Chicken Giouvetsi (Greek Chicken Orzo)

Name: Chicken Giouvetsi (Greek Chicken Orzo)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil (for cooking); 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1 onion (chopped); 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped); 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried cinnamon; 1 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta, sometimes called risoni or kritharaki in Greece); 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon allspice; ¾ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 1½ cups passata (sieved tomatoes (use canned chopped tomatoes as a substitute)); 1½ cups chicken broth ((stock)); chopped parsley and cheese, for sprinkling (use Greek kefalotiri if you can find it but if not use pecorino, parmesan or feta.); salad and bread; Greek yogurt

By Helen Schofield

on Oct 21, 2021, Updated Jul 13, 2026

92 Comments

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A one pot wonder where traditional Greek cooking meets easy comfort food! This delicious Greek style giouvetsi with chicken ticks a lot of boxes. Super easy, crowd pleasing, and perfect for busy weeknights. Just bake chicken with orzo, tomato passata and a few simple Greek style flavors, then bake. Don’t forget a good sprinkle of feta cheese!

A red baking dish of Greek giouvetsi with chicken with parsley and feta on it and a spoon in it and with a red checked tea towel in the background

What’s giouvetsi
📌Recipe snapshot
About the ingredients
How to make chicken giouvetsi
Helen’s Top Tips
How to serve
Recipe FAQs
More delicious orzo recipes
Chicken Giouvetsi (Greek Chicken Orzo) Recipe

What’s giouvetsi

Giouvetsi is one of those dishes you’re bound to come across on a trip to Greece (along with moussaka, stuffed peppers and tomatoes, Greek gyro pitas (souvlaki), Greek salad and more – all of which I recommend trying too!).

There are quite a few variations of this dish but basically it’s meat baked with tomato sauce, spices and pasta. The pasta is usually orzo or risoni (kritharaki in Greek). This is pasta shaped like large grains of rice. Traditionally giouvetsi is cooked in small clay pots. I keep things simple though by using either a Dutch oven/cast iron pot (this is perfect if you have one) or just a big saucepan and a baking dish.

Giouvetsi is everyday food in Greece for a reason. Quick and easy to make, tasty and family friendly. The best part is that you’ll only need a few ingredients to make it. You might have to buy chicken and orzo, but most of the others you’ll probably have in the pantry already. it also goes a surprisingly long way. With simple sides, this recipe can easily feed 5 to 6 people.

📌Recipe snapshot

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 5 to 6
Key ingredients: olive oil, skinless boneless chicken thighs, onion, garlic, oregano, cinnamon, paprika, orzo, allspice, passata, chicken broth (stock)
Why you’ll love this: one pan dinner (just add a simple green salad!), quick & easy, comforting, just a few simple ingredients, makes a lot, like risotto but easier

About the ingredients

One of the great things about this Greek orzo recipe is that it’s made with mostly pantry ingredients:

A labelled image of the ingredients needed to make giouvetsi with chicken including garlic, olive oil, chicken thighs, herbs and spices, tomato passata, onion and orzo pasta

Olive oil: for browning the chicken
Chicken thighs: I prefer skinless boneless chicken thighs for easy eating.
An onion: Any kind of onion will add savory flavor.
Garlic: Crush and throw them in!
Dried oregano and ground cinnamon: Classic Greek flavors! You might be surprised by the cinnamon, but it works so well!
Orzo (sometimes called risoni or kritharaki): This is rice-shaped pasta available in most supermarkets. Alternatively, try a European style speciality shop.

Got leftover orzo/risoni? Try this simple baked chicken and orzo as well, or check out this collection of 38 best risoni recipes.

Paprika and allspice: The paprika adds warmth, depth and color. Sweet paprika doesn’t overpower the dish, but any kind of paprika will be fine in a pinch. The allspice is one of the ingredients, along with the cinnamon, that gives the giouvetsi its characteristic Greek flavor.
Salt/Pepper: The correct amount of seasoning will help to enhance the other simple flavors.
Passata: This is just tomatoes that have been pureed and sieved. In the US, this is sometimes called tomato purée or strained tomatoes. Note that this is not the same as tomato paste (concentrate). If you can’t find passata, regular canned chopped tomatoes are a great substitute.
Chicken broth (stock): Use a good quality brand with minimal ingredients e.g. chicken, vegetables, herbs. It will seem like a lot of liquid, but the orzo will soak up a lot of it while it’s cooking. If you like, you can swap out some of the liquid for red wine, which adds another great level of flavor.

How to make chicken giouvetsi

Did I mention how easy this Greek chicken orzo is to make?

