Foodbe
greek lemon chicken & orzo

greek lemon chicken & orzo

👨‍🍳 Chefy Tip: Pat the chicken completely dry before seasoning. Toast the orzo in the pan fat _before_ adding liquid — two minutes until edges turn golden. Remove the chicken the moment it releases cleanly from the pan.

Serves
4
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost
Moderate
Calories
520
Carbs
48g
Protein
38g
Fat
18g

Flavor Profile

🍋 Bright and tangy from fresh lemon juice and zest
🧄 Deep and savory with roasted garlic
🌿 Herbal and earthy from fresh oregano
🍗 Rich and meaty from braised chicken thighs
🧂 Well-seasoned with a clean finish

Ingredients

🍗 4 bone-in chicken thighs
🍋 Juice and zest of 2 lemons
🧄 4 cloves garlic, minced
🌿 2 tsp dried oregano
🛢️ 2 tbsp olive oil
🫙 1.5 cups orzo pasta
🥣 2 cups chicken broth
🧂 1 tsp sea salt
🌶️ 1/2 tsp black pepper
🌿 Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

01

Season chicken with salt, pepper, and oregano. Sear skin-side down in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until golden, flip and cook 3 more minutes. Remove and set aside.

02

Sauté garlic in the same pan for 1 minute. Add orzo and toast 2 minutes.

03

Pour in broth, lemon juice, and zest. Nestle chicken back into the pan, cover, and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes until orzo is tender and chicken is cooked through.

04

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

🧬 Food Science

Orzo means 'barley' in Italian despite being made from semolina wheat. Lemon zest contains limonene, a compound shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Pair It

🥂 A crisp Greek Assyrtiko white wine or sparkling water with lemon.
🍽️ Serve with roasted asparagus or a simple Greek salad with Kalamata olives.