Greek Hen Orzo is a one-pot surprise made with tender hen thighs, juicy cherry tomatoes, briny olives, and tangy, creamy feta cheese. This fast and straightforward Mediterranean-style recipe delivers a restaurant-quality meal that is positive to develop into a household favourite.
30-Minute One-Pot Greek Hen Orzo
What I like most about this recipe is that it is a well-balanced meal that can maintain you full and glad. It has every little thing: protein (hen), veggies (cherry tomatoes and olives), carbs (orzo), and wholesome fat (olive oil and feta cheese). It is a straightforward Mediterranean-style foremost course that presents fantastically, making it best for particular events when you’ve gotten company. No aspect dishes are wanted—this 30-minute one-pot recipe is a whole meal by itself! The cleanup is minimal—good for a weeknight dinner or impressing company when entertaining. Easy, scrumptious, and your new go-to for busy nights! Serve it with conventional Greek salad. Should you love the hen and orzo combo, make sure you try my different recipes: creamy hen orzo with tomatoes, spinach, and basil pesto and a reader-favorite hen orzo with mushrooms and spinach.
Primary components
- Orzo is a short-cut pasta that appears just like rice. Prepare dinner the pasta al dente for the very best texture and rinse it below chilly water after cooking to stop it from turning into mushy.
- Skinless boneless hen thighs are what I used. You can even use hen breasts or hen tenders.
- Cherry tomatoes. I used 2 colours: yellow and pink. Slice them in half.
- Olives. I used a combo of kalamata and Castelvetrano inexperienced olives.
- Feta cheese has a mushy texture and briny taste.
- Minced garlic is cooked along with orzo.
- Hen inventory, broth, or water is for cooking orzo.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice provides a lot taste!
- Seasonings embody paprika, dried oregano, salt, and freshly floor black pepper.
- Chopped contemporary basil is for garnish.
Easy methods to make Greek hen orzo
Get able to whip up a enjoyable and scrumptious Greek Hen Orzo that can have everybody asking for seconds! Begin by searing hen thighs (seasoned with paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper) in a big pan till they’re golden brown, juicy, and tender. Set the hen apart and cook dinner orzo + garlic + hen inventory in the identical pan. Let every little thing simmer collectively till the orzo is completely cooked. Then, toss in a medley of vibrant tomatoes, briny olives, contemporary herbs, and plenty of seasonings. Nestle the hen again into the pan. High all of it off with tangy, creamy feta cheese. Observe: that is the overview. The exact quantities and recipe directions are under, within the recipe card.
What’s orzo?
Orzo is a short-cut pasta resembling long-grain rice in form. It’s produced from flour, like standard pasta. Typically, orzo is made with semolina (durum wheat used for making pasta).
What can I exploit as a substitute of orzo?
You should utilize quinoa, jasmine rice, or brief pasta, comparable to fusilli, farfalle (bow-tie pasta), penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or orecchiette. Prepare dinner these components in a separate pot – do not cook dinner them in the identical pan as you’ll orzo. Add them cooked.
What sort of hen to make use of?
- Skinless and boneless hen thighs are what I used. They’re juicy and tender and are fairly forgiving to cook dinner.
- Skinless and boneless hen breasts are your subsequent most suitable option. They do are likely to dry out quicker, so make sure you watch your cooking instances intently, making certain that the hen is cooked all through rapidly, with out drying out.
- Hen tenders are additionally a terrific selection for this recipe. Be certain to keep away from overcooking as hen tenders are small and cook dinner quick.
Are you able to make it gluten-free?
Make this recipe gluten-free by utilizing orzo clearly labeled as “gluten-free”. Or, merely use long-grain rice as a substitute.
Are you able to make it dairy-free?
Use dairy-free, vegan feta cheese as a substitute of normal feta.
Variations
- Veggies. You possibly can add roasted bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, mushrooms, or capers.
- Cheese. Use feta cheese, halloumi, mizithra, or every other Greek cheese you’re keen on.
- Olives. I used a mix of calamata and inexperienced Castelvetrano olives (have you ever ever tried these? They’re the best-tasting olives ever!). You can even add black olives.
- Use both lime juice or lemon juice. An important factor is that it is freshly squeezed.
- Add capers, as a substitute of olives or along with them.
- Add pine nuts as a topping. I prefer to toast pine nuts briefly (and thoroughly!) within the oven for a good richer taste.
