Orzo pasta is baked in a skillet with chicken, feta, tomatoes, spinach and dill in this gorgeous and easy recipe for Greek chicken pasta.
This Greek chicken pasta is a winner all the way around.
Everything cooks in one skillet. No extra pots and pans.
Not only is this dinner ridiculously easy to make, it's also a show stopper. Put a skillet of this baked Greek chicken and orzo on the table and I guarantee that your family will be impressed.
Best of all, this dinner is seriously delicious. The orzo bakes into a creamy texture that is flavored with garlic and dill, tomato, spinach and salty chunks of feta.
Here's How to Make Baked Orzo and Chicken
- Saute garlic, tomatoes and frozen spinach
- Add orzo, chicken broth, dill and salt
- Add chicken tenders and feta
- Bake about 20 minutes
- Top with fresh dill and lemon
Do I Have to Chicken Tenders?
The small, even size of chicken tenders works well in this recipe because chicken tenders cook in 20 minutes or less. This is the same amount of time that the orzo needs to cook. Leave the orzo in longer than 20 minutes, and it will start getting too soft and mushy.
You can also use chicken breasts, cut into even strips. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs could work too if they're small enough to cook within 20 minutes.
What is Orzo?
Orzo is pasta that is shaped like a long grain of rice. Orzo cooks just like any other type of pasta. Another name for orzo is "risoni pasta."
One of my kids loves warm orzo with butter, so I often serve it as a side dish at dinner. I love cold orzo pasta salads, with feta, olives, beans and fresh herbs.
Orzo is also delicious served as a side dish with Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.
More Chicken Recipes
- Mediterranean Grilled Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
- Instant Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Sheet-Pan Honey Mustard Chicken and Cauliflower
- Sheet-Pan Soy Sauce Chicken and Broccoli
Greek Pasta with Chicken
Orzo pasta is baked in a skillet with chicken, feta, tomatoes, spinach and dill in this gorgeous and easy recipe for Greek chicken pasta.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: chicken
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken tenders, generously seasoned with salt and pepper (or 2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 cups frozen spinach or kale
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces (about 1 cup) crumbled feta , plus more to taste
- Fresh dill for garnish (optional)
- Fresh lemon zest for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Heat olive oil in an oven-proof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat (I use a cast iron skillet)
- Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds.
- Add the tomatoes and frozen spinach/kale and cook about 1 minute more, until the spinach is defrosted.
- Add orzo, chicken broth, dill and salt. Mix well.
- Set the chicken tenders in the skillet, evenly spaced (make sure the chicken is seasoned with salt and pepper before it goes into the skillet!)
- Sprinkle the feta evenly across the skillet.
- Let the broth come up to a simmer then carefully put the skillet in the oven.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and the orzo has absorbed all of the broth.
- A squeeze of lemon juice or grated lemon zest really boosts the final flavor of the dish. Garnish with fresh dill plus more feta if you like + more salt to taste.
Notes
Greek pasta with chicken is delicious served hot, but is also quite nice served at room temperature.
Keywords: greek chicken, greek pasta, greek pasta with chicken, orzo
donna
When do you add the feta?????
Jenny
The feta is sprinkled over the skillet after you add the chicken tenders and before it goes into the oven. You can add more feta after the dish comes out of the oven as well, if you really like feta. I've updated the recipe so this is clear, thanks for letting me know it wasn't!