Savoury Piccata Orzo paired with a simple one-pot chicken

I love to cook, and especially love to cook lazily-even though that seems like an oxymoron-but I really enjoy taking my time when I make long recipes, like homemade challah bread and multi-layered lasagna. You know the kind of meal I mean-one that gets put together super fast and cooks all in one pot the elements that would normally be separated into “main” and “side” dishes. So, merging the flavours of a classic chicken piccata together into orzo was a thrill-a-minute for me, as I always find myself on the hunt for ways to cook dinner all in one pot or dish.

Which brings me to today’s introduction: chicken piccata orzo! Cooked with enough liquid, this orzo cooks relatively quickly and reaches a real risotto consistency. Just add some browned chicken thighs, lemon, capers, and greens, and you’re ready for a dinner of flavour in one pot in less than 30 minutes. Finally, the whole thing gets finished with a nutty, aromatic mix of almond flour and parsley mashed up with butter and garlic. Messy perfectionism, if you will.

Why You’ll Love It

• One pot cleans up dinner. Chicken piccata is a single course, not multiple plates to serve and clean, and it is often prepared with fried chicken breast that had to be floured. Serve food on top of something else, in order to get on the table. This recipe calls for cooking all chicken, orzo, and greens in one pot
• It’s quick. Dinner preparation can be complete in less than an hour.

Key Ingredients in Chicken Piccata Orzo

• For chicken, go with boneless, skinless thighs rather than classic chicken breasts. They remain moist and without the need for dredging.
• Lemon: Fresh zest and juice, for emphasizing citrus freshness.
• Salty capers bring on the classic flavours in piccata.
• Fresh parsley brings freshness and adds a bright youthful note.
• Orzo: Especially quick cooking time for pasta-which means fast dinner.
• Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are great examples of dry white wines.
• Chicken broth: Normally, orzo is cooked in chicken broth, lending flavour to the dish.

How to Make Chicken Piccata Orzo

• Then take the bread crumb and toast it. In a small bowl, mix together toasted panko breadcrumbs, minced parsley, capers, and garlic. When the butter was melted in the Dutch oven, toasted to golden.
• Seared chicken: Add chicken thighs and brown both sides.
• Enjoy the orzo. Toast the orzo and garlic in olive oil until. While deglazing with the wine, scrape up the fond off the bottom of the pot.
• Sauté the orzo: Cook orzo – stir occasionally so that it becomes soft. Add broth. While the orzo is cooking, chop up the chicken into small pieces.
• Stir in the spinach and chicken. Once the spinach has wilted, add in chicken pieces and simmer a bit longer. Top with toasted breadcrumbs.

Helpful Swaps

• Instead of white wine, you may use 1/4 cup chicken broth.  
• For other mild greens use Swiss chard, arugula or baby kale instead of baby spinach.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
• 1 large lemon
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 small bunch fresh parsley, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained if brined or rinsed if salt-packed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta (about 10 ounces)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 packed cups baby spinach (about 3 ounces)

Instructions

1. Dry-wipe 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken thighs, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt on all sides. Juice the lemon-about 3 tablespoons-after finely grating the zest of one large lemon, about 1 tablespoon. Dice three cloves of garlic. Take half of a small bunch of fresh parsley and chop fine to make 1/4 cup.
2. In a small bowl, mix together parsley, garlic, panko breadcrumbs, and capers. In a big oven or skillet, placed at medium-high heat, melt one tablespoon of unsalted butter until it smells of garlic and then turns golden. Add the breadcrumb mixture, simmer for two minutes, frequently stirring. Return to bowl.
3. When the skillet is sizzling, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat through. Add chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes per side or until browned and almost cooked through. Remove to a clean cutting board with tongs.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Add 1 1/2 cups dry orzo and remaining garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the orzo is lightly toasted and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup dry white wine to the skillet, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon; cook until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon capers, 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover and cook for about ten minutes, or until the orzo is al dente and the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
6. If the pasta cooks before it absorbs all of the liquid, which can happen, cover the skillet and boil the pasta an additional minute to evaporate the liquid. Slice the chicken into thin pieces, about 1 inch.
7. Stir in chicken and accumulated juices, remaining 3 packed cups baby spinach, 3 Tbsp. parsley, and 1 Tbsp. lemon juice into cooked orzo. Let chicken simmer, stirring frequently, until spinach has wilted about 2 minutes. Cook chicken uncovered.
8. Season with lemon juice, kosher salt and black pepper to taste and adjust. Garnish with breadcrumb mixture.

Recipe Notes

Leftovers may be stored up to four days in the refrigerator in a covered container.

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