Here, chicken, orzo, spinach, and feta come together into a complete meal that’s quick enough for a weeknight, but beautiful enough to serve to friends at a dinner party. It’s easy and delicious and, best of all, won’t load up your sink with a ton of dishes.
Ingreadient
- 2 1/2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6 thighs)
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 c. dry orzo
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 heaping tbsp. capers
- 3/4 c. dry white wine
- 3 c. low-sodium chicken broth and/or water
- 5 oz. baby spinach
- 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 4 oz. feta, broken into large pieces
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Chopped fresh dill and parsley, for serving
Direction
- Preheat oven to 400°. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; season with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
- In a large, high-sided, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Arrange chicken skin side down in skillet in a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, until skin is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Flip and cook until second side is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Cook shallots and butter, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add orzo, garlic, and capers; season with remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring often, until orzo is lightly toasted and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Pour in broth and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until liquid is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and cream until spinach is wilted. Return chicken to pan skin side up, along with any accumulated juices.
- Transfer skillet to oven and bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through and orzo is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Top with feta, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and parsley.
