Next Post
Chipotle Chicken Nachos with Jalapeño Yogurt.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
So delicious, and maybe my favorite HBH recipe! Unanimous applause from the family… Thank you!
Hi Lara,
Happy Friday!! ☘️🌈 So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
I made this with regular pasta instead of orzo (the store didn’t have any) and it still turned out delicious! Pretty easy to make too 🙂
Hey Tara,
Happy Wednesday!🌈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
This is amazing and delicious. I’ve now made it 3 times in the last few wks. I like adding sundried tomatoes and spinach as I’m not a huge fan of Kale. Love the feta sauce too!
Hi Lisa,
Happy Wednesday!🌈 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
This was delicious! We halved the recipe since it’s just two of us and it worked well. I used curly kale, but I think Tuscan kale may be ever so slightly better suited. Either way it’s still yummy, but if you’re on the fence, I would recommend Tuscan kale. We’ll definitely be making it again!
Hey Hannah,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:)
Fantastic! Will make this again. Awesome Leon taste. I did t make the sauce because I didn’t have feta but will do that next time for sure!
Hi Kate,
Happy Monday!!🌴 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This was super yummy! Will be adding this to the dinner rotation. I added a bit more seasoning to the chicken and the orzo, and since I didn’t have yogurt, I used sour cream. It came out delicious and am looking forward to the leftovers for dinner the next two nights. Thanks!
Hey Callie,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend:)
Outstanding! We loved this so much! I LOVE feta and girl you need to bottle that sauce & sell it! Very balanced and the flavors are so good with the lemon, herbs and orzo. Definitely a keeper!
Hi Kathy,
Happy Friday!!☘️ Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out and sharing your review, I’m so glad to hear it was delish! xx
I made this and it turned out good, except there was a bitterness on the back end. I was wondering do you think it was the lemon rind?
Hey Tracy,
Thanks so much for making this dish! So sorry to hear about the bitterness, yes that definitely could be from the lemon rind! You could always skip that next time! xx
Hi, your TikTok doesn’t mention all the lemon juice that the recipe lists (2TBS in the pan and in the feta sauce). Basically calls for 3 lemons if you slice one, add the juice of another to each the skillet and the sauce. Is that right? Especially noticed the Feta cream sauce in the TikTok appears to be just olive oil and feta cheese – no paprika, no garlic, no lemon (olive oil is not even in the recipe). Is that another version of the feta sauce? We still loved the recipe and will definitely be making it many more times! Here is the TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRWHeub7/
Hey Stephanie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe!! You can keep following the recipe as is, of course adjusting to your liking. Sometimes when I make the video I might not always have the exact ingredients on hand so it’s important to use the videos as a guide for each recipe:) I hope this helps! xx
Do you think there’d be any good way to prep this in advance to be cooked/heated elsewhere? I absolutely LOVE this dish and would like to drop it off to friends who just had a baby, but thinking it maybe wouldn’t transport/cook/reheat well. Thoughts?
Hey Bridget,
For this one, you could run the risk of the chicken over cooking. You could make through step 4 just up until the point of baking and then give the remaining directions to them. I think that would be the best option! I hope this helps! xx
My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe! It was so flavorful and easy to make.
Hi Lisa,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for giving this dish a try and your comment, I love to hear it was a hit! 😊
This sounds delicious! My partner is gluten free. Do you think I could sub the orzo for rice or would that alter the cooking time too much?
Hi Sophie,
I would use arborio rice for best results:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Could this work with white rice in lieu of orzo and chicken sausage in lieu of chicken thigh? If so, how would you amend the recipe?
Hi Stephanie,
Using rice would change the recipe in ways that I have not tested. Arborio rice is going to be your best option and I don’t see why sausage wouldn’t work for you, but again have not tested that. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Last time I made this I forgot the pan was in the oven after I set it on the stove. I burnt my hand pretty bad when I tried to pick it up by the handle. SO, this time I made it on the stove top. Worked just as good. I did make the sauce but I also sprinkled pomegranate seeds over it. This is such a visually beautiful dish and tastes really elegant for how easy it is.
Hi Linda,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Sorry to hear about your hand! xx
This was so much fun to make and perfect for a cold winter night. My fiancé loved it and we are excited for leftovers! Can’t go wrong with lemon! Thanks fir this great recipe!
Hey Katie,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! xT
I’m cooking this for guests tonight. Could I do everything up to the baking a couple of hours ahead of time and just stick it in the oven right before serving?
Hi Ani,
Sure, that should be okay for you to do! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This was a Tuesday night dinner and let me tell you, it’s officially on our rotation! I didn’t have feta on hand so we skipped the sauce and it was still delicious. Hubs kept commenting on how amazing it was, and he’s not usually interested in dinners beyond plain grilled meat, so his raves were a testament to how good this recipe was! Thank you for making cooking fun and interesting, Tieghan!
Hey Kristie,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Thanks so much for your kind message! Have a great Wednesday! xx