Spanish Style One Pot Chicken Orzo

I really don’t do enough one pot meals on this blog and quite frankly I don’t know why. I hate washing up just as much as the next person. I guess this time around I just couldn’t face the dishes 😂 Anywho, thank god I couldn’t, the result is beyond delicious. Follow me…

Chicken Orzo

Chicken and orzo is a match made in heaven. If you’re bored of chicken and rice, orzo is the perfect sub. For this recipe, we’ll be using boneless chicken thighs. These work great because they’re much more fatty than chicken breast. They’re also more difficult to overcook and dry out!

Spanish Chicken

I’ll use the term ‘Spanish’ fairly loosely, just so I don’t anger people 😂 But for me, the flavours and ingredients in this dish offer a nice Spanish ‘kiss’. Starting with the chicken itself, I highly recommend marinating it, even if just for 30 minutes. This will inject flavour into the thighs and tenderize the meat. Here’s what you’ll need for the marinade:

Olive Oil & Lemon Juice Smoked Paprika Oregano Garlic Powder Cayenne Pepper

I suggest marinating overnight, but like I said, even just whilst you prep the other ingredients will benefit. Process shots: add marinade ingredients to bowl (photo 1), whisk then toss in thighs (photo 2), add to pan (photo 3), fry (photo 4).

One Pot Chicken Orzo

The perfect thing about this dish is that the orzo cooks in the pan with all the other ingredients. No pre-cooking needed. The starch from the orzo actually helps to create a silky, creamy sauce which goes down an absolute treat. Almost like a risotto.

How spicy is this dish?

It’s got a kick since the chicken is coated with cayenne pepper and chorizo can sometimes be spicy. Having said that, you can always reduce the cayenne pepper in the marinade if you’re not good with spice! Process shots: fry onion and pepper (photo 1), fry chorizo and garlic (photo 2), fry tomato puree (photo 3), add orzo (photo 4), add stock, olives, sun dried tomatoes and seasoning (photo 5), simmer and stir (photo 6).

And there we have it! All my top tips for making the most glorious chicken orzo. If you like the sound of this Spanish chicken orzo definitely make sure you check out my Spanish Chicken Tray Bake! Hey, whilst you’re here why not check out my other recipes?