Baked Lemon Chicken & Zucchini Orzo
This one pan baked chicken orzo is the perfect easy weeknight meal! Chicken, orzo and zucchini simmered in a creamy lemon sauce and topped with melted cheese
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 2 zucchini or summer squash thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs boneless and skinless (about 6 large thighs)
- ½ tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- red chili flakes to taste
- 1 medium lemon juice and zest
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1.5 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1.5 cups marble cheese shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- red chili flakes for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper as desired and saute with the lid on for about 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally. Once zucchini is cooked, set it aside on a plate.
- In the same pan add the rest of the olive oil (2 tbsp), garlic and onions. Cook until fragrant (about 3 minutes).
- Sear the chicken thighs by arranging them in a single layer in the pan (you will need to move your onions around). Sear each side of the chicken for about 3 minutes.
- To the pan, add orzo, spices, lemon juice, lemon zest, zucchini and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the lid and simmer on low-medium for about 15-20 minutes.
- If your pan is oven safe, mix in the kale, and half of the cheese. Top with the remaining half of the cheese (sprinkle with parmesan cheese if using).If your pan is not oven safe- pour the orzo, chicken, zucchini mixture into a casserole dish before adding your cheese and kale.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then turn the oven to broil and broil for 5 minutes to get the cheese nice and brown.
- Top with additional red chili flakes, stir in fresh basil and enjoy!
Notes
*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Nutrition
Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 169mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 578mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2599IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 259mg | Iron: 3mg
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