Where healthy meets delicious!

This easy Spanakopita Orzo is a creamy one-pan dinner with tender orzo pasta, spinach, feta, fresh dill, and lemon. All the flavors of spanakopita, ready in about 30 minutes!

This easy Spanakopita Orzo is a creamy one-pan dinner with spinach, feta, fresh dill, and lemon. All the flavors of spanakopita, ready in about 30 minutes!

Spanakopita, meet pasta night. This creamy Spanakopita Orzo brings all those delicious Greek-inspired flavors-spinach, feta, fresh dill, scallions, lemon, and a hint of nutmeg-into an easy one-pan dinner. We’ve been listening, and you’ve been asking for quick, easy meals, and well, here you go!

The orzo cooks right in the skillet, absorbing the flavorful broth and releasing its starches as it cooks, creating a creamy, risotto-like texture without any cream. Fresh spinach (in season now) and herbs are folded in at the end, along with plenty of tangy feta and bright lemon. It’s fresh, bright, and comforting, and on the table in about 30 minutes. Serve as is for a vegetarian dinner, or top it with salmon, baked chicken, shrimp, or your favorite protein.

Why you’ll love this Greek Orzo Recipe!

One pan, 30 minutes. The orzo cooks right in the skillet with the broth, making this an easy weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup.

Decadently creamy without using cream. As the orzo simmers, it releases starch into the broth, creating a naturally creamy risotto-like texture. No heavy cream needed!

Fresh Mediterranean flavor! Salty feta, fresh dill and parsley, tender spinach, and plenty of lemon juice and zest balance the creamy orzo with bright, fresh flavor.

Easily adaptable. Add chickpeas, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, olives, or chicken sausage, or top with your favorite protein.

ingredients neatly arranged for one-pan Greek Orzo - broth, bowl of baby spinach, parsley bunch, block of feta, green onions, scoop of orzo, lemon, garlic cloves, pinch bowls with pepper, cayenne, and salt, fresh nutmeg, onion, and dill bunch.

One Pan Greek Orzo Ingredients

Orzo: A small, rice-shaped pasta that’s perfect for one-pan meals because its starch creates a wonderfully creamy consistency as it cooks.
Yellow onion and garlic cloves: Create the savory foundation for the skillet. Let the onion soften before adding the garlic so it becomes sweet and tender without the garlic burning.
Broth: The orzo absorbs the broth as it cooks, so using a flavorful broth makes a big difference. Vegetable broth keeps the dish vegetarian, but chicken broth works beautifully, too!
Spices: A touch of nutmeg complements the spinach and feta, while cayenne adds gentle warmth. Black pepper and salt round everything out. Adjust the cayenne to taste.
Spinach: Wilts right into the warm orzo, adding color and plenty of greens.
Green onions, fresh parsley, and fresh dill: Fresh herbs are key! Green onions add a mild oniony bite, parsley brings freshness, and dill gives the skillet its distinctive Greek-inspired flavor.
Lemon zest and lemon juice: Brightens the creamy pasta and balances the salty flavor.
Feta cheese: Adds salty, tangy flavor and a little extra creaminess as it softens into the warm orzo. We prefer to buy a block of sheep’s milk feta and crumble it rather than use pre-crumbled feta.
Optional Addition: red pepper flakes, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, olives, chickpeas

How to make Greek Orzo

1. Sauté the onion and garlic. Warm olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions for three minutes. Add the garlic and continue sautéing for a few minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Making the greek orzo: diced onions sautéing in a skillet with a wood spatula.

Orzo and onions in a skillet with a wood spatula.

2. Add the orzo and simmer. Add orzo to the skillet and stir thoroughly, then add the veggie or chicken stock, nutmeg, cayenne, pepper, and salt.

adding the broth to the skillet with a wood spoon to stir.

Making a Greek orzo skillet in one pan with creamy orzo and a wood spatula to stir.

Simmer uncovered for 12-14 minutes, stirring frequently. When done, the orzo should be tender and look a bit loose and saucy. It will continue absorbing liquid as it rests. If it’s dry, add a splash or broth or water.

3. Add greens, lemon, and feta. Add the spinach and wilt it in. Stir in the green onions, lemon zest, parsley, lemon juice, and feta. Remove from the heat.

Finishing the dish- skillet with orzo, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and feta with a wood spatula, seasoning the greek orzo.

4. Taste, adjust, and garnish. Taste the orzo skillet, adding more salt, lemon, or pepper as needed. Sprinkle with fresh dill.

Close up view of Spanakopita Orzo with onions, lemon zest, creamy feta, dill, and spinach.

Chef’s Tips

Stir the orzo frequently. Stirring prevents the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the skillet and helps release the starches that make the dish so creamy.
Keep it a little loose. When the orzo is tender, there should still be some broth visible in the skillet. It will continue absorbing liquid and thicken as it rests.
If the pan looks dry before the orzo pasta is tender, add broth or water a splash at a time.
Add fresh ingredients at the end. Stir in the lemon, herbs, green onions, and feta once the orzo is cooked so their flavors remain bright and fresh.
Taste before adding more salt. Both broth and feta can be salty, so season conservatively at first and make adjustments at the end as needed.

Serving Suggestions

This creamy Greek Orzo is a satisfying vegetarian meal on its own. Serve with a simple side dish, like our cucumber tomato salad!

If desired, you can add protein on top, such as Mediterranean grilled salmon, baked salmon, chicken souvlaki, Mediterranean grilled chicken, shrimp, or chicken sausage (brown the sausage directly in the skillet before starting the orzo).

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, add a splash of broth or water to bring it back to its creamy, saucy consistency.