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cheesy spinach and artichoke chicken thighs in orzo in a cast iron skillet, topped with 3 sliced lemons. To the left, a white linen towel with a wooden spoon and a lemon.
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Cheesy Spinach & Artichoke Orzo with Chicken Thighs

This Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Orzo with Chicken Thighs is such a tasty balanced meal that comes together in one pan in under an hour!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keyword: Cheesy, easy, One Pan, Orzo
Servings: 4
Author: Emily

Ingredients

  • 6-8 chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine chicken broth or even water will work as well
  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 canned artichokes
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
  • 2 large handfuls baby spinach
  • 1 1/2 lemon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F.
  • Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  • Cook chicken until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Once cooked, remove chicken from pan and set aside.
  • Add in diced onion and cook for 1-2 mins until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 1 minute.
  • Add in dry orzo and mix. Cook for 1-2 minutes until orzo is slightly darker and has a toasty smell.
  • Add in white wine to deglaze pan (it will bubble up). Scrape all the crispy bits from the bottom of pan and allow to simmer for another minute or until you no longer smell the wine.
  • Add in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, add chicken back in and put in the oven, covered. If you don't have a cover for your pan, a cookie sheet works just fine.
  • While the chicken is cooking, thinly slice artichokes and grate the cheese.
  • Once orzo is cooked (~15 mins), remove chicken from pan once again. Mix in artichokes, mozzarella and spinach.
  • Set oven to broil, add chicken back in one final time and place pan back in oven, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes (watch carefully as it will burn if left in too long).
  • Remove from oven, top with juice of 1 lemon, parmesan cheese and additional lemon slices.