it’s so easy!
We’ve been on an orzo kick in our home lately from one pan salmon and spinach orzo, to mediterranean chicken and orzo, and now this incredible baked orzo recipe.
It’s so easy to make and is packed with Mediterranean flavors like tomato, garlic, oregano, and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. The feta seals the deal and gives this dish a nice salty bite.
The best part is that baked orzo with feta is ready in under an hour making it perfect for busy weeknights!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Orzo. This rice-shaped pasta, also known as risoni in Italian, is prevalent in Mediterranean dishes. If you’re looking for a similar dish that uses rice instead of orzo, check out my riso al forno recipe.
- Stock. I used a boxed chicken stock for this recipe, but you will get better results with homemade chicken stock. If you want to make this dish vegetarian, you can 100% use vegetable stock in its place.
- Tomatoes. I used a can of whole plum tomatoes that I blender pulsed. To save time you can use canned crushed tomatoes.
- Spices. Dried Greek oregano (or Sicilian oregano) works great here along with bay leaves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. These all give this baked orzo its Greek-inspired flavor.
- Feta. I’ve found that the quality of block feta is superior to the feta crumbles but use whichever is available to you and more importantly, what fits your budget.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Greek-style baked orzo
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened and the edges start to brown, about 10 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds. Note: To make this a one-pan dish, start off by using an oven-safe pan (at least 4 quart in size) so transferring to a baking dish isn’t needed later on.
- Add the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a lively simmer. Once the sauce thickens, add the chicken stock, oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg.
- Bring to a boil for 2 minutes while mixing to incorporate, then taste test and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Turn off the heat and mix in the orzo. If you are not using an oven-safe pan, transfer the orzo and sauce mixture to a 9×13″ baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the feta on top. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the orzo is tender. Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve with more feta and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Top tips
- Use an oven-safe pan. To make this a true one-pan baked orzo, cook your onions and sauce ingredients in an oven-safe pan (a 4qt saute pan works well). That way you won’t need to transfer to a baking dish before placing in the oven.
- Make vegetarian. Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock to make this a vegetarian baked orzo.
- Bulk it up. The addition of ground beef or turkey would be great and ground lamb would be even better as it adds to the Mediterranean flavor.
More Greek-inspired recipes
If you love the Mediterranean flavors in this baked orzo, give these other recipes a try!
Easy Baked Orzo
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- 4 cups (1L) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pound (454g) orzo
- 3/4 cup feta cheese
- 3 tablespoons minced flat leaf Italian parsley for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Heat the oil in a saucepot to medium heat and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened and the edges start to brown (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the plum tomatoes and bring to a lively simmer. Once the sauce starts to thicken, add the chicken stock, oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg. Bring a boil for 2 minutes, while mixing to incorporate. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn off the heat and mix in the orzo. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Note: If you used an oven-safe pan you're good to go, otherwise pour the contents into a baking dish before baking.
- After 15 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle on the feta. Return to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the orzo is tender.
- Sprinkle the parsley on top and serve with more feta and lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
- Servings. Makes 8 moderate or 4-6 large servings.
- Baking dish. If you used an oven-safe pan for sauteing you’re good to go, otherwise pour the contents into a baking dish before baking.
- Add meat. Ground meat such as beef chuck or lamb can be added to this dish to make a more substantial meal.
- Leftovers. Baked orzo can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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We made your Baked Greek Orzo for our meatless Monday supper. I added some additional vegetables to bulk up the dish. Very easy to make and very tasty. We thought it needed some crunch. We’ll make it again.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Rick.
This is a keeper! Served with some grilled shrimp, delish! Thank you!
Great to hear! Thanks, Stephanie!
This is a keeper! Served with some grilled shrimp, delish! Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed, Stephanie!
Easy to prepare and delicious. Agree — good Lenten dinner. I always have these ingredients on hand in my kitchen. I used 5 cloves of garlic and only 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Thank you. Be sure to use a big baking dish. Makes a big quantity.
We’re happy you enjoyed!
Great recipe, guys! Since I often substitute orzo for rice, I was happy to see this recipe. I used whole wheat orzo (what I had), and added Kalamata olives and homemade meatballs. Super easy and filling, and made great leftovers. Thanks for providing a delicious recipe for this under-appreciated but remarkable pasta!
So happy you enjoyed this one too, Deb!
Will changing the orzo to quina make a big difference?
They’re very different ingredients. We haven’t tested the recipe with quinoa so can’t really say what the adjustments would need to be.