The recipe

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Ingredients

Everything happens in one large skillet: the chicken browns first, the orzo cooks in the broth and drippings like a lazy risotto, and the lemon goes in at the end so it stays bright.

Steps

  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with the oregano, paprika, and salt.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high. Brown the chicken 4-5 minutes per side until golden (it finishes cooking later). Move it to a plate.
  3. Lower the heat to medium. Add the last tablespoon of oil and the garlic; stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned.
  4. Add the orzo and stir for 1 minute so it toasts lightly in the garlic oil.
  5. Pour in the broth, scraping up the browned bits from the pan floor, that's the flavor. Bring to a simmer.
  6. Nestle the chicken back in with its juices. Cover and simmer gently for 12-14 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F / 74°C inside.
  7. Off the heat, stir in the spinach, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan. The residual heat wilts the spinach in about a minute.
  8. Taste, adjust salt, and finish with black pepper and parsley. Rest 5 minutes before serving, the orzo sets into its creamy texture.

Tips from our test

The orzo drinks unevenly if the heat is too high, a gentle simmer with the lid on is what makes it creamy instead of gluey. If the pan looks dry at minute 10, add a splash of hot water and put the lid back. Our test run came in at 29 minutes of cook time with a standard electric burner.

Swaps that work

Chicken breasts work if you cut them in half horizontally and shorten the simmer to 10 minutes. No orzo? Any short pasta cooks in the same broth, just check tenderness a few minutes early. Kale stands in for spinach if you stir it in at step 6 instead, and pecorino for parmesan makes it sharper.

Storage and reheating

Fridge, 3 days in a sealed container. The orzo absorbs the sauce overnight, so reheat with a splash of water or broth over medium-low, lid on, stirring once. We don't recommend freezing, the orzo texture suffers.

What to serve with it

It is a complete plate on its own. If you're feeding big appetites, a plain cucumber-tomato salad with olive oil and a little salt is the five-minute partner that fits the flavors.