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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.
Another great recipe that helped me out of my cooking rut and impressed my dad husband! Even the kids ate it-and as a registered dietitian I appreciate the kale! Very much like our favorite Greek carryout. We served leftovers with Naan and cucumbers, lettuce and tomato to get a second meal out of it. I doubled the sauce because it was so great. I love the orzo instead of the usual rice. Will be a favorite in the rotation!
Hi Marissa,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
Made this weekend for dinner with overnight guests and it was a real hit! The feta sauce is zingy and delicious, and one pan meals make clean up a breeze! Will be making again, for sure!
Hey Katie,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
We made this recipe twice. Delicious and not complicated. I used spinach instead of kale and purchased tzatziki sauce but otherwise followed the recipe as is. I also served it with a side of steamed broccoli. Felt it needed a little extra color. It will definitely be on my regular rotation. Thanks!
Hi Patty,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
This dish is amazing! A few points I would add – you mention adding 2 TBSP lemon juice to the orzo before adding back the chicken – but that 2 TBSP is not mentioned anywhere in the recipe. You call for the juice of 1 lemon in the feta sauce – I would suggest keeping 2 TBSP from that and adding that to the sauce.
Also – Your timing seems to be off – it is not a simple, quick all-in-one-pan recipe. Yes, it cooks in one pan, but you need to prep in many pans! That said – it is worth it. It is an amazingly tasty recipe – but people need to know that there’s a bit more prep and clean up than what is suggested. Will definitely make this again!
Hi Jennifer,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! Sorry, I am not sure what you mean by prep in many pans, I only used the one skillet:) xx
This recipe was SO GOOD. So easy to make and absolutely delicious. I took a picture of the final product and sent it to my mom, and she thought it looked so good that the next day she went out and bought the ingredients to make it herself! Both of us agree it’s the best thing we’ve cooked in a while.
I sadly don’t own a cast iron skillet, so I ended up not cooking this in the oven and instead did it all on the stove top in a large skillet and that worked just fine. I just cooked everything a bit longer to make sure both the chicken and orzo were cooked.
I’ve made a number of your recipes by now and all of them have been extremely tasty. Thanks for all that you do and for inspiring me to mix it up in the kitchen!
Hey Sarah,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Have the best weekend❄️ xTieghan
Mine came out more like a soup, I followed the recipe exactly, was the liquid supposed to cook off in the oven? Still tastes and smells delicious.
Hi Connor,
So sorry to hear this, the orzo should have absorbed most of the liquid in order to cook. Please let me know how I can help! xx
Love this dish! Don’t skip the feta sauce- that added so much delicious flavor!
Hi Maricia,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
Is this recipe made with skinless chicken or skin on chicken?
Thanks
Hi Allison,
Either one will work, whatever your preference is. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Do you think you could substitute the orzo for Arborio rice to make it gluten free?
Hi Sarah,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was so yummy! Thanks for another great recipe, Tieghan!
Hi Micaela,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
Made this dish yesterday and it came out AMAZING! Followed the instructions pretty precisely except for the feta sauce. I added extra yogurt to make it creamier and blended the dill in the sauce. It was heavenly. I also added extra paprika and pepper flakes as we like the added heat. Definitely adding this to my “Keepers” list and will make again and again.
Hi Carri,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan
I have made this every week for a month lol. It is my favorite recipe ever…. my sweet husband (who is picky) loves it too!! ☺️
Hey Britt,
LOL love to hear this, so glad you and your husband have been enjoying the recipe!! xx
Great dish! Pretty easy to make and my whole family loved it! The feta sauce was initially too lemony so I added 1 teaspoon of baking soda to cut down on the acidity.
Hi Jennifer,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
Made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit! I bought whole milk yogurt and would recommend not doing that, as it made my sauce a little too thick. I had to cut it with extra lemon juice and it still tasted great but the lemon was slightly overpowering. Initially I was cooking in a 10 inch cast iron pan but it wasn’t big enough so I ended up transferring it all into a casserole dish for the final bake.
Hi Marissa,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xx
This is my second time making this dish! Cut back on the lemon when it came to adding it to the orzo this time and came out delicious! Thanks for helping me spice up weekend dinners. ?
Hi Liz,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan