Next Post
Chipotle Chicken Nachos with Jalapeño Yogurt.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
One Skillet Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce, the perfect winter dinner…quick, easy, colorful and delicious! Pan-seared dijon chicken with lemon butter, cooked together with orzo pasta for an all-in-one dinner. Go that extra step and serve drizzled with a delicious creamy feta sauce. A dinner that everyone at the table will love.
I think the day I got my first Staub skillet was the day I created the “one skillet” dinner. Not saying I invented the one skillet dinner by any means. Just that that I invented it for myself that day. It was many, many years ago. But ever since then I’ve made countless one skillet dinners in my Staub pan. It’s a method of cooking I fall back on weekly.
Throwing everything in the same skillet just makes sense. For one, you’re saving dishes by avoiding using multiple pans. But even more importantly, you’re creating a dish that’s full of flavor. When you cook everything together, the flavors are able to blend, making every element of the recipe delicious.
Of course, with this recipe I created one extra step with that feta sauce. But trust me, it’s worth it!
The process – cook the chicken
Season the chicken with Dijon, garlic, shallots, a bit of rosemary and some paprika. I like to sear the chicken to give it a nice crisped base. Then I toss it in a little butter, add some lemon slices, and let everything cook up along side the chicken. The butter browns and everything smells delicious.
Next, pull the chicken and lemon out out of the skillet, then add the orzo and broth. Stir in the kale…or you could also use spinach. Then slide the chicken into the orzo and throw the whole skillet into the oven to finish cooking.
Make the feta sauce
I couldn’t share this recipe without including a sauce. You all know how it goes around here, never enough sauce. Enter my feta sauce. It’s whipped feta cheese with a bit of yogurt, lemon, and if you have some fresh herbs on hand, toss those in too.
The salty feta creates an addicting sauce. Every spoonful is delicious, but it’s especially great over this dijon chicken.
It’s a real crowd pleaser, and comes out of the oven looking pretty and smells even more delicious. I threw some fresh dill on top for color and served the chicken and orzo right out of the skillet.
Perfect for easy weeknight dinners or even entertaining. It really brightens the table on a cold winter day!
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Souvlaki and Potatoes
Browned Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Cheese Ravioli
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Skillet Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 683 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 small shallots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups chopped kale
- chopped fresh dill, for serving
Feta Sauce
- 4-6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400° F. 2. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, Dijon mustard, 3 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, rosemary, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss well to combine.3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the butter and lemon slices. Remove everything from the skillet.4. Add the orzo, 1 shallot, and 1 clove of garlic. Cook until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, kale, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the pan back into the skillet. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.5. Meanwhile, make the feta sauce. Combine the feta, yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until creamy. Stir in the paprika, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. If desired, thin with additional lemon juice.6. Serve the chicken and orzo topped with the feta sauce and dill.
I made this last night, I had to substitute mushrooms for the kale, still it was delicious
Hey Lisa,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan
Can you make this with rice instead of orzo? Thank you!
Hi Virginia,
Yes, rice will work for you, it is just going to take longer to cook. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Is the chicken broth used to cook the orzo? I’m thinking about using rice as well, but wondering if I should just cook the rice separately then add it in later, but if I did this would I still add the same amount of chicken broth to the recipe? I just don’t want I over cook the chicken. Hope this makes sense. Thanks!
Hi Ashli,
Yes, the chicken broth is used to cook the orzo. You could do the rice in place of the orzo, it’s just going to take a little longer to cook and may require a little more broth:) xT
If I cook the rice separately would I leave the chicken broth out of the recipe then? I’m just worried about cooking it all together and over cooking the chicken since the rice cooks longer.
Sure you could do that:)
Made this last night. So good!!! Everyone loved it. My skillet was not big enough, so had to do chicken in two batches and move to a baking dish, but still great. What size skillet do you have? I now need a new one ?
Hi Theresa,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! I used a 12 inch skillet. xxTieghan
Wow! Delicious recipe and quite easy to follow. Treated myself tonight with this dish and a glass of wine! I used spinach since I didn’t have kale and added extra tomatoes from my salad. So good and now I’m booked to make it for my family when they visit 🙂
Hey Vyvienne,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan
So gooood! Easy enough to put together too. Used vegan chicken to make it vegetarian. Came out great!
Hi Marie,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks bunch for giving it a go! xxTieghan
Hi! This is AMAZING. My boyfriend and I are obsessed.
My question: do you have an edit that could accommodate rice/gluten free? I recently found out I need to be gluten free (I haven’t stopped crying) and would love to use rice as a substitute for orzo. Any insight/guidance would be incredible. Thank you!!!
Hey Devon,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. You could use arborio rice or order some GF orzo online. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
I made this the other day and it was fantastic. I used a little less lemon juice in the sauce than the recipe called for though. It turned out so good and my husband said it reminded him of meals that we had in Greece. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I loved it!
Hi Holly,
I believe couscous is GF. Wonder if you can sub the orzo for couscous.
Good luck! Fortunately lot more options these days for GF.
Couscous is not GF, it’s made from semolina wheat. There are some GF couscous varieties available now made with potato starch or cassava.
Hi Holly,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am glad to hear that it was enjoyed. Have the best weekend!! xTieghan
Hi, hoping to make this recipe tonight but Im very confused by step 4…
Bring to a boil over high heat. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the pan back into the skillet (Does this mean just add the chicken into the orzo mix on stove? Not sure what pan it’s referring to) Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes (bake in oven or boil on stove for 15 minutes? If bake in oven, do I transfer everything including orzo onto a pan?) or until the chicken is cooked through (I thought chicken was already supposed to be cooked through in step 3?)
Hi Kaitlyn,
So sorry for any confusion, I think you might be reading into this a little too much. Yes, you are going to slide the chicken back into the skillet with the orzo. You are going to bake in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes. The skillet you are using for this recipe should be oven safe so no need to transfer anything. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Love your recipes and usually 5 star, but this one just tasted too bitter for me, not sure if I did something wrong. Made the feta sauce, but instead of mellowing the flavor, it only added to the acidity.
Hi Lisa,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this tonight, and it was so yummy! Loved it!
Hey Michelle,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Delicious and easy recipe! I made this on a Sunday thinking it would involve a ton of prep or be time-consuming, but I was wrong! It couldn’t have been easier. The chicken marinade would be great to use on its own baked in the oven as well. Highly recommend this recipe and will add this to my “make for large groups of people / visiting guests” recipes since it is so easy but looks impressive!
Hey Megan,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Made this for dinner tonight and it tastes so good and fresh!!! I want to eat that feta sauce on everything! I made some asparagus to go on the side for some more veggies and the feta sauce was delicious on it. I overcooked the chicken a little but it tastes great!
Hey Allison,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit with the family! I’m really enjoying the recipes on this site. Great job creating!
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xxT
Love this recipe!! It’s just like making a paella, but the orzo is such a fun texture and change. The feta sauce was literally the cream on top. My wife thought I used a little too much lemon to thin the sauce, but I loved the play of the feta and lemon so much. Def a make again.
Hey Justin,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I myself haven’t tried this, but I gave this recipe to my mother who just made it and CAN’T stop talking about it! Both of my parents loved it so much. I’m not a fan of lemon things but I can tell this is a meal they will have often – they’re so impressed by it. Another hit!
Hey Dallas,
Awe, I am so glad to hear that your parents enjoyed the recipe, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Highly recommend! Very flavorful and easy to make. I didn’t have any dill and it still came out great. The feta sauce was ???!
Hi Noel,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan