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Dinners
Meet your new favorite dinner: One Skillet Crispy Chicken Thighs & Creamy Lemon Garlic Orzo. A one pan wonder that has maximum flavor for a minimal amount of work. Plus it only takes 30 minutes! Kind of my love language.
Step By Step
The ingredients in this recipe are so comforting and nourishing! The chicken thighs provide protein, paprika adds flavor and antioxidants while the garlic, shallots, and lemon juice bring their own antioxidants. Orzo gives you energy, and chicken broth keeps you hydrated. The cream or coconut milk adds richness, while parsley brings vitamins and antioxidants. To sum it up, it’s delicious AND packed with nutrients! You can keep it dairy free with some simple substitutions listed below, but I prefer to use the butter and heavy cream. A little goes a long way!
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Add your chicken to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with paprika, salt, and pepper.
Rub to evenly coat the chicken.
Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. It does not need to be cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
In the same pan, reduce heat to medium. Then add butter/olive oil, shallot, and garlic. Stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add orzo and stir continuously for about 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir in the cream plus an additional pinch of salt and pepper.
Add chicken thighs back on top of the orzo and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes or until orzo is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed.
Some liquid on the sides is fine; it will reabsorb back into the orzo as it cools.
Top with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon to serve.
Serve as is or with your favorite veggie side to round out the meal. Enjoy!
Whaaaaaat!! Did not expect to fall madly in love with this dish. I used GF orzo, milk instead of cream, and stirred in a little shredded kale for the last couple mins of cooking. It was seriously incredible. I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow 😂
Absolutely delicious! Doubled it (using two pans) to make for my book club and it was such a hit. Will definitely be making again and again. Didn’t add any cream to it.
Oh my gosh!! Tried this recipe last night for the first time and it blew me away! SO easy and quick to make, but so delicious. The extra squeeze of lemon at the end is key, it brought everything together so perfectly. Will definitely make again!
Excellent recipe! So tasty and easy to make! It is a hit at our family!
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. So easy, tasty, and even approved by my picky toddler!
I’ve made this twice and it does not disappoint, love the flavors and chicken thighs are perfect for this dish! Will put it on a rotation!
This has been a go-to meal for us for well over a year. It’s quick, easy, and delicious. We never get tired of it and believe it will be a staple for years to come!
Looks so yummy! unfortunately our oven is not working, for step 5 could I continue cooking everything on the stove top? if so how long?
Thank you!
Yes you can cover and simmer over low heat. Just be sure it’s very low otherwise the orzo will stick to the bottom of the pan.
My husband’s absolutely favorite dish! How many would you say this feeds if I’m having company? And is there a way to sub in both thighs with white meat too like wings etc?
It serves 4! I have only tried this recipe with thighs, but you can definitely use other cuts of chicken the cooking time just might vary a bit.
Absolutely delicious!!! And, super easy!! We will definitely be making this again! Thank you for the recipe!!