Healthy Mediterranean Chicken Orzo (2025)

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Incredibly yummy Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Recipe Why you’ll love this Mediterranean Chicken Recipe Orzo Chicken Mediterranean Ingredients How to make Mediterranean Chicken Orzo: Substitutions for Chicken Orzo Storing Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Serving this Chicken and Orzo Recipe Mediterranean Chicken Recipe FAQs Other delicious healthy one pan dinner recipes: Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Ingredients Instructions Notes Substitutions for this recipe Nutrition Facts

Published by: Liz Marino | 02/01/2023 |

Last updated: 10/01/2024

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Healthy Mediterranean Chicken Orzo is an easy and delicious dinner! Made with simple ingredients, packed with flavor and done in under 30 minutes!

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Incredibly yummy Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Recipe

Have I mentioned lately how much I love easy one pan dinners? Especially when they’re packed with crazy amounts of flavor and come together in under 30 minutes like this Mediterranean Chicken Orzo?

Cause I do. They make life a breeze!

Sweet grape tomatoes, white wine, briny olives + salty feta all combine with orzo (the most underrated pasta) and pan seared chicken for the most epic dinner that is easy and tastes amazing!

This one pan wonder couldn’t be easier to make, and it is incredibly yummy. The combo of ingredients is just DELISH!

Why you’ll love this Mediterranean Chicken Recipe

Here’s why I love this recipe:

Simple Ingredients – Many of these ingredients are pantry staples that you probably already have on hand!
Packed with Flavor – This mediterranean chicken recipe is loaded with absolutely delicious Mediterranean flavors!
Made in One Pan – This means fewer dishes at the end of dinner, which everyone loves! You may also love our one pot Chicken Orzo!

Orzo Chicken Mediterranean Ingredients

To make this dish you’ll need:

chicken breasts
whole wheat orzo (or regular/gluten free orzo)
kalamata olives
pine nuts
grape tomatoes, spinach
olive oil
garlic
feta cheese
fresh basil, fresh parsley, pepper, dried oregano, red pepper flakes
white wine

We love this instant-read thermometer for checking the internal temperature to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly!

Less than $10!

How to make Mediterranean Chicken Orzo:

Making this recipe is very easy to do, but requires a few steps.

Brown chicken breasts in a pan. Remove from the pan and set aside. While chicken is cooking, cook orzo.
Once you’ve removed the chicken breasts from the pan – add cherry tomatoes into pan and sauté until they start to soften.
Stir in olives, spices + cooked orzo.Garnish with feta, plate + serve with juicy chicken!

The orzo salad on its own (without chicken) also makes an absolutely delicious pasta ‘salad’. It’s great cold or warm!

Substitutions for Chicken Orzo

This easy mediterranean chicken recipe dish is very versatile and easy to customize.

Chicken– You can use chicken breasts, chicken thighs or even chicken tenders.

To make paleo/whole30 – Omit wine and feta. Sub orzo for cauliflower rice.

To make gluten free – Sub orzo with gluten free pasta or cauliflower rice.

Tomatoes-Can sub fresh tomatoes with sun dried tomatoes. If you’re looking for another veggie loaded orzo dish, try this Broccoli Cheddar Orzo with Chicken.

Herbs – You can sub dried herbs for fresh. Use 1/2 the amount of dried spice!

Olives –If you don’t like olives you can omit them.

Capers –Capers would be a great addition to this dish!

White Wine – Wine is optional but adds a nice flavor to the recipe.

Orzo Pasta Salad – For another Orzo recipe, try this Feta Orzo Salad

Storing Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo

Storing:This meal will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator making it perfect for meal prep.

Freezing:I wouldn’t recommend freezing this mediterranean chicken recipe. Orzo does not freeze well.

Reheating:You can reheat this mediterranean chicken recipe in the microwave or on the stove. You can also enjoy the orzo salad cold.

Serving this Chicken and Orzo Recipe

This dish is a meal in itself, but if you want to add more veggies you could serve it alongside someGarlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts, orHealthy Green Beans Almondine

Mediterranean Chicken Recipe FAQs

Is orzo a rice or pasta?

Orzo is technically pasta. It’s a short grain pasta that is similar in texture to rice.

Other delicious healthy one pan dinner recipes:

Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.

Greek Chicken Zucchini Noodles
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Baked Caprese Chicken
One Pan Healthy Paella
Healthy Baked Ziti
Orange Chicken
Healthy Chicken Piccata
Healthy Sesame Chicken

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo

Recipe by: Liz Marino

4.72 from 60 votes

Healthy Mediterranean Chicken Orzo is an easy and delicious one pan dinner! Made with simple ingredients, packed with flavor and done in under 30 minutes!

WW Freestyle Points 15

Prep Time : 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time : 25 minutes minutes

Total Time : 35 minutes minutes

Serves : 4 people

(hover over # to adjust)

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb chicken breasts sliced thin + pounded
1 1/2 cup whole wheat orzo (dry)
1/2 tablespoon garlic minced
1.5 cup grape tomatoes halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives pitted + sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup spinach chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional if nut free)
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup feta (optional)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Cook orzo per directions.
While orzo is cooking, on a separate large skillet or pan heat 1 tablespoons olive oil.
Optional: You can season the chicken with salt and pepper before searing.
Add chicken to the heated pan and cook until it is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set off to the side.
Once the chicken has been removed from the pan. Make sure to keep oil/grease in pan. Add additional tablespoon olive oil to the pan and heat.
Stir in garlic and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in cherry tomatoes and white wine. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft soft + wine begins to reduce (about 5-10 minutes)
Once tomatoes are cooked, stir in cooked orzo, kalamata olives, spinach, spices and pine nuts together in the pan. Toss until combined.
Serve the chicken on top of the orzo, garnish with feta + enjoy!

Notes

Substitutions for this recipe

To make paleo/whole30 – Omit wine and feta. Sub orzo for cauliflower rice.
To make gluten free – Sub orzo with gluten free pasta or cauliflower rice.
Can sub fresh tomatoes with sun dried tomatoes
Can sub fresh herbs with dried. Use 1/2 the amount of dried spice!

Nutrition Facts

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