Greek Chicken With Orzo Pasta

side view of a white dish with Greek orzo with layers of feta, chicken, and olives.

4.54 from 82 votes

Make this Greek chicken with orzo pasta for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Chicken is marinated in a zesty Greek dressing and pan fried. Served with a flavorful orzo, veggies, olives, and feta cheese, this recipe is packed full of flavor and nutritious ingredients.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: Greek Chicken With Orzo

Servings:

Author: Lisa Bass

Ingredients

Marinade for the Chicken:

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon raw honey
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

Greek Orzo Pasta Dish

4 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium red onion
6 cloves garlic
2 medium zucchini
1 large tomato
16 ounces dried orzo pasta
4 cups chicken broth plus water if necessary
2 teaspoons oregano
1/3 cup sliced olives
Lots of salt and pepper

Topping:

a crumble of feta cheese and another handful of olives

Instructions

Combine the ingredients for your chicken marinade in a small mason jar. Shake together and set aside.
Cut up the chicken breast into 2-inch pieces and place them in a small bowl. Pour half of the marinade over the chicken and stir so it’s evenly coated. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
In a large pot or large dutch oven, warm the olive oil and cook the marinated chicken until cooked through (165 degrees F). Remove from heat and set aside.
While the chicken is cooking, chop and prepare all your veggies. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and chop the zucchini and tomato into a rough dice.
Once the chicken is cooked through, remove from the Dutch oven and set aside. Add more olive oil if needed and scrape up any chicken that stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the chopped onions to the Dutch oven and cook until softened on medium heat.
Add garlic, zucchini, and tomato and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Pour the orzo into the pot with the vegetables with one cup of broth, oregano, and some salt and pepper. Stir regularly with the stove on medium low heat until the orzo has soaked up most of the broth, then add another cup of broth. Continue stirring and adding broth (or additional water, if needed) until the orzo is cooked through al dente. The orzo takes about 15-20 minutes to cook.
When ready to serve, top the pasta with chicken, extra olives, a drizzle of the reserved marinade, and a generous crumble of feta cheese. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

The honey in the chicken marinade helps the chicken to get a really nice browning on it, but it does mean it’s more susceptible to burning, so watch it closely.
Marinate your chicken the morning of or 30 minutes before you start cooking.
The orzo will need a lot of salt and pepper, but also keep in mind as you’re seasoning this dish that feta and olives really lend a lot of salt, as well.
You can just stir the cooked chicken into the pasta dish or add it to the top for a more decorative presentation.

Nutrition