One Pot Orzo With 43g Of Protein

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Canola oil is less expensive and has a neutral flavor.

Remove the skin from the chicken thighs.

Weigh out 160g of chicken thighs.

Weigh out 60g of orzo pasta.

Chop up 2 small red onions and a red bell pepper into small pieces.

Smash 2 cloves of garlic to peel them, then grate or press them.

Prepare 75g of spinach, noting it will shrink when cooked.

Weigh out 25g of feta cheese and crumble it into small pieces.

Heat a 24 cm (9 inch) pan to medium heat and add 4g of olive oil.

Season the chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then sear them on both sides for about 90 seconds until browned.

Remove the chicken from the pan and add another 4g of olive oil.

Add the chopped onions and bell pepper with another pinch of salt, stirring for 3 minutes until they start to brown and caramelize.

Add the grated garlic and the orzo to the pan, stirring for about 20 seconds.

Add the spinach and 250g of chicken stock to the pan.

Stir everything well and add back the chicken thighs to finish cooking.

Cover the pan with a lid and let everything simmer on medium heat for 12 minutes.

After about 10 minutes, check the liquid level; if it's too low, add another 50g of stock.

If there's too much liquid, simmer without the lid for the last 2 minutes to help it evaporate.

After 12 minutes, check the orzo for doneness and adjust salt if needed.

Remove the pan from heat, add lemon zest and juice from half a lemon, and stir everything together.

Top with crumbled feta cheese before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens