One Pot Dinner: Mediterranean Chicken Pilaf

Who doesn’t love a One Pot or One Sheet Pan recipe? You’re going to go crazy for this Mediterranean Chicken Pilaf for at least five reasons:

1) It’s so easy to prepare and clean-up is a snap, 2) SO yummy, 3) it’s an odds-and-ends recipe that will help you clear out your fridge and pantry, 4) there’s spinach in it, so it’s got to be healthy too, right? and 5) did I mention how delicious it is?!

Without the chicken it makes a nice, light lunch. With chicken, it’s a lovely dinner. (There are variations below, too, if you’re vegetarian or dairy-free.)

In This Meal, Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts Work Best

It starts butter and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs have way more flavor, but need longer cooking. And this is a fast recipe. Here chicken breasts work because they are quickly cooked in butter and there’s loads more flavor from all the add-ins. That means the chicken stays juicy. The flavor builds upon the fond – forms on the bottom of the pan that equals loads of flavor.

Orzo toasting in butter is a scent not to be missed. Well, melted butter in general, right? That lovely smell will waft through your house and your family will be begging to know what’s for dinner.

Then we come to more butter, the onions and garlic, the toasted orzo, and chicken broth. If you’re not cooking your rice in broth of some kind, you’re really missing out. It’s great for this pasta dish too.

Don’t Forget the Spinach — Fresh or Frozen Works

So we’ve got cooked chicken, sautéed onion and garlic, toasted orzo, chicken broth, and then we just let things simmer away just until the pasta is cooked. Then, we stir in loads of chopped baby spinach.

In case you’re wondering, yes, you could use a 10-ounce package of frozen spinach instead of the fresh. It’s actually more spinach by weight, but it doesn’t matter too much in the grand scheme of things. And you’ll be hungry anyway!

Then comes the fun part: toss all those delectable sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives into the pot and give it another stir.

The last thing is a smattering of feta, fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. If you count the minimal slicing and chopping, and simmering time, dinner can be done in like 30 minutes. You can’t beat that!

One Pot Mediterranean Chicken Pilaf

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces dry orzo pasta
3 to 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned or chopped
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
6 ounce bag baby spinach, roughly chopped (see notes)
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or marjoram, chopped, plus more for serving
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped, plus more for serving
Juice of 1/2 large lemon
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, for garnish (optional)
Crushed red pepper flakes, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions
1. Heat a wide, 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter. After foaming subsides, add the cubed chicken. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, turning chicken over frequently, until chicken is just cooked through and slightly browned. Remove chicken from pan, transfer to a bowl, cover, and keep warm.
2. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter to the skillet and allow to melt. When foaming subsides, add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion starts to soften, about 3-5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the chicken. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add the orzo to the pan. Stir well and cook, allowing the pasta to toast and become a light to medium golden brown.
4. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any more of the fond from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat. Stir occasionally, especially if the orzo is sticking to the bottom. As the chicken broth is absorbed, add more chicken broth 1/2 to 1 cup at a time. (The remaining 1/2 cup may not be needed.) When the pasta is almost cooked, just a step before al dente, turn off heat. Add the chicken back to the pan, stir well.
5. Add the baby spinach and gently stir so the spinach starts to wilt with the heat of the pilaf. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives. Let the pilaf stand for 5-6 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
6. Add the feta, fresh herbs, and lemon juice. Taste and add sea salt and black pepper, if needed. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, more herbs, and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Notes
-To make this gluten-free, substitute arborio (risotto) rice. The amount of chicken broth needed may vary.
-To make dairy-free, use olive oil instead of butter and omit feta cheese.
-To make vegetarian, omit the chicken step. Follow recipe for sautéing the onion, garlic, and eventually the orzo. Add the broth as directed. Add the spinach and add one 15-ounce can (drained) Great Northern beans or chickpeas along with the sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and kalamata olives. Proceed with recipe as written.
-A 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach can be used in place of the fresh spinach.

P.S. — The most popular one sheet pan dinner.

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Credits: Recipe and photos by Lindsey Rose Johnson for Design Mom.