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South Korea Part Two: Going for Gold.
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When you need something bright, cozy, and low-effort, this one-skillet chicken and orzo hits the spot. Think crispy seared chicken, caramelized lemon, and garlicky, butter-kissed orzo that soaks up all the flavor.
It’s weeknight-easy, pantry-friendly, and pretty enough to bring right to the table. Grab a lemon (Meyer if you’ve got it), a handful of greens, and let the oven finish the work.
You guys, I am not going to lie, at this point I really don’t even know what day it is. This entire time I’ve been in South Korea, I think I have asked what day it is and what the time is over and over again. South Korea is one day and sixteen hours ahead of MST, so the jet leg struggle was, and is, real. Because of work, I needed to be going back and forth between US time and Korean time and for me, it just got way too confusing.
By the time you all read this I should hopefully be home, as I am heading out in a couple of hours with a few family members along with me. I am currently writing this post while sitting in a hotel room in Seoul, trying to catch up on work…and scrolling through all the AMAZING comments, social media tags, and press from the last three days. It’s truly amazing. Thanks for the support you all are showing my brother. He’s living up this gold medal win (well sort of, the jet lag on this quick trip cannot be fun) and traveling around with my brother Malachi, doing a quick US press tour. However, they’ll both be back on a plane to South Korea in a couple of days, as Red needs to start practice for Men’s Snowboard Big Air.
Crazy, crazy ride those two are on…
I mean, did you catch Red on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tuesday night? Here’s the link if you’d like to watch.
And that’s your quick Red and Kai update for the day. Let’s talk food, because you know, that is what I do best.
While the food here in South Korea has been awesome…there’s been a lot of Korean Beef, ramen, and we had some amazing dumplings yesterday in Seoul…I must say, I’m looking forward to heading home and cooking up some of my favorite comfort meals, like this easy one skillet chicken dinner.
I made this before we left for Korea and it was the perfect easy, healthy, cozy dinner to eat the day before a long flight. Plus, it’s full of carbs, lemon, and veggies, so very much my kind of food.
The chicken is pan seared along with some fresh lemon slices and a little butter. The chicken becomes crispy, and the lemon slices caramelize, making them sweet enough to eat. I am aware that eating the whole lemon, peel and all, is still a little odd to many of you, but try it out this way. I promise, it’s so good.
The chicken and lemon alone could be an awesome recipe, classic and delicious, but me being me, I needed to add a little more to the recipe, so in came the orzo.
I mean, obviously, you have to have the carbs, you just do.
You could certainly use quinoa or another grain, but if I were you, I’d go with the orzo. It’s just fitting with this recipe and so delicious in the lemon butter sauce.
This recipe is not only delicious, it’s also super easy…one skillet, under an hour, and uses mostly pantry staple ingredients.
Cool. Cool.
It’s a crowd pleaser, and actually comes out of the oven looking relatively pretty. I threw on some fresh dill for color and served the chicken and orzo up right out of the skillet. Perfect for easy weeknight dinners or even entertaining.
Also, I get a lot of questions about what my favorite cast iron skillet is…I always, always use Staub. The ten and twelve inch are my favorites, I used the twelve inch for this recipe.
If I wasn’t getting home so late tonight, I’d for sure be making this for dinner. Instead, this will definitely be on my table as Friday night’s meal.
Can’t wait to start getting caught up on everything at home. Sorry for being MIA with comments this past week, I will be catching up soon. Thanks for all the messages!
Watch the How To Video Here:
One Skillet Lemon Butter Chicken and Orzo
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 337 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts or small thighs
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 Meyer or regular lemon, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 a bunch kale, roughly torn
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.2. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or cast iron skillet set over medium high heat. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet. 3. To the same skillet, add the butter and lemon slices. Sear the lemon until golden on each side, about 1 minute. Remove the lemon from the pan and add to the plate with the chicken. 4. To the same skillet, add the garlic and orzo. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the orzo toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and de-glaze the pan. Add the chicken broth, kale, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir. Slide the chicken, lemon slices, and any juices left on the pan back into the skillet. Transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.4. Serve the chicken topped with fresh dill and lemon zest. EAT!
