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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 just made this last night – fabulous flavors. One question. The instructions say to “Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the pan back into the skillet. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicked is cooked through.”
The cook time on the top of the receipe shows 40 minutes. I had to cook in the oven, at 400 degrees, for 45 minutes. Is the 15 minutes a typo?
Thank you,
Fran
Hi Fran,
Wow! You definitely should not have had to bake in the oven for 45 minutes, that seems extremely long. What kind of chicken did you use? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I made this for dinner for me and my husband last night and it was delicious – so flavorful! And it came together super easily, which is always nice on a weeknight after a long day. I like that the chicken didn’t have to marinate in the mustard-shallot mixture, just toss it together and throw it in the pan! And the feta sauce adds so much to the finished dish – it gave it a smoky flavor from the paprika that put it over the top! By the time I got to making the feta sauce, I was ready to be done and didn’t want to fiddle with (and have to clean) an appliance, so I didn’t even put it in the blender, just mashed up the feta a little with a fork, and it was perfect! The chicken was tender and juicy, the orzo was cooked perfectly and the bits on top and around the edges that got a little crispy are so good! Thank you, we will definitely be making this recipe again!
Hi Ellie,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Do you pound chicken breasts to make even?
Hi Carol,
If your chicken breasts are super thick and uneven, then yes that will work well for you. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
This look delicious! What size is your skillet? Wondering if I should use my Dutch oven instead of my cast iron skillet
Hi Christine,
You will want to use a 10 or 12 inch skillet. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
An excellent recipe packed with flavor. I used chicken breasts and followed the recipe exactly. A definite make-again. Even my littles liked it!
Hi Stacy,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Yumm this was so good with so much depth of flavor from browning the chicken in the pot then cooking the orzo in it. Made in my lodge cast iron and used 3 lbs chicken thighs because that’s what my packages came out to. Feta sauce was amazing. Will make again!
Hi Lisa,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
The flavor of this is GREAT, but boy did it make a MESS. For a 1 skillet dish i felt like there were too many ingredients for my le crouset cast iron (standard size that I am assuming recipe calls for). 2lb of chicken barely fit, and then definitely did not fit once orzo and broth needed to be in there. Ended up doing half in the cast iron and another 50% in ceramic bakeware dish. Also the splatter is insane. whole stovetop needed to be cleaned. But in-spite of any of that, flavor is 5-starts. We also added some pine nuts
Hi Kat,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Sorry to hear about the mess. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
I would recommend using less lemon, other than that it was amazing!
Hi Erin,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
So good, even my toddlers liked it.
Hi Bethany,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was a HIT!!!!! Thank you Tieghan!
Hi Stefanie,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
I loved this! I served mine over a pile of fresh spinach. With the sauce it was perfect!
Hi Leasa,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
I really loved this recipe and will make it again. Chicken was tender and the sauce was a perfect complement to the dish.
Hi Christine,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Really, really good! I didn’t have any orzo but I did have Risotto. Did just as well, I think and tasted great. Once again, HBH comes shining through! Thank you!
Hey Chris,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Forgot to take a pic, but this was delicious! And so easy to make! Love the sauce! Already printed it out and added it to my favorite recipes notebook!
Hi Brenda,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
I made this for dinner today, however I swapped a couple of ingredients with what I had in the fridge (spinach instead of kale and prawns instead of chicken). It was absolutely delicious, perfect for a Friday evening.
Hi Colleen,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it. Have the best weekend:) xTieghan