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One Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce. Pan-seared chicken marinated in olive oil, garlic, yogurt, lemon, Dijon, pepper, thyme, and paprika and cooked to perfection. Then, it’s simmered together with orzo, crispy bacon, and fresh broccoli for a perfect one-skillet meal! Serve drizzled with a delicious creamy feta sauce. The feta sauce is that special sauce that makes you say, “Wow—YUM.”
Lately, my family’s favorite dinners have been chicken and orzo all made in one skillet. Sometimes, I go for sun-dried tomatoes and Italian flavors; other times, I bring in bold Cajun spices, like this dish I shared from a few years ago. I tend to switch up the flavors to keep dinner exciting. I don’t usually make the same dish twice. If you love experimenting in the kitchen like I do, you’ll have fun playing around with different ingredients to make it your own.
Crispy prosciutto is a must in any orzo skillet I make. My family loves it, and it’s a great addition to almost any dish I serve.
Lately, I’ve been using so much prosciutto that I nearly forgot about bacon—until a couple of weeks ago. I recently found the yummiest, uncured, sugar-free bacon, and it’s been a game-changer!
It may sound funny, but that one ingredient has sparked a handful of new recipes!
Long story short, I loved the sound of lemon pepper-seasoned chicken with a bit of crispy, salty bacon! Sounds amazing, right?
I marinated the chicken with my favorite combination of yogurt, dijon, lemon, and pepper—plus garlic, of course. I added bacon, orzo, and broccoli. It was easy peasy, and it came out delicious!
Let’s talk details
Ingredients
- chicken thighs or breasts
- extra virgin olive oil
- plain Greek yogurt
- lemon juice
- dijon mustard
- garlic
- dried thyme
- paprika
- onion powder
- black pepper and salt
- bacon – if you don’t eat pork, omit this! Not a big deal at all, make this work best for you
- salted butter
- orzo pasta
- broccoli florets
- fresh basil and dill
Ingredients – for the feta sauce
- feta cheese
- plain Greek Yogurt
- garlic
- lemon juice
- smoked paprika and chili flakes
Steps
Step 1: marinate the chicken
The Greek yogurt marinade makes all the difference. Marinate it in olive oil and yogurt with lemon, dijon, pepper, and garlic. Then add dried thyme and paprika and season with pepper and salt.
If time allows, marinate the chicken for 30 minutes or overnight. If you’re in a time crunch, just start cooking. I’ve now made this both ways; it is honestly great either way.
Step 2: start cooking
When you’re ready, start searing the chicken in an oven-safe cast iron skillet. Once it’s seared on both sides, you can remove it from the pan.
Add the bacon and get it nice and crispy all over. Now add some butter and some orzo. Let the orzo get toasty in the butter, then mix in water.
Step 3: baking
Stir in the broccoli. You could also use kale or even spinach. Then slide the chicken into the orzo and throw the whole skillet into the oven to finish cooking.
Step 4: the feta sauce
In my eyes, the feta sauce is the secret “sauce” to this dish.
It’s whipped feta cheese with a bit of yogurt and 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 and adds the best flavor to the peppery chicken.
Step 5: serving
When you pull the dish out of the oven, the sauce should have reduced, but the broccoli will be just perfectly cooked.
Add spoonfuls of the feta sauce, then fresh dill or basil.
Add some 5 ingredient beer bread to really complete this Gerard Family staple dinner. A comfort meal at its best! And the bacon is such a nice addition!
Looking for other easy chicken dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Spicy Sesame Chicken and Ginger Rice
Lastly, if you make this Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo, 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!
Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 741 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs or breasts (skin on or off)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and black pepper
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 1/4 cup sliced pepperoncini
- freshly chopped dill/basil, for serving
Feta Sauce
- 4-6 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- smoked paprika and chili flakes, to taste
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, toss together the chicken, olive oil, yogurt, lemon zest, dijon, garlic, thyme, paprika, onion powder, and season with 1 teaspoon pepper and salt. If time allows, marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.2. Preheat the oven to 425° F. 3. Add the chicken to a large skillet set over medium heat. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the skillet.4. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, 5 minutes. Add the butter and orzo. Cook until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Add the pepperoncini. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.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.6. Serve the chicken and orzo topped with the feta sauce and dill or basil.
This post was originally published on April 2, 2025
This has to be the first recipe of yours that I really didn’t like. Don’t see the need for bacon and flavor profile was just off. It actually went in the trash.
