Skillet Chicken With Orzo, Dill and Feta
- Total Time
- 35 minutes, plus marinating
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2lemons
- 5tablespoons olive oil
- 3garlic cloves, smashed
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 1teaspoon black pepper
- 2pounds chicken drumsticks or bone-in thighs
- 1yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 2cups orzo
- 3cups chicken broth or water
- 2small or 1 large thin-skinned (English) cucumbers, chopped
- 5ounces feta, crumbled (about 1¼ cups)
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- Castelvetrano or other green olives, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1098 calories; 69 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 32 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 58 grams protein; 1573 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cut one of the lemons into wedges and set aside. Juice the remaining lemon and combine with 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, in a large resealable plastic bag or in a bowl, along with the chicken pieces. Seal and shake the bag (or stir in the bowl) to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to overnight.
- Step 2
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and cook until lightly golden all over, turning when the chicken releases easily from the pan, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Step 3
Add the onion to the pan and stir to coat with the remaining fat. Decrease heat to medium and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the orzo and the broth or water. Cook until the liquid is partly absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Top with the chicken legs and cover with a lid or foil. Continue cooking until the orzo is tender, most of the liquid is absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more, depending on the size of your drumsticks or thighs. Remove from the heat and scatter the cucumber, feta and dill over the top. Serve from the skillet with lemon wedges and olives.
- Some cast-iron skillets come with a matching lid, which is useful for making the skillet operate a bit like a mini stove-top oven, cooking evenly and basting the food with flavor and steam. If you don’t have one, use a lid from another pan, or two layers of thick foil, folded at the center and large enough to cover your pan.
Private Notes
Comments
so good, so easy! i made with boneless chicken thighs b/c i have squeamish children. watch the heat level. if you're not careful, the orzo will stick to the bottom of your pan.
After a previous note about the cook time taking longer than the recipe indicated, I browned the chicken very well in the first step and kept it covered with foil until I was ready to add it back to the pan. It was done right on time. I'll make this again!
To clean discolored Le Creuset, try one part chlorine bleach (e.g. Clorox) to five parts water; soak until stains disappear (you will see some results almost instantly, but may have to wait a couple of hours for the full effect).
Decent dish but have to second the observation that I regretted not cooking the orzo separately. The orzo burnt onto my pan during the chicken cooking time. If you are going to make this one pot, check on it every 5-7 min and add a splash of water to keep the bottom from burning. As someone who pays attention to the patina on my cast iron, clean up was kind of painful.
Excellent and easy recipe. Adding this to our rotation. Added some chopped greek olives, and next time will experiment with adding some sun-dried tomatoes.
If you’re getting feta in a brine, add that to your marinade for more flavor. You could slice some lemon thinly, remove the seeds and add it to the pan while onions sauté.