Sprig Originals's kitchen / Greek Lemon Chicken & Orzo Bake with Feta

Greek Lemon Chicken & Orzo Bake with Feta

Name: Greek Lemon Chicken & Orzo Bake with Feta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: greek
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 1/2 cups dried orzo; 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes; 2 1/2 cups chicken stock; 1 lemon, zested and juiced; 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved; 6 oz feta cheese

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

⏱ 1 hr 10 min🍽 Serves 6👨‍🍳 easygreek

High-Protein

Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.

Everything goes into one baking dish: oregano-rubbed chicken thighs roast first, then orzo, tomatoes and stock go in around them and bake into a creamy, lemony pilaf. Crumbled feta and olives melt into the top in the last few minutes. It feeds six, needs no pot on the stove, and reheats beautifully with a splash of water.

Ingredients

Chicken

2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Orzo bake

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dried orzo
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
6 oz feta cheese

Instructions

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). In a 9x13-inch baking dish, toss the chicken thighs with the olive oil, oregano, cinnamon, salt and pepper until coated, then spread them out in a single layer.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the chicken is lightly browned at the edges and has released some juices.
Push the chicken to one side of the dish. Add the onion, garlic, orzo, canned tomatoes with their juice, chicken stock and lemon zest, and stir well to combine, scraping up the browned bits. Spread the orzo mixture level and nestle the chicken back into it, spooning a little of the liquid over the top.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Uncover and stir the orzo around the chicken (it should be almost tender and still a bit soupy). Scatter over the olives and crumble the feta across the top. Bake uncovered for 10 to 12 more minutes, until the orzo is tender, the liquid is mostly absorbed and the feta is softened and patched with gold.
Squeeze the lemon juice over the whole dish, then let it rest for 5 minutes before serving so the orzo finishes soaking up the sauce and turns creamy.

Chef's tips

Orzo cooks at different rates by brand: if it still tastes chalky at the end, stir in 1/4 cup hot water, re-cover and give it 5 more minutes.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs work too, but roast them for 30 minutes in step 2 before adding the orzo.
Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water stirred through to loosen the orzo.
A handful of baby spinach stirred in with the olives wilts down in the final bake if you want a green in the dish.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

598calories

38gprotein

43gcarbs

29gfat

Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.

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