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One Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce. Pan-seared chicken marinated in olive oil, garlic, yogurt, lemon, Dijon, pepper, thyme, and paprika and cooked to perfection. Then, it’s simmered together with orzo, crispy bacon, and fresh broccoli for a perfect one-skillet meal! Serve drizzled with a delicious creamy feta sauce. The feta sauce is that special sauce that makes you say, “Wow—YUM.”
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Lately, my family’s favorite dinners have been chicken and orzo all made in one skillet. Sometimes, I go for sun-dried tomatoes and Italian flavors; other times, I bring in bold Cajun spices, like this dish I shared from a few years ago. I tend to switch up the flavors to keep dinner exciting. I don’t usually make the same dish twice. If you love experimenting in the kitchen like I do, you’ll have fun playing around with different ingredients to make it your own.
Crispy prosciutto is a must in any orzo skillet I make. My family loves it, and it’s a great addition to almost any dish I serve.
Lately, I’ve been using so much prosciutto that I nearly forgot about bacon—until a couple of weeks ago. I recently found the yummiest, uncured, sugar-free bacon, and it’s been a game-changer!
It may sound funny, but that one ingredient has sparked a handful of new recipes!
Long story short, I loved the sound of lemon pepper-seasoned chicken with a bit of crispy, salty bacon! Sounds amazing, right?
I marinated the chicken with my favorite combination of yogurt, dijon, lemon, and pepper—plus garlic, of course. I added bacon, orzo, and broccoli. It was easy peasy, and it came out delicious!
Let’s talk details
Ingredients
- chicken thighs or breasts
- extra virgin olive oil
- plain Greek yogurt
- lemon juice
- dijon mustard
- garlic
- dried thyme
- paprika
- onion powder
- black pepper and salt
- bacon – if you don’t eat pork, omit this! Not a big deal at all, make this work best for you
- salted butter
- orzo pasta
- broccoli florets
- fresh basil and dill
Ingredients – for the feta sauce
- feta cheese
- plain Greek Yogurt
- garlic
- lemon juice
- smoked paprika and chili flakes
Steps
Step 1: marinate the chicken
The Greek yogurt marinade makes all the difference. Marinate it in olive oil and yogurt with lemon, dijon, pepper, and garlic. Then add dried thyme and paprika and season with pepper and salt.
If time allows, marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or overnight. If you’re in a time crunch, just start cooking. I’ve now made this both ways; it is honestly great either way.
Step 2: start cooking
When you’re ready, start searing the chicken in an oven-safe cast iron skillet. Once it’s seared on both sides, you can remove it from the pan.
Add the bacon and get it nice and crispy all over. Now add some butter and some orzo. Let the orzo get toasty in the butter, then mix in water.
Step 3: baking
Stir in the broccoli. You could also use kale or even spinach. Then slide the chicken into the orzo and throw the whole skillet into the oven to finish cooking.
Step 4: the feta sauce
In my eyes, the feta sauce is the secret “sauce” to this dish.
It’s whipped feta cheese with a bit of yogurt and 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 and adds the best flavor to the peppery chicken.
Step 5: serving
When you pull the dish out of the oven, the sauce should have reduced, but the broccoli will be just perfectly cooked.
Add spoonfuls of the feta sauce, then fresh dill or basil.
Add some 5 ingredient beer bread to really complete this Gerard Family staple dinner. A comfort meal at its best! And the bacon is such a nice addition!
Looking for other easy chicken dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Spicy Sesame Chicken and Ginger Rice
Lastly, if you make this Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo, 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!
Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs or breasts , (skin on or off)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and black pepper
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
- freshly chopped dill/basil, for serving
Feta Sauce
- 4-6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- smoked paprika and chili flakes, to taste
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, toss together the chicken, olive oil, yogurt, lemon zest, dijon, garlic, thyme, paprika, onion powder, and season with 1 teaspoon pepper and salt. If time allows, marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.2. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 3. Add the chicken to a large skillet set over medium heat. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the skillet.4. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, 5 minutes. Add the butter and orzo. Cook until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Add the pepperoncini. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.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.6. Serve the chicken and orzo topped with the feta sauce and dill or basil.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made this for my family. They loved it. I recommend giving it a try!
