One Pan. 30 Minutes. Crazy Good.
The easiest and best Chicken Orzo Bake ever. And I’m a bit of a connoisseur. I have made a lot of them. A. Lot.
So I can tell you that this one is possibly my fave. It’s so tasty! Creamy, cheesy orzo, loaded with juicy chicken and bright lemon flavour. I also added in artichokes because I’m a fool for those guys even though – and this is the truth – I have never eaten and artichoke that didn’t come out of a can. I know. I’m not ashamed.
I’m a big fan of a meal that comes together in half an hour and only uses one pan but seriously, who isn’t? Less pans means less dishes you understand, and so a quick and easy dinner like this is a go-to for me. Perfect for a weeknight dinner and also suitable for entertaining.
This recipe is simple, it’s quick, and it is incredibly yummy. It’s also adaptable. Don’t want the lemon tonight? Don’t use it. Artichokes not your jam? Leave ’em out. Maybe swap in some tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes and some olives. Or don’t. I’ll give you some options below, but you do whatever you need to do.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Chicken Orzo Bake with Lemon and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped (I cut each into 4 pieces)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup shallot finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup orzo uncooked
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can artichokes drained and chopped
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups parmesan finely grated, divided
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
- Add in the chicken, season with S&P and brown on all sides.
- Add in the shallot and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the butter, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes and a good pinch S&P and cook 2-3 minutes more.
- Add in the wine and cook, stirring well, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add in the orzo, broth, artichokes, lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir well and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer 4-5 minutes.
- Add in the cream, and 1/2 cup of the parmesan. Stir well.
- Bake uncovered 12-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, the orzo is cooked and the sauce is bubbling.
- Top with the remaining parmesan cheese.
- Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
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chicken orzo bake recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Chicken – I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe, cut into quarters, but breasts also work, just cut them into large chunks.
Orzo – I try to buy good Italian pasta (like this), which you can generally find in most supermarkets these days.
Shallots and Garlic – the flavour makers! You can sub in onion for the shallots.
White Wine – this really enhances the flavour of this recipe, but if you want to omit it, just use more chicken broth in it’s place to deglaze the pan.
Artichokes – I am a fool for an artichoke and they bring such a great texture to this recipe. Just use regular, canned artichokes.
Cream – I’m using heavy cream because it’s just absolutely luscious. If you want to make this dish vegan you can omit the chicken, use vegetable broth, omit the parmesan (maybe add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast?) and use coconut cream or your favourite dairy free cream.
Freezing – I don’t love to freeze pasta dishes, so I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one. Remember, it only takes 30 minutes to make in the first place! 😉
Storing – keep leftovers for a few days in a container in the fridge.
Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe Variations:
Tuscan Sun Dried Tomato Version – omit the lemon, thyme and artichokes. In place of those, stir in 1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes, 1/2 tsp dried oregano and 1/2 tsp dried basil. When you add the cream add in a couple big handfuls of fresh baby spinach.
Boursin Version – this is so simple but adds so much extra creamy flavour… along with the cream, stir in 1/2 of a block of boursin cheese and a couple of thinly sliced green onions. Instead of the artichokes (or in addition to), I like to add a handful of cherry tomatoes into this version.
Shrimp Version – I love chicken and shrimp together (like in my Chicken & Shrimp Fried Rice) so adding shrimp to this dish is a no-brainer. Just add in about a half pound of raw shrimp when you add in the cream.
Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe, how to make it…
Start by heating up a large, heavy skillet and browning the chicken in a glug of olive oil. Season it generously with salt and pepper because seasoning as you go is key. Once the chicken is gorgeously browned, add in the shallots and let them soften for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing burns.
Add in a little butter along with the garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, and another good dose of salt and pepper. Stir it all well and let it cook for another couple of minutes.
Pour in the white wine, scraping up any lovely browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer away until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir in the orzo, broth, chopped artichokes, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Give it a good mix, bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes.
Pour in the heavy cream and stir in some of the parmesan. Give it a really good stir and then pop the whole skillet into the oven. Let it cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. The chicken should be fully cooked, the orzo tender, and the sauc bubbling.
Pull the pan out and sprinkle the remaining parmesan all over the top. Pop it back into the oven for another 5 minutes until it’s golden, melty, and looking gorgeous.
if you like this Chicken Orzo Bake recipe, try serving it with…
- A yummy appy like this Tomato Garlic Confit and Ricotta Crostini or this Loaded Avocado Dip
- This Chopped Kale Salad or my Spinach Arugula Salad
- My Lemon Ricotta Olive Oil Cake or Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Filling would be the perfect finish.
If you like this Lemon Parmesan Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!
