One pan chicken and orzo bakes crisp skinned chicken thighs on a bed of orzo that cooks right in the broth, soaking up the chicken fat, garlic and lemon as it goes. You sear the thighs, toast the orzo in the same skillet and let the oven finish everything. It takes about an hour, and there's only one pan to wash.
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Why the orzo toasts in chicken fat first
Orzo is pasta, so it can turn flat and starchy if it simply boils in broth. Toasting it in the fat the chicken leaves behind changes that. The outside of each grain browns a little, the flavor turns nutty, and the surface starch sets so the grains hold their shape instead of melting into each other.
After searing you'll have more fat than you need. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons, then cook the shallot until soft before the orzo goes in. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. You're looking for some grains turning golden and a toasty smell, not an even brown. If the fond on the bottom of the skillet starts to look too dark, lower the heat a notch.
The wine goes in next and does two jobs. It lifts the browned bits off the pan, and it adds the acidity that rich thighs need. Let it bubble until it's almost all absorbed, about a minute, before the broth follows.
How much broth does orzo need in the oven?
Orzo drinks roughly twice its volume in liquid. An uncovered pan in a 400°F (200°C) oven also loses some to evaporation, while the chicken adds a little juice back. For 1 1/2 cups of orzo, 3 1/4 cups of hot broth leaves the grains tender with a loose, creamy coating rather than a dry cake.
| Broth for 1 1/2 cups orzo | What you get after 25 minutes |
|---|---|
| 2 1/2 cups | Dry edges, chalky centers, a crust stuck to the pan |
| 3 1/4 cups | Tender, glossy orzo with a spoonful of sauce left |
| 4 cups | Soupy, closer to a brothy stew |
Two habits help. Use hot broth, so the pan returns to a simmer quickly and the oven time stays predictable. And don't stir once the skillet is in the oven, because stirring knocks starch loose and turns the orzo gluey. If the pan looks dry at the 15 minute mark, pour 1/4 cup of hot broth around the edges, away from the chicken skin.
Bone-in thighs vs chicken breasts for this pan
Bone-in, skin-on thighs are the right cut here. They need about 25 minutes in the oven, the same time as the orzo, and their skin renders the fat the whole dish relies on. They also stay juicy well past the safe point. The USDA lists 165°F as the safe minimum for all poultry, but thigh meat has more connective tissue and tastes best at 175°F to 185°F, when it pulls easily from the bone.
Boneless breasts are harder to time. They're done at 165°F, often 10 minutes before the orzo, and they dry out while the grains catch up. If breasts are what you have, sear them for 3 minutes per side, set them aside, and return them to the pan for only the last 12 to 15 minutes.
Probe the thickest thigh close to the bone without touching it, since bone reads hot. This guide to safe internal cooking temperatures shows where the thermometer goes for each cut. For thighs with even crispier skin and no orzo underneath, try crispy skillet chicken thighs.
When to add the lemon, spinach and Parmesan
Everything bright goes in at the end. Lemon juice that bakes for 25 minutes turns dull and slightly bitter, and spinach cooked that long goes gray. The zest is the exception. It goes in with the broth, because its oils hold up to heat and perfume the orzo from the inside.
Once the pan comes out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes. Then lift the thighs onto a plate and stir in:
- 3 cups baby spinach, which wilts in the leftover heat in about a minute.
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, which melts into the remaining broth and makes it creamy.
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, added a little at a time and tasted as you go.
- A handful of chopped parsley or dill for a fresh, green finish.
Set the chicken back on top and serve straight from the skillet. Kale works in place of spinach if you slice it thin and scatter it over the orzo 5 minutes before the pan leaves the oven. Crumbled feta instead of Parmesan pushes the dish toward Greek flavors; hold back a pinch of salt if you go that way.
Which skillet works for a one pan bake?
Use a 12 inch (30 cm) oven-safe titanium-surface skillet only if it has the depth and capacity for the chicken, orzo and stock together. The original method needs sides at least 2 inches high and room to stir without spilling. Check your particular model rather than relying on its rim diameter.
If your titanium skillet is shallower, brown the chicken and toast the orzo in it, then transfer everything, including the deglazed pan juices, to a suitable oven-safe cooking vessel. Keep the recipe's liquid quantity; reducing stock just to fit a smaller pan can leave the orzo undercooked.
The handle stays hot after the pan leaves the oven, so use dry oven mitts and keep it away from the edge of the counter. Crispy Brussels sprouts with balsamic bring sharpness against the rich orzo, or serve a grilled Caesar salad alongside.
The recipe
One Pan Chicken and Orzo with Lemon, Spinach and Parmesan
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds / 1.1 kg), patted very dry
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the orzo
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups (280 g) dry orzo
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 3 1/4 cups (780 ml) low sodium chicken broth, hot
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 2 tablespoons juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups (2 1/2 oz / 70 g) baby spinach
- 1/2 cup (40 g) finely grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the middle. Mix the salt, pepper, oregano and paprika and rub it all over the thighs.
- Sear the skin. Heat the olive oil in a 12 inch oven safe skillet over medium heat. Lay the thighs in skin side down and cook without moving them for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and releases easily, then flip and cook 1 minute more and move them to a plate.
- Toast the orzo. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Cook the shallot for 2 minutes until soft, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the orzo and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until some grains turn golden and smell nutty.
- Deglaze and add broth. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits, cooking for about 1 minute until it's nearly absorbed. Stir in the hot broth, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring it to a simmer.
- Bake together. Set the thighs on the orzo skin side up, with the skin above the liquid. Bake uncovered for 22 to 25 minutes, until the orzo is tender, most of the broth is absorbed and the thighs read 175°F near the bone.
- Rest and finish. Let the skillet rest for 5 minutes. Lift the chicken onto a plate, stir the spinach, Parmesan and lemon juice into the orzo until the spinach wilts, then return the thighs, scatter the herbs over and serve.
Cook's notes
- Leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. The orzo firms up as it chills, so add a splash of broth when you reheat it.
- Swap the spinach for 1 cup of frozen peas, stirred in during the rest; they thaw in the heat of the pan.
- For a dairy free version, skip the Parmesan and finish with extra lemon zest and a drizzle of good olive oil.
One Pan Chicken and Orzo questions
Is orzo pasta or rice?
Orzo is pasta. It's made from wheat flour, usually durum semolina, and shaped like large grains of rice, which is where the confusion comes from. Because it's pasta, it releases starch as it cooks and turns creamy, a little like risotto. Rice doesn't swap in directly here, since it needs more liquid and roughly twice the oven time.
Why did my orzo turn mushy?
Usually it's too much liquid, too much stirring or too long in the oven. Orzo keeps absorbing broth after it turns tender, so pull the pan once the grains are just soft with a little sauce left. Skipping the toasting step makes it worse, because untoasted orzo sheds more starch. Measure the broth, toast the grains and leave them alone while they bake.
What can I use instead of white wine in chicken and orzo?
Use the same amount of extra chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar. The broth deglazes the pan just as well, and the acid stands in for the wine's sharpness. Dry vermouth also works and keeps for months once opened, which makes it a handy bottle to keep for cooking.
How do I reheat chicken and orzo so it isn't dry?
Add a splash of broth or water, about 2 tablespoons per serving, because the orzo keeps soaking up liquid in the fridge. Warm it covered in a skillet over medium low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or in the microwave in 1 minute bursts, stirring between each. Heat until the chicken is steaming hot all the way through, then add a squeeze of lemon.
Keep cooking
