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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
Just like all of your other recipes, this one was a knock out! It was light and tasty yet still satisfied my comfort food craving! Thank you for this recipe it really was so delicious!
Hey Alexandra,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I’m making this dish for the second time in two weeks. I go to your site almost every night. Thank you, Tiegan, for giving me ideas while I am cooking every night here in our “lockdown”.
Hey Melanie,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Our new favorite recipe:) Thanks for so many good recipes
Hey Haylee,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
Excellent dish! My husband and I loved the flavors and it was a perfect meal for us. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Hey Cheryl,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
I happen to have everything except orzo. How would you proceed with Basmati rice? I have an abundance of the stuff.
Hey Dennis,
You can go ahead and follow the recipe as is, you will just need about 10 extra minutes of cooking time for the rice. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Really good!
Thanks Nicole!
The flavors I was able to get with only a few ingredients is just amazing. My family LOVES garlic so I used three cloves instead of one, but I followed the rest of the recipe exactly. With all the ingredients prepped ahead of time, this comes together pretty quickly and is an easy meal, especially with the final cooking time completed in the oven. Not a lot of cleanup either since it comes together in just one dish. Will definitely be making this again!
Hey Blayre,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
What particular white wine did you use here? Not familiar with what wine brand is good. (Not a wine drinker) LOL Thanks!
Hey Maya,
I like to use a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, you could also use chicken broth:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks amazing.. just bought all the ingredients to make it tonight. I am worried that my cast iron is not large enough. Any suggestions if it does not all fit? Sear on cast iron then transfer to something larger tha you can put in the oven?
Hey Sarah,
Yes, that would work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
I can’t wait to try this recipe for my parents tonight! One question – my mom is pescatarian so I was planning to substitute halibut for the chicken in her dish. Do you have any recommendations or advice for this recipe with fish instead of chicken breast? Thanks!
Hey Anne,
I hope you love the recipe, the fish won’t take quite as long as the chicken to cook, so I would just keep an eye on it! xTieghan
We wouldn’t make this one again. It was very bland. It sure did look beautiful though in our skillet…but tasted boring. If we did it again we’d add a lot of sautéed onion and extra garlic. But overall, she has so many other recipes we have made that were way better so I don’t think we will make this again.
Hey Joey,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, let me know if there is anything I can help with! xTieghan
OMG what a hit with the whole family— so delicious the lemon ? + ? =delicious
Hey Liz,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Thanks! xTieghan
Just made this tonight, Teighan. This was a huge hit, and very weight loss friendly. Just left out the wine and the butter. Thank you for all your hard work and can’t wait to make more of your dishes!
Hey Anne-Marie,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Thanks! xTieghan
I LOVE this recipe- it’s become a go-to “seems kinda fancy but super easy” meal to make. My favorite part is the lemony buttery orzo. Question- how would you tweak this to be a vegetarian version? I was thinking chickpeas at the end.. I don’t want to change the flavors too much! Thanks for the beautiful yummy recipes- love your cookbooks as well!
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! I would just add some extra veggies in place of the chicken. Thanks! xTieghan
This was very good. Some brightness with the Meyer lemons. Easy to prep and cook.
Verdict from the family was they preferred the chicken with sun dried tomatoes ove4 this one. Yet, this one has good flavor and is much lighter.
Hey Lorie,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! xTieghan