An easy one-pan meal, cast iron lemon basil orzo with chicken thighs makes dinner for the family seem easy. Seared and crispy chicken thighs served over a creamy lemony orzo.
Looking for more one-pot cast iron meals? Try our Cast Iron Shrimp and Creamy Cilantro Lime Orzo or Chicken Bacon Ranch Skillet.
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One Pot Meals
I love a one pot, one cutting board type of dish and this cast iron lemon basil orzo with chicken thighs is the perfect family meal!
The orzo in this dish makes it and when you bite into the fresh spoonful of creamy goodness, you'll never make a pot of rice again. Okay, maybe you will but come on. This is so freaking good. Orzo and chicken thighs are a great dinner combo. Pair it with some braised kale or maple bacon brussels sprouts for a complete meal!
Using a cast iron pan gives this recipe the flavor and char it deserves. The way chicken thighs fry on the cast iron pan to develop a crust and fill the orzo with savory flavor is out of this world. Combine that with the lemon, basil, and parmesan for the best-tasting orzo you'll ever have.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
Boneless Chicken Thighs. You could substitute bone-in chicken thighs. after you sear the chicken thighs, remove them from the pan. WHen you get to the point of adding the chicken broth to the pan, place the bone-in thighs in the pan. Cover and simmer until the broth is absorbed and the chicken thighs have reached 165 degrees.
Heavy Cream. Substitute coconut milk for heavy cream. If you can't have any dairy, you could also substitute a vegan parmesan cheese.
Chicken Broth. Substituting water or vegetable broth will work. If you use water, you will need to add more salt to the dish.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step 1: Add the chicken thighs, 2 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper to a large bowl. I like to marinate for an hour or two but if you don't have the time, don't worry about it. Just make sure the thighs are completely covered in seasoning.
Step 2: Heat a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Place the chicken thighs on the cast iron and sear on each side for about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Lower the heat to medium and leave the remaining oil in the pan. Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Once the foam bubbles away, stir in the chopped onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and stir for one more minute.
Step 4: Toasting the orzo is where this pasta gets most of its flavor. Add the cup of orzo and combine it with the onions and garlic. Stir for 2 minutes until the orzo starts turning a yellowish-brown color. The edges should get a slight brown color while the middle remains yellow.
Step 5: Pour in white wine to deglaze the plan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Once the orzo absorbs all the wine, add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Add your chicken back in, cover the pan, lower it to a simmer, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken broth is absorbed.
Step 6: Remove the cover. Set the chicken aside and stir in heavy cream, parmesan, basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until thoroughly combined. Place the chicken thighs back into the orzo. Serve immediately.
Pro-Tips
- Don't add the chicken broth until all of the white wine has been absorbed. This will allow the orzo to soak in all the flavor from the fond from the chicken along with the wine.
- As with any meal, you want to use high-quality ingredients. A decent wine and a homemade chicken stock would be best. Never use a wine you wouldn't drink!
I love getting complete meals on the table like this one or Creamy Pesto Shrimp Pasta. All you have to do is add a vegetable like Garlic Parmesan Green Beans or Sauteed Rapini with Garlic and you're done!
Recipe FAQs
Reheat the orzo in a pan on medium heat with chicken broth and butter to get a moist and creamy orzo. The texture of orzo is what makes it so good when you eat it fresh, but reheating it can result in a chunky mess, with a lot to be desired. Avoid microwaving if you can.
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📖 Recipe
Cast Iron Lemon Basil Orzo with Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 large cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup orzo
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 handful basil, julienned
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add chicken thighs, 2 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper. Heat a large cast iron pan to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and then sear chicken thighs for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add butter to the pan. Stir in onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Then add minced garlic and stir for one more minute. Add the cup of orzo and combine, toasting the orzo for 2 minutes.
- Pour in white wine to deglaze the plan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. Once the orzo absorbs all of the wine, add the chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover the pan, lower it to a simmer, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken broth is absorbed.
- Remove the cover. Set the chicken aside and stir in heavy cream, parmesan, basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice until completely combined. Place the chicken thighs back into the orzo. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Don't add the chicken broth until all of the white wine has been absorbed. This will allow the orzo to soak in all the flavor from the fond from the chicken along with the wine.
- As with any meal, you want to use high-quality ingredients. A decent wine and a homemade chicken stock would be best. Never use a wine you wouldn't drink!
NH GIRL
I made this last night and the flavors were amazing. I had very large bone in, skin on thighs (6). They were too big to put them all in the dutch oven at the same time so I had started a separate pan for the remaining 3 pieces of chicken. I put the original 3 pieces in with this pan which had to cook alongside the orzo. But definitely wanted the juices and spices from the first three pieces to cook the orzo.
Next time I will make with smaller, skinless, boneless thighs. The orzo was a bit watery, I may also reduce the amount of chicken stock to 1.5 cups. Lastly I threw in a medium size zuchinni into the orzo for the last 10 minutes and served with a green salad.
Anita Braun
are these bone in skin on thighs?
Vinny and Marisa
These are boneless chicken thighs! Good catch! You could do Bone-in, I would recommend searing them as per the recipe and then cooking them to the completion in the pan with the orzo while the orzo cooks!