Hi Jeanette,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Have the best weekend:)
Can I use rice instead of orzo? And if so do I need to cook it differently?
Hi Liz,
Sure, you are probably going to need more liquid for the rice and to add time to the cooking. I hope this helps! xx
If I just wanted to make the chicken on the stovetop and skip the bacon, orzo, and broccoli, how long would I cook the chicken in the pan on the stove? Thank you!
Hi Rachel,
It depends on thick your chicken is, but I would say 10 minutes per side. I hope you love this! Happy Friday! xx
I saw on IG that you added peperocini to this dish, but I don’t see it in the ingredients above. I also saw that you said water but poured in broth. Could you please clarify? Thanks!
Hey Stefanie! Great catch! Yes there is peperocini in the recipe! It’s all fixed now, I apologize for the confusion!
You can use water or broth, either way it’s great!
Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you enjoyed the recipe! Happy Monday!
Your Instagram story shows you adding peperoncini but there is none in this recipe list. Is the Instagram one a different recipe?
Hi Molly,
I love adding them if I have them on hand! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I made this and it was delicious. I didn’t change a thing except I cut it in half. I am glad I did, I didn’t think the leftovers the next day were nearly as good but recipe is a keeper. I used my Vitamix blender which is really too big for the small amount of feta sauce in a half recipe. I added a little water to thin it and made it work. Next time I will use a mini processor. The feta sauce is really good with the seasoned chicken. I do think crispy prosciutto would be better than bacon (even good bacon) but that’s a personal preference.
Hey Marilyn,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed. Happy Friday!!
Can you make the feta sauce without a blender?
Hi Tyler,
You are going to want to use a blender or food processor. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I have this marinating for dinner tonight. Can I use the leftover marinade in the dish or should I toss it? It looks and smells so good I would hate to not use it, but I want to be safe.
Thanks so much, Mike!! To be as safe as possible, I would skip that:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Thank you for the quick response. Didn’t use the leftover marinade, however there wasn’t much left. My husband loved the meal! Especially the feta sauce. I thought the sauce was kinda thick so I added a little olive oil. The only other change was I cut the thighs into cubes which turned out great. Thank you for a great recipe. On to search through your other recipes!
Could I use frozen broccoli?
Hi Samantha,
Sure, that would also work nicely for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Hi Tiegan! This recipe sounds so good, and I have all the ingredients except the broccoli. What I do have in my freezer is some chopped asparagus from my garden. Would that be a good substitute for the broccoli? And what about using chicken broth instead of water for the orzo? Thanks for all the amazing recipes and enjoy your day!
Hey Joanne,
Sure, asparagus would also be fantastic here as well as using the chicken broth. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xx
I don’t see what temperature the oven should be set at when you bake it in the oven?
Hi Lynn,
You will want the oven to be at 425F. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi, I’m looking to make a chicken and orzo skillet but I searched your site and I lost count after 23. Which would be the best to make and what’s different about this one in particular? I’m lost!
Hey Ashlee,
It really just depends what flavors you are looking for:) I do love making chicken and orzo dishes because they are so easy and versatile. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
“ The salty feta creates an addicting sauce. Every spoonful is delicious and adds the best flavor to the Dijon chicken.”
It looks like when this got copied and pasted from your other recipe, the Dijon didn’t get changed to lemon pepper chicken. Just trying to help out! 🙂
Hey Morgan,
There is also dijon in this recipe:) Please let me know if you give this a try! I hope you love it! xx
There is! I see that. 🙂 but it looks like the sentence I was referencing has been updated! Thank you!!
HI ! Can I do this on the crock pot ? Thank you !
Hi Leonor,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe in the crockpot, you would need to make some adjustments to recipe to do so. Here are some crockpot recipes you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/french-onion-chicken-and-orzo/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/mustard-herb-chicken-and-creamy-orzo/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/crockpot-greek-chicken-meatballs/
I hope this helps! xx
Can this be cooked without a skillet that goes in the oven? I don’t have one…
Hi Zoe,
So you could start this recipe on the stove top and then once it goes in the oven just transfer to an oven safe baking dish. I hope this helps! xx
Is there a temperature for baking? I’m not seeing it in the recipe.
Hi Kelly,
Yes, it’s 425F. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx