One-Pan Lemon Orzo Chicken with Artichoke Hearts
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Serena Wolf, author of The Dude Diet, has a new book out: The Dude Diet Dinnertime. It’s filled with “125 Clean(ish) Recipes for Weeknight Winners and Fancypants Dinners.”
I’ve made one recipe — Lemon Orzo Skillet with Chicken and Artichokes — which I’d classify definitely as a weeknight winner but as Serena notes, “it’s equally awesome for entertaining given the sophisticated flavor profile (artichokes and “notes of citrus” = instant fancy).”
Agreed!
I was drawn to the recipe for three reasons:
- It’s a one-pan job.
- Chicken thighs. As you know, I’m a thigh girl. (But yes, breasts will absolutely work here.)
- Artichoke hearts. I recently discovered Trader Joe’s grilled artichoke hearts, and I’m wanting to throw them in everything. (Friends, have you tried them??)
As promised, the recipe came together very quickly, leaving me with an incredibly delicious dinner and few dishes to clean.
What I love about the recipe is that because everything cooks in a single skillet, the ingredients all flavor each other: the orzo absorbs the seasonings of the marinated artichoke hearts, the artichoke hearts absorb the juices of the chicken, the herbes de Provence infuse the whole dish, making everything especially tasty. Fresh lemon juice and zest along with a handful of parsley brighten it all up at the end.
If you wish, you can blanket the pan with a layer of cheese, stick it under the broiler, and then, as Serena says, “bask in your casserole compliments,” but I’ve yet to make it this far — I find it delicious as is straight from the stovetop. If you, however, find yourself with a blistered and bubbling skillet, I have no doubt you will have zero regrets.
PS: Dude Diet Apple Pie Overnight Oats
PPS: 18 One-Pot Wonders
Serena Wolf’s The Dude Diet Dinnertime:
Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients.
I highly recommend Trader Joe’s grilled artichoke hearts if you can find them.
First, brown the thighs in a little bit of oil for 3 minutes a side.
Transfer chicken to a plate, then toast the orzo along with some minced garlic in the same skillet.
Add water (or stock), the artichoke hearts, herbes de Provence, and the chicken.
Cover, and cook for about 15 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a board, and cut into cubes.
Get together the finishing touches: grated cheese, minced parsley, lemon zest and juice.
Add the cheese to the skillet.
Add the parsley to the skillet.
Stir to combine.
At this point, you could cover it with a layer of cheese and broil it, but I love it just the way it is.
Serve immediately!
One-Pan Lemon Orzo Chicken with Artichoke Hearts
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
From Serena Wolf’s Dude Diet Dinners
Artichoke hearts: If you have a Trader Joe’s, look for their grilled artichoke hearts. They come in a box. They are delicious. With the Trader Joe’s variety, I simply cut in half (or leave whole if I’m feeling lazy). Another option is Monterey Farms ArtiHearts, which you can order by the case.
A note about the recipe: In the book, the final step calls for covering the skillet with a thin layer of cheese, and broiling it. I don’t do this because: 1. I find it totally delicious with just a few handfuls of parmesan cheese stirred in at the end. 2. My children don’t yet appreciate the wonders of blistered and broiled cheese. But, I’ve included instructions for broiling if you like this idea. You’ll need 1.5 cups cheese total, if you do. Serena suggests a mix of Fontina (or Gouda or Ggruyère). If you plan on not broiling, you’ll need about 1/2 cup grated Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1.25 – 1.5 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 4
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup orzo, whole wheat if you wish
- 12-oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped, see notes above
- 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
- 2.5 cups water or chicken stock
- grated cheese, Parmesan or Fontina, see notes above
- zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet (oven-proof if you plan on broiling the dish at the end, see notes above.) When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken to the pan and sear for 3 minutes side, or until nicely golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and orzo and cook for 2 minutes, just to lightly toast the orzo.
- Add the artichoke hearts, herbs de Provence, and water or stock to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, return the chicken thighs to the skillet, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes. [Note: Times will vary depending on the kind of orzo you are using, the shape of the pan, the strength of your stovetop. My orzo (not whole wheat) consistently is cooked in 15 minutes or less, so just keep an eye on things.]
- Transfer chicken thighs to a board, and chop into cubes with a knife or shred with two forks. Return the chicken to the skillet. Add the lemon zest and juice. Add a few handfuls (about 1/2 cup) of parmesan and stir to combine. Taste. Adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley and stir to combine.
- This is where I stop (see notes above). I find it delicious as it. BUT, if you want to take it a step further, sprinkle a layer of cheese (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup) over the top and broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and lightly browned. Keep an eye on it!
- Serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
98 Comments on “One-Pan Lemon Orzo Chicken with Artichoke Hearts”
This looks so delicious! are these artichokes in the freezer section at tjs??
Hey! No, the regular grocery aisle, next to the canned and jarred artichoke hearts. Hope you love it!
I am going to try to replace the chicken with tempeh! Will report back!
Oh awesome! So curious as to how it goes … report back! I don’t cook with tempeh enough.
I also love TJ’s artichokes. Another option is Monterey Farms Grilled “ArtiHearts” which I found at Whole Foods in the refrigerated area of the produce department. It’s a 6 oz. vacuum pack. Hope that helps.
Ohhh great tip, Leslie! And you can order a case online! Ordering one now and will add this link to the notes in the recipe. Thank you!!
Beautiful! I’m going to try this so soon! I was wondering where your white plate is from…I have little ones and am in need of sturdy dishware
Thanks! The plates are Le Creuset Pasta Plates — I have 4 and I find I use them all the time for various things, including holding fruits/veg on my countertop.
Thank you very much!
Do you think I could replace the chicken with chickpeas? And add them at the same time as the orzo? Trying to figure out what to do for a newly-vegetarian family member!
I do! I think that will work out great.
Trying to watch my white carbs…which whole grain do you think would be the best swap for the orzo?
Hey! I think you could sub pearled farro here, and that would work nicely. Do you like farro? You may have to cook it a little bit longer, in which case, just remove the chicken after 15 minutes.
If you can find Misko Brand Orzo, it’s so delicious. It’s from Greece and comes in a dark pink 500g cellophane bag. Love those TJs artichokes!
Brilliant, thank you! Just ordered some!
This was outstanding and so easy! I added the TJ sun dried tomatoes… So good!!
Thx for sharing your recipe videos too… love watching them!
So great to hear this, MK! Sun dried tomatoes sound amazing … I’ll have to pick those up next time. Thank you for the kind words … means a lot.
Ali! I discovered these last month when girls brought them to my sister’s bachelorette weekend! They’re incredible – i just finished eating a package this week. I was just eating them straight up b/c they’e So addicting but will def try this recipe.
So funny Bates! I mostly eat them straight up because I find them irresistible. Hope you love this one!
This is fabulous! Simple but with a big flavor. I made this while watching Thursday night football and didn’t miss a play. I love the layers of flavors.
Thank you.
Wonderful to hear this, Wildbill!
Alexandra, this looks amazing and easy, can’t wait to make it. I’m celiac so I will have to use a different grain. Would rice work? I used to love orzo, but I have not found it GF as of yet😩
Thanks, Julia
Hi Julia! I think rice would definitely work! It may take a little bit longer to cook, so I would just keep an eye on the chicken and remove it when it’s done … then continue to cook the rice covered till it is done and return the chicken at the end. Hope it works out!
Thanks, I will try it with rice and post back how it turns out. I bought the artichokes today and they look delicious!!
This looks great! Would it be good to add prunes or dates? If so, when?
I love dates! Either would be great. I would add them when you add the artichoke hearts.
Thank you!
We made this last night Ali. It was delish as promised. I really like braised chicken thighs so next time, I’m going to forego adding the orzo until after the thighs have braised awhile. Thanks for a great dish.
Smart! Love that idea. Happy to hear this 🙂
I wanted to make this for a vegetarian friend. So I used Cannelini beans in place of the chicken and then added 4 cups of baby spinach at the very end. It was marvelous and she loved it. I sent her your original recipe, just to be safe. Who knows she may want to make it with chicken one day.
Yum! That sounds amazing. Love this idea.
I made this last night and it was excellent, even though I didn’t have tj’s frozen grilled artichokes. I did have,however, jarred grilled artichokes so I thought I’d give them a go and we thought they worked fine. Instead of the thighs I used breasts. The toasted orzo really was wonderful. A keeper of a recipe!
So happy to hear all of this, Ann!
Hi! My mom was so excited to make this recipe (I sent it to her because she has a Trader Joe’s nearby) and got all the other ingredients ready, hopped to TJ to get the artichokes and they said they’d never heart of them! She lives downstate NY. Is it possible not all TJ’s carry them? What aisle did you find them in up here?
Bummer! And so surprising bc I feel like the shops closer to the city have everything. The grilled artichokes are in the grocery aisle in a box — they’re right next to the canned/jarred artichoke hearts (in my TJ’s at least). Sorry to hear this!
I tried to purchase the grilled artichokes at the TJ in Chapel Hill, NC (even showed them your photo of the package) and was told they did have them but it is “a seasonal item”. Disappointing.
That is such a bummer!! I’m sorry. I’m going to look for an online source… stay tuned.