Chicken dinner for the win…or the GOLD?! I dunno, but clearly I am still way too excited that my brother is an Olympic Gold Medalist. No big deal or anything…
This post was originally published on February 15, 2018
Hello. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I just cooked the White Wine Braised Chicken with Artichokes and Orzo and I have a question. How long are you supposed to boil the liquids before adding the chicken and baking. My dish, while yummy, had a lot more liquid then your photos of the dish (in your cookbook). Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hey Monica,
Once everything is in the skillet, you just transfer to the oven and finish the dish there. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi can I continue to cook on the stove instead of the oven?
Hey Sarah,
Yes, that will work just fine. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
added some onions with the garlic and orzo and was delicious. what a fabulous meal. not a big fan of dill but was surprised how much of a difference it made with the lemon zest. another winner winner chicken dinner 🙂
Hey Ken,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
Hi! I made this last night with rice instead of orzo. And no kale since I didn’t think my kids would eat it if I did. We all really enjoyed and I’ll definitely make this again but for us, I would tone down the lemon flavor a bit. We love to cook with lemon and love lemon sauces but it was a little too powerful lemon flavor.
Hey Kristy,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Sorry about the lemon. Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
Your web site always makes me hungry! But also inspires me to try new things. Tried this one tonight and it was a hit. Even my teenager who exclaimed he wouldn’t like when he saw it, had seconds! Thanks for my weekly inspiration! I add one of your recipes to my menu each week and it’s helped me stay excited to cook dinner every night! Keep up the amazing work.
Hey Lisa,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This was fantastic. I changed the cooking time for the chicken and used spinach instead of kale. My picky husband gave me a five stars. It’s now a repeat and I will pass the recipe onto my daughters. FYI – I give everyone your URL for recipes.
Hey Kimberly,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Omggg this is the beat thing I have ever cooked!
Hey Jenny,
I am thrilled you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Make this for the delicious, addicting orzo! You won’t be disappointed.
I made with bone-in thighs and next time would cook the chicken for longer on the stove before putting in the oven. The thighs needed 10 more mins at 400 degrees. Also I cooked the kale separately while everything else was in the oven because my cast-iron pan isn’t that big.
Yum, this will become a regular in the rotation.
Hey Jess,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is easy and soo delicious!! I am so happy that I made it because it was the perfect meal to end a long day! I highly recommend this recipe to anyone that wants a delicious & refreshing meal!
Hey Gwen,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Yum!!! This couldn’t be tastier or easier. I added a little feta at the end and it was a perfect addition. This will be in our regular rotation without a doubt!
Hey Megan,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious! The whole family loved it, though one of my kids thought it was a little heavy on the lemon juice. Made it with whole wheat orzo and chicken breast tenderloins.
Hey Jessica,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
My daughter made this recipe yesterday and loved it so much she immediately sent me the recipe. I made it tonight and my husband and I absolutely loved it. Swapped out the kale for spinach. Loved it so much i just made another dinner to take to my 85 year old mother tomorrow.
Hey Gretchen,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Could you use spinach instead of kale?
Hey Stephanie,
Yes, spinach would work well here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this tonight! One of the most detailed things I have ever cooked. (Cooking is a new venture for me!) I really enjoy it. However, I think I did the kale part wrong. The kale to orzo ratio is wayyyy more than yours shows. I should have done 1/4 the bunch , I suppose. I don’t mind the extra greens – but my boyfriend isn’t a kale fan.
Thanks for inspiring me to bake and cook for the first time ever in a long long time!!
Hey Hannah,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this tonight. Simple and delicious. Definitely something I will repeat
Hey Samuel,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan