Creamy orzo, burst tomatoes, salty olives and feta, and fork-tender chicken thighs come together in this delicious and easy Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo. This dish can be ready in under an hour and is the simple weeknight dinner everyone will love!
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When it comes to busy weeknights, this one-pot Mediterranean chicken and orzo is the way to go!
I’m using chicken thighs here which are pretty much foolproof and my go-to ingredient for so many easy recipes like lemon chicken orzo soup, chicken and peppers, grilled chicken thighs, and Greek lemon chicken and potatoes.
And since everything is made in one pan there is minimal cleanup required!
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.
- Chicken. I’m using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe but you can certainly use bone-in thighs or chicken breasts.
- Orzo. Orzo is a pasta that’s shaped like rice and is often used in Mediterranean dishes, like orzo with shrimp and feta, baked orzo, and rice pilaf. If you can’t find orzo, you can use other small pasta or couscous.
- Olives. Kalamata or gaeta olives bring great Mediterranean flavor to this dish. To save time, look for olives that are already pitted, otherwise you’ll need to pit them yourself.
- Feta. This salty cheese contributes greatly to the Mediterranean flavors in this dish and adds a nice salty bite. Block feta is better, but you can buy the pre-crumbled feta to save time.
- Tomatoes. Use either cherry or grape tomatoes. You can either leave them whole or slice in half. I halved about half of mine and kept the other half whole.
- Stock. If you have it on hand, use homemade chicken stock. Otherwise, you can use a stock made from chicken base or a boxed stock.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat along with the olive oil and once shimmering, add the chicken thighs and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Work in batches if need be, then transfer the chicken to a plate covered with tented foil.
- Add the diced onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt and once soft, add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until they begin to burst. Add the orzo and mix well to make sure it’s coated with olive oil. Toast the orzo for 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock, honey, and oregano, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat to low and nestle the chicken thighs into the orzo.
- Cover the pot and cook until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed, about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove the cover and add the olives and lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley and feta. If the orzo is at all dry, add a touch more chicken stock and olive oil. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
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One Pot Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (908g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons 60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 pound (454g) orzo
- 3 1/2 cups (840ml) low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (22g) honey
- 1 tablespoon dried greek oregano
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 cup (70g) kalamata or gaeta olives pitted, rinsed, and chopped
- 1/2 cup (57g) crumbled feta
- 1/2 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
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Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the chicken thighs and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place the chicken onto a plate and tent with foil.
- Add the onion to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Once the onions are soft and translucent (about 5-7 minutes) add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the hot red pepper flakes and tomatoes to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to burst.
- Add the orzo and mix well to coat with the olive oil. Toast the orzo for 3 minutes then add the chicken stock, honey, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and nestle the chicken pieces into the orzo. Cover the pot and cook until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed (about 12-15 minutes).
- Uncover the pot and mix in the olives and lemon juice. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parsley and feta. If the orzo is too dry add a touch more chicken stock and olive oil if needed. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper if required. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 4 large or 6 moderate sized servings.
- Chicken breasts can be subbed for chicken thighs. If using, sear the chicken until cooked through, slice into bite size pieces, and then mix in after the orzo has finished cooking.
- Any variety of olives can be used but kalamata or gaeta are recommended.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is pure happiness!! I didn’t have a large enough skillet so I browned the chicken in a cast iron pan and cooked everything else in a pot. I also left out the pepper flakes. The flavor and texture are so, so good and it is so easy to make. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
That’s so great to hear, Barb!
Think parm work instead of feta?
Parmigiano is very different from feta but you can certainly substitute if that’s all you have.
I didn’t make this yet but it it looks fantastic. I had to comment because of the first comment and the reply from Tara…..I just can’t stop laughing. It is so funny….Love it !!! And James…Love your recipes…💖
Thanks, Shirley! 🙂
What the hell is a pound of orzo?
A pound of orzo is 1 pound of orzo (16 ounces or 454 grams) which is how pasta is sold here in the US.
We enjoyed this recipe very much, it was easy to make, I followed the directions exactly! It was very tasty, saucy and delicious, even our 3 year old granddaughter loved it!
So happy you and your granddaughter loved it, Linda!
Absolutely delightful and easy dish! Despite being a pretty simple dish with simple ingredients, the flavor was fantastic and the texture was soooo wonderful – creamy, perfectly tender orzo with the bright and tangy tomatoes balanced perfectly with the salty olives and feta. I will absolutely be making this one again. I will say that I think homemade chicken stock is highly preferable in this dish. I used homemade stock (your stock recipe as well), and I think that really adds to the texture of the sauce being so wonderful!
Thanks so much, Crystal! We always recommend homemade stock over storebought options, so really glad to hear you thought it made it even better.
Very nice. Guests liked it.
We’re so happy you and your guests enjoyed!
It’s got some zing to it for sure. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, but I think that if I had used thighs, the extra fattiness might have cut the heat down a bit, which would not have been a bad thing (although I loved it as it is!).
Big hit with the family. Thanks for the recipe!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Dave!