- Add different toppings, comparable to contemporary herbs (basil, thyme, or oregano), chopped inexperienced onions, or chopped chives.
- Contemporary herbs. Make sure to add contemporary herbs, comparable to contemporary basil, oregano, and contemporary thyme.
- Spice. Add some warmth by sprinkling cayenne pepper or pink pepper flakes over the components.
Storage and reheating suggestions
- Fridge. Retailer the leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- Freezer. Freeze it in an hermetic container for as much as 1 month.
- To reheat within the microwave oven, reheat in 30-second increments till heated by.
- Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat this dish in a big, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium warmth. Add a small quantity of olive oil + water or lime juice (or lemon juice) when reheating to stop the hen orzo from sticking to the underside of the pan.
What to serve with Greek hen orzo
Serve it with a contemporary inexperienced salad and a slice of crusty olive bread, ciabatta, or focaccia. Listed here are my salad suggestions:
- Greek-Impressed Salad with Avocado and Capers
- Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Parmesan, and Balsamic Dressing
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing
- Apple Spinach Salad with Honey-Mustard Lemon Dressing
Different Greek recipes to attempt
- Greek Shrimp Orzo
- Greek Hen and Lemon Rice
- Greek Hen
- Greek Orzo Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Olives, and Feta
This scrumptious, high-protein dinner will probably be a success with the entire household. All the pieces is cooked solely on the stovetop in only one pan, taking solely half-hour—best for busy weeknights! Should you make it or have a query, please go away a remark under.
Greek Hen Orzo (30 Minutes, One-Pot)
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Substances
Hen
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
- 1.5 lb skinless boneless hen thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
Orzo
- 1.5 cups raw orzo
- 3 cups hen inventory or broth, or water
- 4 cloves garlic minced
Greens
- 8 oz cherry (grape) tomatoes pink and yellow, sliced in half
- ½ cup kalamata olives pitted, sliced
- ½ cup Castelvetrano olives or different inexperienced olives, pitted, sliced
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Feta cheese combination
- 4 oz feta cheese crumbled or diced into small cubes
- 1 tablespoon further virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped contemporary basil
Directions
Easy methods to sear the hen
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Warmth an empty giant, high-sided, heavy-bottomed skillet (comparable to stainless-steel or forged iron) over medium warmth for 3 minutes. This permits the skillet to warmth by.
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Season the hen thighs on each side, utilizing 1 tablespoon of olive oil to rub within the seasonings: paprika, dried oregano, salt, and freshly floor black pepper.
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Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add seasoned hen thighs. Prepare dinner the hen on one aspect on medium warmth for five minutes undisturbed.
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Flip the hen thighs over, scale back warmth to low-medium, and cook dinner for about 5 extra minutes or longer till it is cooked by. The meat thermometer ought to register 165°F (74°C) within the thickest a part of the hen. Take away from warmth. Take away the hen from the skillet, leaving the juices in.
Prepare dinner orzo
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To the identical, now empty, skillet, add raw orzo and minced garlic. Toast the orzo with hen juices for about 2 minutes on medium warmth, consistently stirring.
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Add hen inventory and cook dinner for about 10 minutes, uncovered, often stirring to stop the orzo from sticking to the underside of the pan. The orzo ought to soak up all of the liquid and be tender in about 10 minutes. You might need so as to add some further liquid and/or cook dinner longer if wanted.
Add veggies
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Add halved cherry tomatoes and sliced pitted olives to the skillet with cooked orzo. Add 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Stir and gently reheat on low warmth—season with salt and pepper.
Make feta combination
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In a medium bowl, mix cubed or crumbled feta cheese with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, dried oregano, freshly floor black pepper, and half of the chopped contemporary basil.
Meeting
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Add the cooked hen again to the skillet with the orzo and reheat. High the hen and the veggies with the feta cheese combination. High with the remaining chopped contemporary basil.
Notes
- Veggies. Add sliced cucumber, roasted bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated artichokes, mushrooms, or capers.
- Cheese. Use feta cheese, halloumi, mizithra, or every other Greek cheese you’re keen on.
- Olives. I used a mix of calamata and inexperienced Castelvetrano olives. You can even add black olives.
- Refrigerate the leftovers for 3 days. When reheating, add a splash of hen inventory, lemon juice, or water to stop the orzo from sticking.
- Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta. You should utilize cooked rice as a substitute of orzo (scale back cooking instances accordingly).
Diet
