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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 was so delicious! My feta sauce was too thick, but I just put a dollop on the chicken anyway. I had doubled the recipe and used a stick blender for the sauce, so maybe I should have tweaked it differently. Overall, we loved the recipe.
Hey Karen,
Happy Monday! Big thanks for making this recipe and your comment, I love that it turned out well for you!
It was delicious. I did use spinach instead of kale but everything else was the same. Very well balanced dish and my kids liked it too! I left the sauce on the side because I wasn’t sure if my kids liked feta cheese and they did prefer the dish without it.
Hey Holly,
Thanks for testing this recipe out, I’m thrilled it was a success for you. Have a nice day!
This is my husband’s favorite HBH dish (and I’ve made what seems like hundreds of differentones for him). We return to it frequently and make extra feta sauce to put on other meals.
Thanks so much, Rachelle:)
We love all the orzo recipes! This one was also good, but I felt like the fish had a somewhat bitter taste? Maybe due to so much lemon or maybe it was the kale?! We loved the feta sauce!
Hey Melissa! Thanks so much for the input, I really appreciate it! Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xT
What a quick and easy dish for unexpected company! Using what I had on hand, I substituted carrots for kale and Parmesan for feta. It’s absolutely delicious!
Hey Kym,
Fantastic! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
I’ve made this a few times.
I used frozen kale I wouldn’t recommend that for this dish. Fresh cooks down better and doesn’t take over the dish as my last attempt did.
It reads kinda confusing so I had to double chop garlic, lemon and a shallot. It should have you chop everything up and set some aside for later.
I find it to be alot of work for a meal but it’s very good when made correctly.
Hey Ariel,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xx
Love this very flavorful dish . I want to make it again tonight but only have frozen kale. Will it wrk?
Thanks so much, Carla! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Yes, frozen kale will be just fine for you to use! Happy Sunday! xT
I’ve made some of your other orzo skillets, but this one did not come out as perfect as the others. Does this recipe need 3 lemons? After slicing one for the chicken and juicing one for the feta sauce, I was out of lemons when it came time to add 2 tbsp to the orzo. My orzo needed a little bit more liquid as not all was cooked properly after taking out of the oven. My shallot and garlic also got quite charred. I probably should have turned down the heat after searing the chicken. I had a hard time getting my feta sauce smooth. I used a vitamix to blend, but it stuck to the sides every time and would not blend smooth. Anyone have luck with a different method? Thank you for this dinner, but I think I’ll stick to your other variations as I’ve had great luck with those!
Hi Lindsay,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and so many others. Sorry to hear this one wasn’t a fave! I like to use my food processor when blending the feta sauce, are you using block feta? I find that works best. xx
Thanks for the tip! I used crumbled feta, so next time I will try a food processor and block. Thanks so much!
Really enjoyed this recipe – I used frozen Kale, and also didn’t put in the oven, but cooked down on the stove and it turned out really well! Tastes fresh and yummy! Will make again.
Hey Katie,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! XxT
Hi Teighan,
Delicious! But I saw the video of this recipe and noticed you didn’t finish in the oven. Can you tell me if the ratios are the same for the orzo and liquid. I would rather just do a stovetop version next time.
Hi Debbie,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this dish and your comment! So glad it turned out well! Yes, the ratios are the same:) xT
Hi Tieghan,
I’ve made this recipe before and loved it! This time, I’d like to prepare it ahead of time to serve to company. How would you recommend doing that?
Hi Lynn,
Lovely!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, I love to hear it was enjoyed! I would just make the entire recipe and then warm on low. Happy New Year!🥳🥂
Hi, this was definitely a hit! I used the lemon slices but left out the lemon juice in the orzo simply because my spouse is not a huge “lemon flavor” fan. He loved it! Thank you once again for a fast one skillet meal!
Hi Sandra,
Wonderful! Love to hear your family enjoyed this dish, thanks so much for making it! Happy New Year!🥳🥂 xx
This dish turns out perfect every time! It is easy enough for a week night dinner but also fancy enough for hosting. It’s so good!
Hey Charlotte,
Perfect!! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it and your comment! xT
Loved this recipe. Will absolutely make it again. One question I had was how long do you boil the orzo brefore adding the chicken etc, back to the pan?
Hey Nan,
Happy Holidays! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! I just bring it to a boil and then add the chicken. Have the best day:) xx
could I use bone-in chicken thighs?
Hi Ruthue,
Sure, that would work nicely for you, you may need to increase your cook time depending on the size of your chicken. I hope you love this recipe! x
This was yummy! Loved the sauce. I did not have orzo, so I subbed in rice. I soaked the rice for two hours beforehand. Added ten minutes to the baking time and it was perfect!
Hey Marion,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xx
Marion I’m thinking of subbing in rice for a gluten free option – what kind of rice did you use?
Love this! Is it in one of your cookbooks? If so, which one?
Thanks so much, Kathy!! Sorry this recipe is only on the blog:) Happy Sunday! xx