Simple Baked Chicken And Orzo
This simple baked chicken and orzo is as comforting and crowd-pleasing as classic chicken and rice, but it's just that little bit different! Simply brown skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (for the best flavor!), then bake them all in the one pot on top of orzo pasta mixed with delicious Mediterranean pantry flavors. No need to pre-cook the pasta! Serve with crumbled feta and fresh parsley for a weeknight dinner that will always go down well!
Servings: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil plus a little extra for cooking the onions
- 8 chicken thighs skin-on, bone-in
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds crushed a little with the flat side of a knife (if you can't find fennel seeds, just use a little more thyme instead)
- ½ cup white wine (or use more chicken broth/stock instead)
- 2 cups chicken broth (stock)
- 1 lemon zest of all of it, juice of half of it
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 cup orzo pasta (sometimes called risoni)
- 3½ ounces feta cheese
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped (½ a cup is about ⅓ of a bunch)
- salt & pepper to sprinkle generously over the chicken, and then to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F/200C (regular oven) or 350F/180C (fan oven) and sprinkle plenty of salt and pepper all over the chicken thighs.salt & pepper, 8 chicken thighs
- Meanwhile, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide, high-sided pan (ideally one that you can also put in the oven). Then brown the chicken for a few minutes on each side on a medium high heat, or until lightly golden. Then take the chicken out of the pan, along with any cooking juices, and set aside for now.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Now add a drizzle more olive oil to the pan. Add the chopped onion and stir for a couple of minutes or until slightly softened. Then stir in the crushed garlic, thyme, and fennel.1 large onion, 4 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- Pour the white wine into the pan. Then add most of the other ingredients - chicken broth, lemon zest, chickpeas, and orzo pasta. Stir well.½ cup white wine, 2 cups chicken broth, 1 lemon, 1 can chickpeas, 1 cup orzo pasta
- Place the browned chicken on top of the mixture, and pour in any chicken juices. If your pan is not oven-safe, just transfer everything to a baking dish. Then bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and the orzo is tender. Keep an eye on it towards the end of baking, and if it looks too dry, add a drizzle or two more of broth or water. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like.
- To serve, crumble the feta and sprinkle it all over the dish. Chop the parsley and sprinkle that over too. If you like, add a simple fresh green salad on the side.3½ ounces feta cheese, ½ cup fresh parsley
Video
Notes
Chicken amount: Anywhere from 5 to 9 chicken thighs, depending on how big they are. For me, 8 chicken thighs is roughly 2 to 3 pounds or 1 to 1.5 kilos. Also, it depends on the size of your pan. Try to use a wide, high-sided pan that works both on the stovetop and oven, or just transfer the ingredients to a baking dish for baking if you don't have one.
Variations: You can easily replace the fennel and thyme with other herbs and spices such as mixed Italian herbs, oregano, paprika and even cinnamon. To serve, you could try sprinkling over chopped fresh dill or mint.
Storage instructions: You can keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, cover and microwave individual portions for about 3 minutes, or until piping hot again. I don't think this is very suitable for freezing as the texture of the orzo pasta can change too much.
Nutrition
Calories: 856kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 904mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 932IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 4mg
