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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.
Made this tonight and it was SO freaking good. Huge win. Thank you!
Thank you so so much! So glad you loved this chicken! xT
Is step 2 like a marinade that it should be sitting in for a while before moving to step 3?
Hi Dave! You can totally marinade the chicken if you’d like but it’s not necessary! Hope this helps! xT
There are so many ads the site is practically unusable. I can’t handle this.
I only have thyme and sage. Could those be subbed for the rosemary?
Hi Mary,
Sure, those would also work nicely in this dish! Let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I feel ya! On my iPhone, I recently tried pressing the reader version icon on the address bar (2 AAs) and the ads all just disappear!😅😅😅
Can I make this recipe and then keep it warm for about 30 minutes? If so, what temperature do I use to keep it warm?
Kathryn
Hi Kathryn,
Totally! I would just cover with foil and keep in a 200F oven to keep warm:) I hope you love this dish, let me know how it turns out! xT
I’ve made this a number of times now and it’s a fabulous dish. Easy, delicious and always well received by everyone. Definitely a keeper, and you’re right .. that feta sauce is worth it!
Thank you! So glad to hear you’re enjoying this recipe! xT
This dish was soooo good, I added blistering tomatoes for some extra veg. Will be making again, loved the feta sauce!
Thank you for giving this recipe a try! I really hope you loved it 🙂 xT
I’ve made this several times and it never disappoints and reheats well. I do however triple the kale.
I make this recipe all the time and my family loves it. We use spinach because my husband is not a fan of kale. I just got a gorgeous bunch of collard greens in my weekly CSA box. Do you think I could use those here as a sub?
Hi there! Yes, that would be super yummy! xT
Hi! This recipe looks great. I was wondering if I could sub rice for the orzo? Would that change the cooking time/temp?
Hi! I haven’t ever tried that before, but I would imagine you would need more liquid! xT
Did you end up trying it with the rice? Planning to make it this week and am gluten free so need to sub the orzo! Thanks!
It’s a wonderful recipie and my family loved the meal! I took some liberates by doubling the orzo (it all got eaten!), and seriously increasing the spice level by 3X, especially the smoked paprika. I’d recommend be a bit adventurous with the spices, as there’s risk of this turning out a bit bland at current heat levels. That said, to each their own.
BTW, while doubling the orzo seems like a must-do to me, you also need to increase the chicken broth proportionally if you go that route.
Thank you for the feedback John!
absolutely delish!!!!
Thanks Julia! 🙂
So so so good!! Love the flavors and it’s pretty darn easy too! Will be repeating!
Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! Have a lovely day! xT
Not a comment, but a question. My husband is diabetic so we avoid rice and pasta, do you think I could substitute farro for the orzo? Would that change the roasting time?
This just sounds so absolutely yummy!!
Have you tried a goat cheese variation of the cheese sauce by chance? I’m curious how you might do that / if it would be comparable or worth it for friends who are dairy intolerant but do ok with goat cheeses
I haven’t, but that sounds super yummy!!
Husband-approved!!
Awesome!!