One skillet Creamy Orzo Chicken with Artichoke Hearts- a deliciously cozy dinner, made with simple pantry ingredients, perfect for busy weeknights. Video.
Practice listening to your intuition, your inner voice; ask questions; be curious; see what you see; hear what you hear; and then act upon what you know to be true. These intuitive powers were given to your soul at birth. ―
If I had to pick one cozy dinner that never lets me down, it's this Creamy Orzo Chicken. After years of cooking professionally (and for a very opinionated husband), I've made this dish more times than I can count-and it always gets devoured.
It's got all the good stuff: tender chicken thighs, creamy orzo, briny artichokes, a hint of Dijon, and just enough lemon to keep things bright. Everything cooks together in one skillet, which means less mess and more flavor. And based on the 90+ reader reviews, I know you'll love it too!
Whether you’re cooking for your family, friends, or just want a cozy night in, this recipe is easy, reliable, and feels a little fancy without the effort. It's the kind of meal you'll come back to again and again.
Why You’ll Love My Chicken Orzo
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One pan, zero drama - Everything cooks in the same skillet (including the orzo!), so cleanup is minimal and flavor is maximum.
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Comfort food with a glow-up - Creamy, cozy, and satisfying, but with bright pops of lemon, Dijon, and artichoke to keep things interesting.
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Tested to perfection - I've made this recipe more times than I can admit, and it's been road-tested by readers, friends, and even picky spouses.
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Weeknight-friendly, weekend-worthy - Fast enough for a Tuesday, special enough for company.
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Highly customizable - Swap in spinach, sundried tomatoes, different herbs-this dish plays well with others.
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Secretly impressive - It looks fancy, tastes amazing, and people will think you worked way harder than you did.
Chicken Orzo Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs – bone-in, skin-on, or sub chicken breasts or skinless thighs, see notes.
- Onion and garlic cloves– or sub leeks or shallots
- Orzo pasta- Cooks quickly and evenly!
- Seasonings- salt, black pepper, lemon zest and thyme (or sub sage, or rosemary)
- Dijon mustard– for punchy flavor.
- Chicken stock– or other flavorful broth/
- Sour cream, or sub-full-fat yogurt – for richness.
- Artichoke hearts– jarred and packed in water, or use frozen. Or sub other veggies- peas, cooked mushrooms, etc.
- Fresh spinach, or sub other wiltable greens.
WATCH: How to Make Chicken Orzo
How to Make Chicken Orzo
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Season the chicken on all sides generously with salt and pepper. A good rule of thumb is one scant teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken. Pan-sear each side until perfectly golden, and the skin is crispy- then set aside on a plate.
2. Saute the onion, garlic and thyme. Add the orzo and toast in the pan for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and salt. Stir in the mustard. Cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
3. Stir in the sour cream. If it seems dry, stir in more broth- a good rule of thumb is when you shake the pan, the mixture should level out. Stir in the spinach and artichokes. Nestle in the chicken thighs.
4. Bake uncovered until the chicken thighs are cooked through (170°F) and the edges are bubbling, about 20 minutes. Broil the skin for extra crispy.
5. Garnish the Creamy Orzo Chicken with lemon zest.
More like this Orzo Chicken:
- 35+ Chicken Breast Recipes
- Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Kale
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Gorgonzola Chicken with Mushrooms & Sage
- Chicken Mole
- Chicken Marsala
- Lemony Broccoli Chicken Orzo Bake
Creamy Chicken Orzo Recipe
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main, chicken recipe
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
One Skillet Creamy Orzo Chicken with Artichoke Hearts- a deliciously cozy dinner, made with simple pantry ingredients, perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on, or use chicken breast, see notes)
- salt and pepper (1 scant teaspoon salt, per pound of chicken)
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme ( or one teaspoon dried, or sub sage or rosemary)
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, more as needed
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sour cream; add more for extra creamy- sub-full-fat plain yogurt or heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained. Or sub frozen artichoke hearts, peas, edamame, etc.
- 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 4-6 thyme sprigs
- Lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear the chicken: In a large (10-11 inch) oven-proof skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the skin side first 4-5 minutes, until beautifully golden and crispy, turn over, and sear the other side 3-4 minutes. Set chicken aside on a plate.
- Saute: Lower heat to medium-low, and to the same skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil, onions, garlic and thyme. Saute 4-5 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Add the orzo, stirring 1-2 minutes. Add 2 cups of broth, scrape up any brown bits, stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and mustard and bring to simmer, and cover for 4-5 minutes, or until orzo is al dente and has soaked up most of the liquid.
- Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of broth and adjust the salt to taste (I added another 1/4 teaspoon.)
- Stir in sour cream, spinach, and artichoke hearts. Give the pan a shake, it should level out nicely. If it’s too dry to level out, then add more chicken stock or water to loosen it up.
- Nestle in the chicken, arrange some the artichokes, so they are showing, and place in the oven and bake uncovered until the chicken registers 170F and the very edges of the pan are bubbling, and the orzo is tender – about 20 -25 minutes. Add the sprigs of thyme. Broil the chicken for a few minutes for extra crispy skin.
- Garnish with fresh lemon zest.
Notes
Feel free to use 1 lb chicken breasts. I recommend cutting the breasts into 1-inch bite-sized pieces, seasoning and browning them, then stirring them into the orzo mixture, rather than nestling them on top. They’ll need less baking time- check at 10-15 minutes.
If using heavy cream instead of sour cream, add few drops of lemon juice to give it a tanginess.
Leftovers last 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 508
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 969.7 mg
- Fat: 26.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.1 g
- Fiber: 8.3 g
- Protein: 26.9 g
- Cholesterol: 119.8 mg
Recette très
Bonne ! Faite avec
Poitrines de poulet en morceau – Merci – à refaire
We translated with google translate- “Very good recipe! Made with chopped chicken breasts – thank you – will make again”
Happy you enjoyed this Didi!