Sorry to hear this, Julie! Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know! xx
Out of the many recipes Ive made from here, this one sadly missed the mark for me. While the feta sauce was delicious, I felt the actual dish ended up tasting way too “bacon-y”. Almost reminded me of a pasta al carbon (which I don’t like). I was only able to marinate the chicken for 30 min, so maybe that is why I didn’t feel like the lemon pepper flavors were very strong. Because the bacon flavor seemed to overpower the lemon pepper, I didn’t thing the feta sauce complimented the meal as much as it could have
Hi Allison,
Thank you for trying this recipe and so many others, I’m so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Have a great evening! xx
I agree with Allison. The bacon seemed an unnecessary and overpowering addition to a dish that’s already brimming with flavors. Also, I had a large volume of liquid left after baking- not sure if that’s how it was supposed to be? But, most all of the other recipes from HBH I’ve tried have been fantastic. This one with no bacon and less liquid would be great!
What can I do in place of broccoli? Making tomorrow evening for my family and can’t wait
Hi Kimberly,
Any other veggie that your family enjoys will work, asparagus and green beans would both be great options! I hope you love this dish! xT
My sweet daughter made this for my husband and I and it was absolutely fantastic!!!!
Love to hear this, Mary!! Thanks to your daughter for giving it a try and thanks for taking the time to comment:) xx
We have a family of 8 and every single person from five years old to our 15-year-old loved this! The pepper Cheaneys made the orzo a little bit spicy for some of the younger ones, but they loved the chicken. I served it with mini pitas to dip in the feta sauce, and I will definitely be making this again!
Hey Lindsey,
Happy Friday!🌺 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you!
Does the orzo need to cook to finished in the skillet on the stovetop before putting in the oven?
Hi Rachael,
The orzo will finish cooking in the oven. I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
The recipe and instructions don’t quite align. List of ingredients calls for lemon zest for the marinade but the instructions call for lemon juice in the marinade. Should lemon zest be used as well?
Hey Rose,
Yes, you are going to use the lemon zest in the marinade. So sorry for any confusion! xx
The ingredient list for the marinade has 1T lemon zest listed, however the instructions have lemon juice listed to mix with the other marinade ingredients. Which is correct?
Hi Diane,
You are going to want to use lemon zest for the marinade. So sorry for any confusion! I hope you love this dish, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This recipe was AMAZINGGGG! T, you’ve outdone yourself again! Husband kept asking for more & ate the leftovers the next day! He is already asking when I’m making it again haha!!! Only thing is that the feta sauce was hard for my ninja blender to blend up, so I added a bit of whole milk.
Hey Jessica,
Happy Monday! Thanks for giving this recipe a try, love to hear it turned out well for you! Have the best week:)
Do you mean lemon “juice” now zest in ingredients? And a whole teaspoon each of salt and pepper in the marinade?
Hi Kimberly,
All of the ingredients and measurements are correct:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Just made this tonight… followed recipe exactly, was only able to marinate for 30 min but it was amazing! It didn’t take much time either, oh and you can literally drink the feta sauce…sooo good!!!
Thanks so much, Aggie!! Love to hear this dish was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it!
I made this last night and it was sooo good! I shared with my vegetarian sister and recommended she replace chicken & bacon with tofu & chickpeas. I will definitely be making again !! My feta sauce was a little thick in the blender. I needed to add some olive oil to help with the consistency.
Hey Renee,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a winner! Have the best weekend:)
Abosolutely delicious, Tieghan! Another winner! You make the most amazing sauces.
Thank you!
Hey Kathi,
Amazing!! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your feedback:)
I made this tonight and we loved it! I bought the ingredients today so I was only able to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes. It came together quickly which was perfect for a weeknight. The feta sauce is delicious and really took the dish to the next level!
Hey Michelle,
Amazing!! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your feedback:)
What a delightful recipe! Love your take on combining chicken and orzo. I’m curious, do you think this would work with turkey instead of chicken? Also, considering trying this with kale instead of broccoli. Any tips on adjusting the cooking time for that? The feta sauce sounds like a delicious addition—definitely a must-try. Keep sharing your one-skillet wonders! 🍽️
Thanks so much, Larsen! Sure, I don’t see why turkey wouldn’t work for you. You can add the kale in place of the broccoli and keep the recipe as written, no need to adjust anything. I hope you love this dish. Happy Sunday! xx
Delicious and we loved the feta sauce. I followed the recipe exactly, marinated the chicken overnight and it was a big success. This one is a keeper.
Hey Jean,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner!!