This recipe was straight forward and easy to follow. It is SO delcious! Thanks for sharing it.
Yay! So happy to hear this, Lydia!
This was so easy and absolutely delicious! I have Pescatarian friends who I would like to have for dinner, do you think it would work with Shrimp?
Thank you for your wonderful blog (and book)
oops that sounded awful..have Pescatarian friends over for dinner, not FOR dinner 🙂
HA! I wouldn’t have thought anything of it 🙂
I think it would be delicious with shrimp! I would sear the shrimp first, very very, quickly … no more than a minute a side (if you’re using 16/20 count or something similar). Then add them back at the very end to warm through and continue cooking. So happy you liked this one!
So easy and delicious! Only change I made was I cut up the chicken prior to cooking it – I didn’t want to fish it out to cut/shred at the end. My husband liked it so much he sent the recipe link to his friends! With minor timing changes, I think this would be great to try with shrimp.
So happy to hear this, Rhonda! I think you are smart to chop up the chicken prior — totally going to try that next time. Glad the husband approved, too!
I made this dish, and it is delicious! I used the Trader Joe’s artichokes you recommended. I drained the oil from the package and used it to brown the chicken. I left the chicken and artichokes whole to make it even easier.
Smart re using the artichoke oil! And keeping everything whole! Love it 🙂
Great recipe!! Made it tonight but with brown rice and it turned out very well! Will definitely make again.
So great to hear this, Rebecca!
Made this the other night for dinner and it was A+. Generally followed the recipe, except I used the oil from the TJ’s artichokes and added a bunch of kale that looked a bit wilted. Delicious! This is definitely going into the rotation.
Yay! So happy to hear this 🙂 🙂 🙂
5 Stars:) Excellent recipe and so easy! Definitely keeping this in my rotation. Thank you so much!
So happy to hear this, Viv 🙂 🙂 🙂
Very good! We added fresh spinach at the end. I think mushrooms would be a nice add too. I accidentally cut up half the chicken before I added it and it turned out fine. Much nicer than cutting it after it has all the orzo stuck to it.
Smart re chicken! Love this. Spinach + Mushrooms sounds amazing here.
I’m interested to try but have no access to artichokes right now. If you had to choose an ideal replacement for easy to get ingredients what would you pick?
A number of people have made this by adding sautéed mushrooms and folding spinach in at the end. Do either of those ingredients appeal?
I don’t have herbes de Provence. What would be a good substitute? Thanks!
What dried herbs do you have on hand? Honestly you could leave them out and they would be fine. Or you could use some fresh thyme or a pinch of dried dried thyme. Oregano is not part of herbes de Provence, but a pinch of that would be nice here, too.
Hi Ali- I’m wondering what kind of skillet you used in this recipe, and size. Thanks!
Hi Sara! It’s this Le Creuset 5-qt Braiser. Love it!
This was quick, simple and delicious. I didn’t have herbs de Provence or fresh parsley–subbed dried thyme and dried parsley and still extremely delicious. Used jarred marinated artichoke hearts. Tastes rich with the cheese and lemon. Yum!
Oh yay! Wonderful to hear this, Lauren! I love this one, too 🙂 🙂 🙂
Very easy and delicious! Thank you for another winning recipe that is now on the dinner rotation!
Wonderful to hear this, Callum! Thanks for writing!
I love this quick and easy dinner. I sub whatever frozen vegetable that I have on hand and dump in a couple of glugs of white wine after the orzo toasts and let it scrape up the chicken juices. This time I added frozen spiralized carrots and zucchini instead of artichoke, skipped the lemon, and threw in a handful of leftover Parmesan and Swiss. It’s very forgiving and delicious.
I love this, Kam. Thanks so much for writing. It’s so nice when a recipe can be seen more as a template, adaptable to what you have on hand. I love these sorts of recipes. All of your variations sound delicious!
I made this last night and I will have to make again. I didn’t have herbs de provence, so I used thyme, but shame on me for using more than the pinch that Ali recommended — I overthymed it so much that it was the dominant taste (so beware!). All that said, the orzo, chicken and artichokes were cooked just right and it was super easy that I will have to make it again … but this time, with the right ingredients.
i am hoping to make this for a friend who had back surgery, so can it be made in advance and reheated? it took me ages to get to Trader Joes (1.5 hrs away)
Hi Heidi! Yes, definitely. You may need to add more water when you reheat it bc the orzo will absorb it all, but otherwise it will reheat beautifully.
Like so many of Ali’s recipes- this one was wicked easy and DELICIOUS! Minimal prep and one pot?! I’m in. Added mushrooms for more texture, will definitely be making again.
So nice to hear this, Linds!! I love adding mushrooms to this one, too. xoxo