Chicken and Orzo Bake

4.0
(3)
3 Reviews
2 Photos

This chicken and orzo bake is a tasty one-pot dinner, suitable for weeknights. The spinach and sun-dried tomatoes add a nice pop of color and loads of flavor to the cheesy orzo.

By
Barrett Heald
Barrett Heald
Barrett Heald
Barrett Heald is a recipe tester and recipe developer in the Dotdash Meredith Test Kitchen helping to create and perfect recipes for brands, such as AllRecipes, Better Homes & Gardens, and Midwest Living
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Published on March 5, 2024
Tested by
Juliana Hale
Juliana Hale
Tested by Juliana Hale
Juliana Hale is a culinary specialist with over 20 years of experience in recipe testing and development. She works closely with Allrecipes, Better Homes & Gardens, Forks Over Knives, Midwest Living, and Traditional Home both in the test kitchens and with her stories.
Meet the Allrecipes Test Kitchen
Chicken orzo bake served with a charred lemon.
2
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Servings:
6
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

  • 6 skinless boneless chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds)

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 pound dry orzo

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • 1 (5 ounce) package baby spinach

  • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (not oil-packed)

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

    all ingredients to make a chicken orzo bake gathered on a kitchen counter.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. 

    chicken seasoned on a white round plate.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken thighs. Cook until seared and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes each side. Transfer browned chicken to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

    chicken thighs being cooked in an oval dutch oven, in batches.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to Dutch oven. Add onions. Cook until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    onion and garlic cooking in oil in a dutch oven.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Add butter to Dutch oven. Once melted, add orzo, quickly stirring until fully coated with butter. Carefully pour in chicken broth. Scrape bottom of Dutch oven with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.

    broth added to orzo in a dutch oven, scrapping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Bake, covered, in the preheated oven until orzo has absorbed most of the liquid, about 15 minutes.

    tender orzo in a large dutch oven.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Remove Dutch oven from oven. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, dried tomatoes, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

    spinach, Parmesan, dried tomatoes, lemon zest, and lemon juice stirred into tender orzo.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Nestle chicken thighs into orzo mixture. Cover, return to the oven, and bake until chicken is no longer pink at the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center reads at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

    chicken orzo bake in an oval dutch oven.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

847 Calories
37g Fat
79g Carbs
56g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 847
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 37g 48%
Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 215mg 72%
Sodium 1281mg 56%
Total Carbohydrate 79g 29%
Dietary Fiber 8g 27%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 56g 112%
Vitamin C 83mg 93%
Calcium 347mg 27%
Iron 6mg 34%
Potassium 1139mg 24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.