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One Skillet Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce, the perfect winter dinner…quick, easy, colorful and delicious! Pan-seared dijon chicken with lemon butter, cooked together with orzo pasta for an all-in-one dinner. Go that extra step and serve drizzled with a delicious creamy feta sauce. A dinner that everyone at the table will love.
I think the day I got my first Staub skillet was the day I created the “one skillet” dinner. Not saying I invented the one skillet dinner by any means. Just that that I invented it for myself that day. It was many, many years ago. But ever since then I’ve made countless one skillet dinners in my Staub pan. It’s a method of cooking I fall back on weekly.
Throwing everything in the same skillet just makes sense. For one, you’re saving dishes by avoiding using multiple pans. But even more importantly, you’re creating a dish that’s full of so much flavor. When you cook everything together, the flavors are able to blend, making every element of the recipe delicious.
Of course, with this recipe I created one extra step with that feta sauce. But trust me, it’s worth it!
The process – cook the chicken
Season the chicken with Dijon, garlic, shallots, a bit of rosemary and some paprika. I like to sear the skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs to give it a nice crisped base. Then I toss it in a little butter, add some lemon slices, and let everything cook up along side the chicken. The butter browns and everything smells delicious.
Next, pull the chicken and lemon out out of the skillet, then add the orzo and broth. Stir in the kale…or you could also use spinach. Then slide the chicken into the orzo and throw the whole skillet into the oven to finish cooking.
Make the feta sauce
I couldn’t share this recipe without including a sauce. You all know how it goes around here, never enough sauce. Enter my feta sauce. It’s whipped feta cheese with a bit of yogurt, lemon, and if you have some fresh herbs on hand, toss those in too.
The salty feta creates an addicting sauce. Every spoonful is delicious, but it adds the best taste over this dijon chicken.
It’s a real crowd pleaser, and comes out of the oven looking pretty and smells even more delicious. I threw some fresh dill on top for color and served the chicken and orzo right out of the skillet.
Perfect for easy weeknight dinners or even entertaining. It really brightens the table on a cold winter day! Leftovers can easily be stored in an airtight container.
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Souvlaki and Potatoes
Browned Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Cheese Ravioli
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Skillet Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 683 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 small shallots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups chopped kale
- chopped fresh dill, for serving
Feta Sauce
- 4-6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400° F. 2. In a bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, Dijon mustard, 3 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, rosemary, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss well to combine.3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the butter and lemon slices. Remove everything from the skillet.4. Add the orzo, 1 shallot, and 1 clove of garlic. Cook until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, kale, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the pan back into the skillet. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.5. Meanwhile, make the feta sauce. Combine the feta, yogurt, garlic, and lemon juice in a blender and blend until creamy. Stir in the paprika, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. If desired, thin with additional lemon juice.6. Serve the chicken and orzo topped with the feta sauce and dill.
This post was originally published on January 12, 2022
I’ve made multiple recipes of yours! Every single one we have tried has been amazing. I made this tonight for my boyfriend and I and loved it! The only thing I did differently was use spinach instead of kale.
Hi Johanna,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Chicken with skin? Or skinless?
Hi Sarah,
You can use either one. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Hi!
I was wondering if you could substitute the Greek yogurt for something else ? Maybe sour cream ?
Thanks !
I have the same question
Hey Britt,
Sure, sour cream would work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
This recipe looks so yummy! I was wondering if I could use my Instant Pot for this, and if so how would I cook it? Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!
Hey Michelle,
So sorry, I have not tested that with this recipe. It could work, but you need to test the times of cooking and things. I would follow my directions for stove-top, but cooking in the instant pot. Then get everything in and seal the lid, cook 7 minutes. I hope this helps! xTieghan
I noticed that you are supposed to add lemon juice with the broth and kale while cooking the orzo. The ingredient list mentions 1 lemon sliced, but does not say anything about lemon juice.
The feta sauce ingredients lists juice from one lemon, but that is for the sauce. So excited to make this tonight!
Hi Katie,
You will want to use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Add broth, kale & lemon juice, but I only see a sliced lemon and then juice of a lemon for the feta sauce. Maybe no lemon juice with the broth?
Can’t wait to try it! Making my 4th HBH recipe this week tonight! All yummm!
Thank you!
Hi Christine,
You will want to use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi what if we dont have a skillet that can go into the oven? How can I cook this
Hi Marisa,
You will want to transfer to an oven safe baking dish. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I know Dijon is in the name of the recipe…but if I’m not a huge Dijon fan and love the rest of the recipe, is there a different sauce/ingredient I can swap with the Dijon that compliments the other ingredients in the recipe?
I second this. Mustard in general is a no go for me. Is there something we can use instead?
I wondered about adding “lemon juice” to the orzo too. The cooking process above the recipe doesn’t mention “lemon juice” and the Ingredients don’t include it either. With this in mind, the lemon slices in the orzo aught to do.
I’m new and commented in the wrong place. ?
No worries!
Hi Brian,
You will want to use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in step 4. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Jess,
You can just skip it:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
She has another great recipe I cook all the time – One Skillet Lemon Butter Chicken and Orzo, very similar, no mustard.
Thank you Cynthia! 🙂
Hi Sally,
You can just skip the dijon mustard. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Do you butterfly the chicken breasts first?
Hi Linda,
Nope, you can follow the recipe as is. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
what size skillet do you use?
Hi Kathleen,
You will want to use a 10 to 12 inch skillet. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Ok to use frozen kale or spinach?
Hi Brenda,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Not a fan of feta. Could I substitute another kind of cheese like goat cheese?
Hi Joan,
Totally, goat cheese would be a great option! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Could you sub the rice for the orzo- for a gf option?
Wondering this as well! my mom is GF, and I want to make this for her. Or maybe a GF noodle?
Hi Andrea,
You might be able to find GF orzo but yes rice will work it will just take longer to cook:) xTieghan
Hi Melissa,
I looked at her other, similar recipe and she recommended basmati rice (which would take longer to cook than orzo, obviously) and/or any short-cut GF pasta! Hope that helps 🙂
This recipe is AMAZING! I made this gluten free with the Banza rice, since it has an orzo consistency, and it was fantastic!
Hi Kristina,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hi Melissa,
Yes, rice will work for you, it will just take longer to cook:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
In step 4, how long do you boil the orzo before adding the chicken back to the skillet? Thanks.
Hi Brenda,
You are just going to bring it to a boil, once at the boil then add in the chicken and follow the instructions from there. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can this be frozen? At what stage?
Hi Marilyn,
To be quite honest, this probably isn’t a dish that I would recommend freezing. The orzo would probably get mushy and the chicken dry from reheating. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan