Browned skin, juicy meat, tender vegetables, pasta soaking up the drippings – my quick one pot chicken and orzo has it all! And minimal cleanup since you’re only using one skillet. Bonus!
Hello, all.
With the farmers’ markets in full swing again, I’ve been picking up all sorts of spring fruits and veggies – strawberries, Hakurei turnips, garlic scapes, rhubarb, asparagus, and more!
Some nights I’m not sure what to make first from my latest haul, but other nights I know I want quick, easy, and the whole meal in one pot.
Here we have fresh asparagus and parsley from the farm, some nice thighs from the market, my favorite orzo (De Cecco) and a good amount of frozen peas. (Fresh peas I tend to eat out of hand or really highlight since they’re so hard to get.)
So let’s dig in and get into the recipe details…
What do you need?
- Chicken Thighs – For best flavor use bone in and skin on. I prefer organic and local if I can get it.
- Orzo – This compact and quick cooking pasta makes a perfect bed for the meat.
- Onion/Garlic – Some of each, sauteed until soft.
- White Wine/Stock – Wine to deglaze the pan and stock for cooking pasta.
- Vegetables – I use asparagus and peas, but you can pick any number of other veggies, like carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower. Just cut them small.
- Seasonings – Fresh parsley, along with salt and pepper.
How to make this
To make one pot chicken and orzo, start by browning the thighs, then add pasta, stock, and vegetables to the pan. Finish cooking though in the oven.
Since this is such a simple dish, I’m just going to give you the bullet points here and you can head to recipe for the rest.
- Brown the chicken in a hot skillet then move to a bowl.
- Saute the onion and garlic.
- Add the orzo and parsley and deglaze with wine.
- Bring stock to a boil.
- Add veggies then chicken.
- Roast in oven until done.
Tips and Tricks
- Chicken. Use skin on for the best flavor! If you want to brine, salt the meat for at least one hour before cooking and up to overnight.
- Rice. If you want to use rice in place of orzo you will need to simmer it in the stock for about 10 minutes before adding in the meat and veggies.
- Stock. Use low or no sodium to keep the dish from being too salty.
- Vegetables. You can switch them up for other choices but make sure to cut whatever you are using to the same sizes – diced or batons.
If you try my recipe for One Pot Chicken and Orzo, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
– Stay Safe, Annemarie
One Pot Chicken and Orzo with Mixed Vegetables
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 skin on, bone in chicken thighs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 8 oz orzo
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cups low or no sodium chicken stock
- 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F.
- Add oil to a large, high-sided skillet and heat on medium-high until shimmery.
- Season chicken with kosher salt and black pepper, then add it to the skillet skin side down. Sear until browned, about 5 minutes, then turn and sear on the other side for 3 more minutes.
- Remove browned thighs to a bowl and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Reduce heat to low and saute onion for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute more.
- Add orzo and parsley and stir in. Pour in wine and bring to a boil, cooking it down for 1 minute. Add stock and bring to boil again.
- Scatter the vegetables around the skillet in an even-ish layer. Then lay the chicken down on top, skin side up.
- Roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Take it out when the chicken reaches 160F on a thermometer and the orzo is cooked through.
- Let rest 5 minutes, then squeeze some of the lemon over the top and serve.
Notes
- Asparagus: Trim by snapping off the tough ends. Also, a bunch is about 1 pound of stalks.
- Orzo: You can sub in Pearl Couscous (the large sized ones) for the orzo.
Leave a Reply