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The perfect winter dinner—quick, easy, colorful, and so comforting. Grainy Dijon–coated chicken is pan-seared in butter, then roasted together with orzo, carrots, celery, fresh herbs, and broth. The result is chicken-soup vibes with mustardy roasted chicken, all cooked together in one easy pot.
When I’m cooking dinner with my mom in mind, I always keep things simple—she can be a little picky. And when I really want to comfort her, I usually make something along the lines of chicken soup or a basic roasted chicken with rice.
She’s always loved chicken noodle soup more than most. When I was a kid, she could happily eat bowl after bowl all winter long. It was her favorite lunch, always with a side of air-popped popcorn.
Since I started sharing my cooking with her, she’s fallen in love with the combination of chicken and orzo. When creating this recipe, I wanted a simple mustard-roasted chicken with lemony orzo, but with extra broth so it eats almost like a cozy chicken soup.
I love a brothy orzo dish, and roasting chicken with white wine, chicken broth, and butter creates the most incredible flavor. Add in the orzo and vegetables, and suddenly it really does feel like chicken soup in a pot—with golden mustard chicken on top.
It’s easily one of the simplest dinners to make, and it’s so good served with a crusty loaf of warm ciabatta on the side.
These are the details
The Ingredients
- Dijon mustard
- whole grain mustard
- smoked paprika
- garlic powder
- crushed fennel seed
- salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
- chicken breasts or thighs
- salted butter
- an onion
- carrots
- celery
- dry orzo pasta
- fresh thyme
- white wine – try Lanark Lane Sauvignon Blanc
- broth
- lemon juice
- fresh parsley
Kitchen Tools
For this dish, you’ll need a large round Dutch oven or oval Dutch oven.
These are the steps
Step 1: Season the Chicken
In a bowl, toss the chicken with the Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, paprika, garlic powder, fennel, and a generous pinch of salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
I love adding flavor right from the very start.
Step 2: Sear the Chicken
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside while you cook the vegetables.
Step 3: Cook the Vegetables and Orzo
To the same pot, add the onions, carrots, celery, orzo, and thyme. Cook, stirring often, until the orzo is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
It should be smelling really good at this point.
Step 4: Add the Liquids
Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and bring everything to a boil.
Step 5: Add the Chicken Back
Nestle the chicken and any accumulated juices back into the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
Transfer the pot to the oven and bake. You want the chicken sitting on top of the orzo with plenty of broth still in the pot so everything stays nice and cozy.
Serving
When the dish comes out of the oven, finish with extra fresh thyme, parsley, or dill.
I love serving this with warm ciabatta on the side and a little grated Parmesan. It’s a true crowd-pleaser—beautiful straight from the oven and even better smelling.
Perfect for easy weeknight dinners or casual entertaining, this dish really brightens the table on a cold day!
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Lastly, if you make this One Pot Mustard 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!
One Pot Mustard Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
- salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup white wine, I use Lanark Lane Sauvignon Blanc
- 4 cups broth
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 425°F.2. Toss chicken with both mustards, paprika, garlic powder, fennel seed, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.3. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove.4. Add onions, carrots, celery, orzo, and thyme. Cook until orzo is toasted, 2 minutes. Add wine, then broth; season with salt & pepper and bring to a boil.5. Return chicken and juices to the pot. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Bake uncovered 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve with fresh thyme.
Notes
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.
Hi Tieghan, you have thyme listed in two steps. Doesn’t seem like just a garnish if it’s added in both steps. Can you indicate how much you used? Thanks
Hi Valerie,
I used 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
The orzo turned out mushy in parts and barely cooked in others, and the veggies were all over the place…some too soft, some still crunchy. Trying to get everything to cook at the same temperature and time just didn’t work. Not sure I’d make this again as written.
Hi Penelope,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear you had some issues with the cooking!
Hi Tieghan – this was fantastic with GREAT flavors, as always! I added 8 oz sliced mushrooms [needed to use], and was heavier on the smoked paprika beacuse we love it. Thanks for another great recipe to keep on repeat. Lee Mc
Hey Lee,
Fantastic! Thanks for trying this recipe, I’m so glad to hear you liked it!
I have a yeast allergy, so the wine is a no-go for me. Could I use a lemon juice/water mix or would something else work better?
Hi Kelly,
I would just use more broth in place of the wine:) I hope you love this dish, let me know how it turns out for you!
Besides the searing of the chicken and the veggies and toasting the orzo in the skillet with the butter, do you think this could be cooked in a slow cooker? And if so, could you elaborate on what you’d suggest as a time frame in the slow cooker? Also, would you suggest reducing the amount of liquid in the recipe?
Thanks for your response.
Hey Carol,
I have not tested this out but I do think it could work. I would cook the chicken in the crockpot on low for 5-6 hours, then turn the crockpot to high and add the orzo and broth about 30 minutes before dinner.
Again, I have not tested that but do think it could work well. Let me know if you try the recipe!
Thanks!
How much thyme do you use? Thanks!
Hi Megan,
As much or as little to your liking:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
Instructions call for thyme but not on the ingredient list?
Hey Nicole,
I just use it as garnish, so you can just add a sprinkling to your liking.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Is the chicken in this recipe boneless/skinless? From the photos – it appears that may be the case – but the recipe doesn’t say one way or the other. Thx.
Hi John,
Yes, I used boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
FYI your total time is wrong. It says 1 minute.
Thanks so much for letting me know, Gina! Will get this fixed:)
Prep time = 20 minutes
Cook time = 40 minutes
Total = 1minute?????
I know you won’t post this
Hi Johanne,
Sorry about that, it’s just a mistake, it should say 1 hour:)
Have a great day!
Your celery looks really raw, should I bake for longer to avoid this?
Hi Brenda,
No need to bake longer, my celery is not raw:) Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it!
Could this be made in a crockpot you think? Can’t wait to try!
Hey Blythe! I have not tested this out, but I do think it could work. I would cook the chicken in the crockpot on low for 5-6 hours, then turn the crockpot to high and add the orzo and broth about 30 minutes before dinner.
Again I have not tested that but do think it could work well. Let me know how you like it!!
Thanks!
Can rice be subbed for the orzo?
Hi Luann,
The rice is going to cook differently than the orzo, but it should work for you. I would just make adjustments as necessary.
I hope you love this dish!
It looks from the photos like you might have used Parmesan rinds? Just checking to see during which step those would be added? Thanks
Hey Sarah,
Thanks for asking! If you happen to have a parmesan rind, you can add that in step 4 with the broth, otherwise, no big deal!
Looks so yummy! In the photo it looks like there are parmesean rinds, but I don’t them in the recipe. Should these be added?
Thank you!
Hey Sharon,
If you have a parmesan rind, you can add it with the broth in step 4:) If not, no worries at all!
I hope you love this dish!