Skillet Chicken With Orzo, Dill and Feta

By Sarah Copeland

Skillet Chicken With Orzo, Dill and Feta
David Malosh for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes, plus marinating
Rating
4(2,870)
Comments
Read comments

Chicken and orzo is timeless combination, simple and satisfying. In this recipe, you could use chicken thighs, but drumsticks make this dish super family-friendly. Of course, if you have a crowd that doesn’t love the classic feta-dill pairing, feel free to change the toppings. Mint or parsley work just as well for the herbs, and any salty, crumbly cheese is lovely here. You can dress this up as you like with cucumbers or cherry tomatoes, or green olives, served alongside or pitted, chopped and tossed in instead. Besides the obvious perk of its being a one-pot dinner, this recipe yields great leftovers. For the next day’s lunch, pull any remaining chicken off the bone, chop it, skin and all, and toss with the remaining orzo, vegetables and cheese. Know that the orzo — a very small pasta, not rice — soaks up all the liquid and flavor as it sits and cools, so you may need a drizzle of oil and lemon juice over the top to serve it the second day.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2lemons
  • 5tablespoons olive oil
  • 3garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1teaspoon black pepper
  • 2pounds chicken drumsticks or bone-in thighs
  • 1yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2cups orzo
  • 3cups chicken broth or water
  • 2small or 1 large thin-skinned (English) cucumbers, chopped
  • 5ounces feta, crumbled (about 1¼ cups)
  • 2tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • Castelvetrano or other green olives, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1098 calories; 69 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 32 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 58 grams protein; 1573 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cut one of the lemons into wedges and set aside. Juice the remaining lemon and combine with 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, in a large resealable plastic bag or in a bowl, along with the chicken pieces. Seal and shake the bag (or stir in the bowl) to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and cook until lightly golden all over, turning when the chicken releases easily from the pan, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Add the onion to the pan and stir to coat with the remaining fat. Decrease heat to medium and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the orzo and the broth or water. Cook until the liquid is partly absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Top with the chicken legs and cover with a lid or foil. Continue cooking until the orzo is tender, most of the liquid is absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more, depending on the size of your drumsticks or thighs. Remove from the heat and scatter the cucumber, feta and dill over the top. Serve from the skillet with lemon wedges and olives.

Tip
  • Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stove-top oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
2,870 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor

so good, so easy! i made with boneless chicken thighs b/c i have squeamish children. watch the heat level. if you're not careful, the orzo will stick to the bottom of your pan.

Stacey

After a previous note about the cook time taking longer than the recipe indicated, I browned the chicken very well in the first step and kept it covered with foil until I was ready to add it back to the pan. It was done right on time. I'll make this again!

Charlie Henss

To clean discolored Le Creuset, try one part chlorine bleach (e.g. Clorox) to five parts water; soak until stains disappear (you will see some results almost instantly, but may have to wait a couple of hours for the full effect).

JS

Bad recipe, you have to keep uncovering the pan to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan...so the chicken can't really cook in the time you want it to.

Sophie

This is one of my favourite mid week recipes. comes together so quickly. It does stick a little, but I don't mind, the crispy bits that stick to the pan are the best! I used chicken thighs and the cook time was perfect. I also have very salty, brine-y feta so find I don't need to add much extra salt. I also add the marinading juice into the onions once they are cooked down and before I add the orzo.

Jen

I’m not new to cooking but I am new to cooking animals- always felt squeamish about it and felt I didn’t know what to do. Well, only way to learn is to do. This was forgiving of my lack of skills and quite yummy. I used Egyptian rice and it ended up like a Plov - one of my favorite dishes so I was happy

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.