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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
This recipe was delightful! The only reason I gave it a 4 star was because the chicken was a little dry… I would definitely use chicken thighs with skin and not chicken breast next time. The flavors of the lemon, chicken, wine and orzo together paired very nicely with the kale. So easy to make too!
Hi Susan! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and I hope it turns out even better for you next time! Thank you! xTieghan
This is my 3rd recipe since finding finding you on IG a few weeks ago. Was uninterested in what I was planning for dinner tonight and say your IG story tonight and decided to make this dish. I LOVE one pan dishes! I subbed out the orzo for pearl couscous and brocolli for kale because I didn’t have them on hand. This dish was yummy! Thank you.
Hi Sashleen! I am so glad you found my blog and are loving some recipes! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This is my second time making this recipe- tweaked it a little bit on the second time- used skinless/boneless thighs, quinoa instead of orzo and cut the lemon juice in half… it was a huge hit and a crowd pleaser! I love how your recipes are so easy to make and also easy to adjust to your own personal taste! (I’ve also made your crock pot butter chicken and adjust to be cooked in the Instant Pot and it turned out just as amazing! You are the best, girl!
Thank you so much Thais! You’re too sweet! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
I absolutely love this recipe. I make it all the time. It comes out perfect.
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you Maggie!
This was what I expected! Cozy and fairly easy. I I find that there was a little too much liquid left after the baking so I might reduce broth. I think next time I also might do with a little less lemon and serve wedges on the side. I also added mushrooms because we love them in our house and extra kale! It’s a perfect meal to make when you’re not sure what time everyone will be home. Sat in the oven on warm for about 20 (while I waited for my husband to get home) and still tasted amazing. 🙂
That is so amazing! Thank you so much for trying this Justine!
This recipe is as delicious as it looks. I love how quick the prep was, that it is all in one pot, and gives some great freshness with the lemon and herbs. Thank you for sharing and making dinner and leftovers exciting! This is a recipe I will make again and again.
Thank you so much Lora!
Wow, this receipt is a gem. It’s a perfect quick weekday dinner with ingredients I usually have in my kitchen. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much Nancy! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
HI! I decided to make this for dinner after viewing your insta story. I did not read all the reviews prior to making and now that I have (well, read probably 1/4), I agree with everyone. So good!! My 13 year old had 3 servings! He loved!! The one thing I didn’t do was add the greens. Instead I served with arugula and roasted butternut squash on the side, oh! and no dill! Thank you once again!!
Wow that is so amazing! I am so glad you all loved this recipe, Teresa! Thank you!
I made this tonight in a cast iron skillet, seriously so easy and delicious! Will definitely be making again and again.
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Alyssa!
Hi Tiegen! First of all you are my only go to person for recipes! i have cooked so many and love them! what can we use as a substitute for white wine and red wine?
HI! I would use chicken broth. That will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
I thought I was going to love this, but the chicken skin didn’t stay crispy even though I used a convection oven, there was far too much liquid for the orzo and the sauce was bitter.
Hi Debbie! I am so sorry to hear that! Are there any questions I could help you with? I hope you love some other recipes on my blog!
I made this tonight for my boyfriend and I was BLOWN AWAY! I love all of your recipes but the simplicity of this one is really what makes it so special. I will be making this a million more times I already know it!!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Amanda!
This recipe is wonderful! The chicken comes out so tender. I will be making this regularly. Thank you!
Thank you so much Caitlin!
I love your recipes!
What kind of white wine do you use?
HI! I use a dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan
Can this be made with whole wheat orzo? Would the cooking time need to be adjusted?
HI! I am sure whole wheat will work great. I dont think you need to adjust the cooking time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan