Lemon chicken orzo with spinach and feta
Golden chicken thighs with glossy orzo cooked in their pan juices, finished with spinach, lemon and feta. Finish and check the chicken before adding the pasta so both stay tender.
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Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Dice the onion, chop the garlic and prepare the spinach. Crumble and divide the feta into 40 g and 80 g. Grate the lemon zest and measure the juice into 20 ml and 10 ml portions. Measure 900 ml stock, heat it to steaming in a small saucepan and keep it hot over very low heat; reserve 250 ml for adjustments. While it heats, pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper, trim and unfold it, then season with the salt and pepper. Do not wash raw chicken. Wash your hands and clean the board and utensils after handling it; keep raw-chicken equipment away from the finishing ingredients.
- 04:00
Heat the olive oil in the sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in two batches, with space between the unfolded pieces. Allow about 4 minutes on the first side and 3 minutes on the second for each batch, until golden. Lower the heat if the residue starts to blacken. Transfer to a plate to catch the juices; the chicken is not yet cooked through.
- No timer needed
Reduce the heat to medium. Cook the onion in the retained oil and juices for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until softened. If necessary, loosen the browned residue with a tablespoon taken from the 650 ml initial stock. Add the garlic and oregano and stir for 30 seconds.
- 06:00
Add the remaining 650 ml initial stock, less any used for the onion, and scrape up the browned residue. Bring to the boil, allowing about 1–2 minutes. Return the chicken and all collected juices, reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. After 6 minutes, start checking the pieces while they continue to simmer; allow about 5 minutes to check all 4–6 pieces sequentially.
Probe each piece at its thickest centre: it must reach 75°C and stay at or above that temperature for 30 seconds. It should also feel tender with no raw-looking centre, but appearance alone does not establish safety. Clean the probe after an under-temperature reading before checking another piece. Transfer each verified piece to a clean plate using clean tongs and cover loosely. Continue simmering and checking any remaining pieces until they meet the endpoint. Do not add the orzo until every chicken piece is safely cooked and removed.
- 03:00
Stir the dry orzo into the simmering stock and chicken juices. Bring back to a gentle boil, allowing about 1 minute, then simmer uncovered. Stir thoroughly across the base every 3 minutes to prevent sticking. Add reserved hot stock in 50 ml increments if the pasta starts drying out.
Start tasting the orzo 2 minutes before its packet cooking time—at about 8 minutes for a 10-minute brand, counting from the return to the boil. Move to the spinach stage when the pasta is almost tender but still has a small firm centre. Do not give it an additional fixed simmer after it reaches that point.
- No timer needed
Fold in the spinach in two additions and stir over gentle heat for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted and the orzo is tender with a slight bite. This is the pasta’s final cooking stage, not extra time after it is already done. Add a little reserved stock if needed to leave a light, glossy sauce. Turn off the heat as soon as the orzo is just tender. If it reaches that point before all the spinach has wilted, cover off the heat for about 1 minute to finish wilting it in the residual heat.
- 03:00
Off the heat, stir in the lemon zest, 20 ml lemon juice and 40 g feta. Taste before adding up to the remaining 10 ml lemon juice; the stock and feta should provide the remaining seasoning. Nestle the cooked chicken and its collected juices back into the pasta. Cover and rest for 3 minutes, without turning the heat back on. The pasta will absorb a little more liquid.
- No timer needed
Scatter over the remaining 80 g feta. Divide all the chicken and orzo between four plates and serve promptly while the sauce is still glossy.
Chef tips
- The schedule assumes an approximately 10-minute orzo brand and chicken that meets the temperature endpoint during the planned verification window. Extend chicken cooking before adding the pasta whenever necessary; adjust pasta cooking to its packet guidance and texture.
- Checking and removing the chicken before adding orzo prevents safety verification from overcooking the pasta. Keep the cooked chicken covered nearby during the short pasta stage.
- Stir across the entire pan base. Orzo can stick underneath even when liquid is visible on top.
- If the pasta is still firm and the pan is becoming dry, add hot reserved stock in 50 ml increments. You do not need to use all the stock.
- If excess liquid remains when the pasta is almost tender, increase the heat briefly while stirring before adding spinach. Do not keep boiling already-tender pasta to force a thick sauce; a little sauce will thicken during the rest.
- Brown pan residue adds flavour; black residue tastes bitter. If it burns, remove the chicken, wipe out the black residue carefully and continue with the oil remaining on the chicken and the measured stock.
Equipment check
- Heavy-based sauté pan, 28–30 cm wide, with a close-fitting lid and at least 4-litre capacity
- Small saucepan for heating and keeping stock hot
- Instant-read food thermometer
- Measuring jug and fine grater
- Chopping board, knife, spatula and tongs
- Separate plates for partly cooked and fully cooked chicken
Nutrition per serving
- Calories660
- Protein44 g
- Carbs62 g
- Fat26 g
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This Greek-style dinner pairs golden chicken with tender orzo, fresh lemon and salty feta. Sear the thighs, then finish them in stock and the browned pan juices before adding the pasta. This separates chicken safety checks from the pasta’s shorter cooking window. Wilt the spinach during the final minutes of pasta cooking and add lemon off the heat.
Ingredient notes
Use ordinary dried orzo, preferably with a packet cooking time of about 10 minutes. Other brands work, but start checking two minutes before their stated time and include spinach wilting within that cooking allowance. Keep the reserved stock hot; you may not need it all. Reduced-salt vegetable stock can replace chicken stock.
Baby spinach needs no chopping; roughly chop larger leaves. Frozen spinach is not a direct substitute because it changes the liquid balance and must be cooked according to its packet. Measure the lemon juice rather than assuming one lemon gives the right amount.
Orzo contains wheat/gluten and feta contains milk. Stock may contain celery, wheat or other allergens; check its label and those of any substitutions. Gluten-free orzo is not a direct swap because its cooking time and absorption differ.
Serving & storage
Divide all the chicken, pasta and feta between four plates; no additional accompaniment is needed. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder. Use within 48 hours or freeze sooner. Thaw in the fridge. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout, adding a little water to loosen the pasta.
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