One-Pan Creamy Garlic-Parmesan Chicken & Orzo
Golden seared chicken thighs resting in silky parmesan orzo — a whole comforting dinner from a single skillet.
⏱ 30 min · easy · 🍽 serves 4
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 lb), patted dry
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, hot
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more to finish
- 3 packed cups baby spinach
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Zest of 1/2 lemon plus a squeeze of juice
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Steps
- Season chicken all over with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high. Sear thighs 4-5 minutes per side until deeply golden and just cooked through (165°F). Transfer to a plate.
- Lower heat to medium. Add butter and onion to the same pan; cook 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add orzo and toast, stirring, for 1-2 minutes until the edges look pale gold.
- Pour in hot broth and Dijon, bring to a simmer, and cook uncovered 8-9 minutes, stirring often, until orzo is al dente and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
- Stir in cream and Parmesan until glossy, then fold in spinach until just wilted. Taste and adjust salt.
- Nestle the chicken and any resting juices back into the pan; cover and warm through 2 minutes off direct heat.
- Finish with lemon zest, a squeeze of juice, parsley, and an extra shower of Parmesan. Serve straight from the skillet.
👨🍳 The whole dish lives or dies on the fond — that browned layer left after searing. Don't wipe the pan, and don't rush the sear; a pale chicken thigh means a pale sauce. Keep the broth hot when it goes in so the orzo never stalls, and stir like you mean it in the last few minutes, since the starch it releases is what makes this creamy without any extra work. (Swapped: Chicken breasts: use 3 large, halved horizontally into cutlets; sear 3 minutes per side so they stay juicy., Dairy-free: swap butter for olive oil, cream for full-fat coconut milk or oat cream, and Parmesan for 3 tbsp nutritional yeast plus extra salt., Gluten-free: replace orzo with 1 1/2 cups arborio rice and add 1 extra cup broth, simmering 16-18 minutes (pushes the recipe to ~40 min)., No spinach: use chopped kale (add with the broth), frozen peas, or halved cherry tomatoes stirred in at the end., No heavy cream: 3/4 cup whole milk whisked with 1 tsp cornstarch, or 1/3 cup cream cheese melted into the broth., Lower carb: skip the orzo, build the sauce with 1 cup broth plus the cream, and spoon over cauliflower rice.)
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