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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
This recipe is amazing. I was hesitant at first because of all the strong flavours, but they all worked so well together. So so so delicious.
Hey Lauren,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Super tasty, savory, lemony, fresh, creamy. What more could you ask for? The feta sauce is amazing, not only did I pair it with the chicken orzo dish, but I also spread it on toast , yum!
Hey Scherrie,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I made this tonight for dinner with friends and we all LOVED it. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this was the perfect meal- I’m serious! So easy and insanely delicious for something so simple. The chicken was perfectly cooked and juicy! Plus that extra feta sauce? We were all scraping every last bit off of our plate. Definitely worth the little extra time to make it. I love that the ingredients are also things you would almost always have on hand (at least I do). I’ve got a husband who thinks he’s Gordon Ramsay and even he asked me if I could make this again, lol! I swear anytime I’ve ever made something he’s loved I was making a halfbakedharvest recipe. 100% will be adding this to my weeknight meal rotation. Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Sarah,
Lol thanks so much for your kind message:) I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xxT
I love so many of your recipes, but this one really did not work for us. Like several other commenters mentioned, the lemon rind made this bitter and sour, almost to the point of inedibility. The chicken and orzo were both tender and cooked beautifully, but the lemon unfortunately ruined the dish. Oh well — there are lots of other HBH recipes to try instead. Can’t win them all! 🙂
Hey Kate,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Good god this was delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hey Sidney,
I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xxT
I made this last night with chicken thighs and threw on some feta instead of making the sauce (time-poor and the fewer dishes the better) It was incredible!! SO easy, so flavourful we all loved it sooo much! Thank you!
Hey Susane,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
I love EVERYTHING you make! You are my #1 go to for every meal I make, I swear! Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. Question for you, I’m gluten free and so if I subbed rice for the orzo in this recipe, would you adjust the chicken broth and baking time? Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Alissa,
Thank you so much for your kind message and trying so many recipes!! Yes, you will want to increase your baking time for the rice. I hope you love the dish! xTieghan
OMG Dilish!!! Stay at home Valentines Dinner….better than any restaurant.
I didn’t have orzo but used Israeli Couscous….perfect. no greek yogurt so used greek sour cream and swirled the dill into the feta yogurt sauce…Couldn’t be better!!
Thank you and Happy Valentines Day!!
Hey Cindy,
Awesome!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a hit!! xxT
Wonderful recipe. I used pearl couscous vs orzo since to make use of what was on hand and reduced the liquid to 3 cups since I was using couscous. I also subbed a couple of chunks of preserved lemons vs fresh sliced. I marinated the chicken overnight. The feta sauce can be made ahead of time. I used an immersion blender for easier cleanup. Served with green beans and garlic naan bread. Everyone loved it.
Hey Danita,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
I found this disappointing. It just didn’t have the depth of flavor I was looking for. I love most of your recipes but this one missed the mark for me. That said, I made the chili oil ramen and white chicken chili skillet recently and both were ? ???
Hey Kathie,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try!! Glad you liked the ramen and white chicken chili:) xTieghan
Really loved this dish! Used chicken legs with thighs attached and wild rice because that is what I had on hand, but just baked it for almost 20 minutes longer. Came out so good! Loved the creaminess of the rice. A lot of flavor without a lot of work!
Hi Sharon,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
Made this for a family dinner; Comments included: the smells are wonderful, and WOW, awesome flavors! Family went around our club telling everyone about the fantastic dinner I’d made and many asked for the recipe! I cut down on the lemon juice and shallots a bit and used sour cream instead of greek yogurt as that’s what I had on hand. Loved the presentation in the middle of the table, and everyone gobbled it down. Thanks for the beautiful recipe!
Hi Jane,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
Absolutely delicious! Easy but good depth of flavor. Leftovers were good too. I will keep this in my rotation. One of my favorite new recipes.
Hey Gretchen,
Awesome!! Love hearing that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Such a delicious and perfectly cozy weeknight dinner. Yum!! The feta sauce was a big hit. I subbed the yogurt with sour cream and still delicious!
Hey Liz,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
Made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious. It was easy to make and full of flavour. The perfect weekday dinner! My family loved it!
Hey Anna,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This was so easy and super delicious! I had a friend come over for dinner last minute and had all the ingredients on hand for this…so glad I did. The feta sauce was divine and really brings the whole dish together. Thank you for sharing all your recipes !
Hey Suzanne,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT