One-skillet Chicken and Spinach Orzotto
This easy one-skillet chicken and spinach orzotto is a delicious, quick, and easy-to-make weeknight meal. Chicken and spinach are the perfect protein and veggie combo for this dish.
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion dicewd
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- ½ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 cups baby spinach
- ½ lemon juiced
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ cup half and half
- 3 oz Greek Feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Add the chicken to the pan and sear for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate, cover, and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Add the orzo to the pan, and sauté it, stirring for another minute or two until it becomes lightly browned,
- Carefully add wine to deglaze the skillet. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the wine reduces by half.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest, and bring to a steady simmer.
- Place the chicken and any accumulated juices on top of the orzo.
- Cover with a lid and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Test the chicken using an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken thighs should be 170°F.
- Add spinach and continue for 1-2 minutes or until the spinach wilts.
- Add in the half and half and stir well until the orzo becomes very creamy.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and crumbled feta, and serve.
Notes
The fresh lemon zest adds a pop of flavor and aroma to this dish. Use a lemon zester to zest fresh lemon. Adjust the quantity of lemon zest to your preferences by adding more or less to the pan.
Test the chicken doneness using an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature of the chicken thighs should be 170°F. See this page for more details on safe internal temperatures for cooked chicken.
If you don't have chicken broth, use vegetable stock or water. The chicken or vegetable broth adds more flavor and nutrition to the dish.
Sautéing the orzo helps create a great nutty flavor in the orzo pasta, which compliments the rest of the flavors. Do not skip this step!
We do NOT recommend using frozen spinach in this lemon chicken orzo pasta because it retains too much water.
Half-and-half is a combination of half milk and half cream. In the UK and Europe, it might be referred to as "light cream" or "half cream."
You may find fat-free half-and-half in the market, but we do not recommend using it in this recipe, as it is made from skim milk, corn syrup, and a thickener.