Steps 1 to 3: Brown chicken thighs for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan and soften a chopped onion in the left-over fat and juices.

Step 4: Add the cinnamon and oregano.

First 4 steps to make giouvetsi with chicken, including browning the chicken, removing it to a plate, then browning the onions and adding some of the spices

Step 5: Add the dry orzo. Stir that around on the heat for a short while until the orzo gets coated with the juices and oil.

Step 6: Add the chicken and any juices back into the pot. Sprinkle over the paprika and allspice.

Step 7: Throw the passata and chicken stock over the top. Give it all a quick mix around.

Step 8: Pour into a baking dish (if not using a cast iron pot that can go straight into the oven) and then bake for about 30 minutes.

collage of 4 images showing second part of making giouvetsi with chicken including adding spices, pouring over tomato passata and getting ready to bake

Steps 9 and 10: Remove the dish from the oven when the orzo and chicken are just cooked through. Sprinkle generously with fresh parsley and cheese. Eat immediately!

collage of 2 images showing giouvetsi with chicken in a baking dish overhead before and after baking

Helen’s Top Tips

Stir the giouvetsi a couple of times while it’s baking. Add a drizzle more water if it looks too dry.
Don’t skip browning the chicken. Take a few extra minutes to turn up the heat and brown on all sides. This helps to seal in the flavour of the meat before you start adding everything else.
Sauté the orzo in the pan for a minute or two before proceeding with the recipe. Just like you would if making a risotto. This will seal in the starch and stop the pasta from becoming too gloopy when cooked.
Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes when it comes out of the oven. It may look like there’s still a lot of liquid, but the orzo will continue to absorb it as it sits.
Try a different meat. Giouvetsi isn’t always made with chicken, by any means. Beef is popular, as is lamb. For either beef or lamb, simmer chunks of the meat in the sauce gently for 15 minutes before baking with the orzo pasta. If you have to add some extra water to the baking dish during cooking, that’s absolutely fine.

How to serve

This dish ends up like a cross between a risotto, a comforting bowl of pasta and a spiced tomato chicken casserole!

It’s simple and yet flavourful. I always sprinkle the finished dish with plenty of fresh parsley and cheese – either Greek kefalotyri if you can find it, or pecorino or even parmesan. My favorite though is feta!

Serve with a Greek lettuce salad (maroulosalata), or a simple green salad with tomatoes, cucumber and avocado, or similar.
Alternatively you can skip the feta (use another cheese instead) and serve it with a Greek salad.
I also highly recommend serving with tsatziki sauce, or even just a big spoonful of Greek yogurt.
If you’re serving this to guests, consider making these 10-minute frozen sauteed green beans, or a bowl of these Mediterranean roast vegetables, to go on the side.
Lastly, I sometimes serve this with some 2-minute olive oil toasts as well. Perfection!

Looking for more Greek style sides? Take a look at this collection of 21 easy Greek side dishes for loads of delicious inspiration!

A bowl of giouvetsi with chicken with a spoon in it and with some Greek yogurt from above and on a blue background with a baking dish in the background

Recipe FAQs

What is the best pan to make giouvetsi in?

If you have a dutch oven or cast iron pot, definitely drag it out of the cupboard to make giouvetsi! It means you can start the meal off on the stovetop, then finish it in the oven in the same pot.

If you don’t have one though, that’s absolutely fine. Just use a large heavy saucepan, then tip the pasta mixture into a medium sized baking dish – around 9 x 13 inches.

How do I know when it’s done?

This dish is ready when the orzo has soaked up some (but not all) of the sauce, and is just cooked. You may even have to add a tiny bit more water as it cooks. The orzo should be ‘al dente’ – cooked but still with a tiny ‘bite’. Taste a little to check, but 30 minutes in the oven is usually perfectly right.

Can I reheat it?

You can, but add a splash more water before you do. Microwave covered and on reduced power until just piping hot, but try not to overdo it. It won’t be quite as good as it was when first cooked, but it still makes pretty tasty leftovers when paired with a simple salad, Greek yogurt and bread. Mmm!

Can I freeze it?

I have to be honest… this is not great frozen. The pasta becomes mushy when defrosted and reheated. So no this isn’t a freezer meal. Make it the night you’re going to serve it.

What can I use instead of orzo?

Just in case you can’t find orzo/risoni easily, see if your supermarket has another very small type of pasta instead. Look for acini di pepe or ditalini (smaller and larger than orzo respectively), or even small orrechiette.

Now what to do with the rest of the orzo? 😉