This is a great quick recipe that’s got everything you need for a complete dinner, all cooked in one pot. Plenty of vegetables, with risoni/orzo and chicken. Tastes like risotto – loaded with tasty lemon-garlic Greek flavours!
One-pot Greek chicken risoni
Patience has never been my greatest virtue, so I shared many personal favourite recipes back in the early days when I first started this website in 2014. Every now and then, I like to revisit these older recipes and bring them to the forefront with sparkling new photos (that are in focus, wow!) and recipe videos where the chicken doesn’t have a weird green-ish/yellow tinge.
I have no embarrassment about my photos and videos from the early days because it reminds me how far I’ve come. But I do think it’s nice to spruce up these old recipes for your viewing pleasure – and hopefully convince you to try them. Like today’s new-old recipe: Greek chicken risoni! Complete dinner made in one pot, nice and quick to make, loaded with tasty Greek flavours.
What you need
Here’s what you need to make this Greek risoni recipe.
1. The risoni / orzo
Risoni is actually a pasta that is shaped like long grains of rice. Also known as “orzo”, find it in the pasta aisle. It costs around the same as spaghetti etc.
Risoni / orzo – See notes above the photo.
Chicken stock / broth and canned tomato – These are the liquids used to cook the risoni. Better than water because the risoni absorbs the flavour as it cooks!
Tomato paste – This adds a little boost of tomato flavour to the sauce, as well as thickening the sauce slightly so you end up with that really lovely oozy texture in the finished dish. Not the end of the world if you don’t have it.
Vegetables – I use zucchini / courgette and capsicum / bell pepper. Feel free to substitute with other sauté-able vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, fennel, corn, celery, frozen veg mix).
Also, if someone could arrange for the global standardisation of food words, that would be super helpful. Thanks! 😂
Onion and garlic – Flavour base aromatics.
Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes – I like to scatter across the surface before popping the dish in the oven. Love the juicy pops of tomato that burst in your mouth!
2. Lemon garlic chicken
A brief marinade of the chicken with classic Greek flavours makes the chicken that much tastier! Here’s what you need:
3. Garnishes (semi-optional)
I say it’s “semi-optional” because while you can skip the fresh oregano, the feta is highly, highly recommended!
How to make one-pot Greek chicken risoni
This recipe starts on the stove and is finished in the oven. I like this technique because it’s safer/easier – no need to stir – and the surface gets caramelised which means extra flavour. Anyone who’s made the fan-favourite One Pot Greek Chicken with Lemon Rice will know this method works well!
Marinade chicken in the lemon, olive oil, garlic and oregano. Just 20 minutes adds decent flavour into the chicken flesh.
If you’re pressed for time, you can skip the marinade, there’s plenty of flavour in the overall dish and the chicken will absorb flavour as it braises with the risoni. If you want to get ahead, you can marinade the chicken overnight – or even freeze the chicken in the marinade. So many options! 🙂
Brown chicken – Use a large ovenproof skillet / frying pan, or large pot. The one I’m using is a 30cm / 12″ non-stick frying pan.
Cook the chicken, just to seal the outside and lightly brown it. It will only take about 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t cook the chicken all the way through as it will finish cooking with the risoni.
Sauté aromatics and vegetables – Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan. Then sauté the garlic and onion, followed by the zucchini and capsicum.
Add everything else – Add the risoni and stir to coat in the tasty flavours. Then add everything else – canned tomato, tomato paste, chicken stock, salt and pepper – and stir to combine.
Top with chicken and cherry tomatoes but don’t stir them in.
Oven 15 minutes – As soon as the liquid starts to bubble, transfer the pan to the oven (no lid) and cook for 15 minutes or until the risoni is tender.
Garnish and serve – Remove the pan from the oven. There should still be small pools of liquid on the surface. This is what we want – the dish should be oozy and saucy, not dry and stodgy!
Drizzle the dish with lemon juice, crumble over the not-optional-feta then sprinkle with the optional-fresh-oregano. Then serve!
LOOK how juicy and irresistibly oozy it looks. It’s calling your name!
Spoon into bowls, and marvel how it looks just like your favourite risotto. Except, well, you know. You haven’t been slaving over a hot stove for 40 minutes, ladling in stock and stirring, stirring, stirring.
Leftovers, should there be any, will keep for 3 days but won’t be as oozy as pictured because the pasta will absorb the liquid. A little splash of water before you microwave goes a long way to salvage it, as does a fresh sprinkle of feta and spritz of lemon juice (I find lemon juice flavour fades with time).
Hope these sparkling new photos and in-focus-video convinces you to make this!! – Nagi x
PS The Ingredients list in the recipe below looks deceptively long. But actually, there are quite a few double ups because of the way I write the recipe. So don’t be put off! 😉
Watch how to make it
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One Pot Chicken Risoni
Ingredients
Lemon Garlic Chicken
- 1 lb / 500g chicken thighs , boneless skinless (or breast), cut into 2 cm / 1" pieces
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
Orzo/Risoni
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion , finely chopped
- 2 zucchini (medium, or 1 large) , cut into 1cm / 1/3" cubes (Note 1)
- 1 red bell pepper/capsicum , cut into 1cm / 1/3" cubes (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 14 oz / 400g canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups orzo/risoni (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes (1 Australian punnet)
- 1 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Garnish (semi-optional)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice , drizzling at end
- 1/2 cup (100g) Greek feta cheese , crumbled (not optional)
- Fresh oregano leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Marinade chicken – Combine Marinated Chicken ingredients in a bowl and set aside for marinate for 20 minutes. (Skip if in hurry, can also do overnight)
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Brown chicken (raw inside) – Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a a large oven proof skillet or pot over high heat (Note 3). Cook chicken until lightly browned but still pink inside. Remove from skillet.
- Sauté vegetables – Add 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and onion. Saute for 1 minute, then add zucchini and bell peppers/capsicum. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add everything else – Add risoni, oregano, chicken broth, tomato, tomato paste, salt and pepper.
- Scatter chicken and cherry tomatoes across the surface (don't stir in).
- Bake 15 minutes – Once the liquid comes to a simmer, transfer to the oven (no lid) and bake for 15 minutes (or until risoni is just cooked, tender but still firm). There may be liquid on the surface still – that's good!
- Drizzle with lemon – Remove from oven, drizzle with lemon juice. Garnish with feta and fresh oregano leaves, if desired, then serve.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2016. Spruced up with brand new photos and recipe video in February 2021 with minor recipe improvements (mainly process and writing). But most importantly, Life of Dozer section has been added!
More risoni / orzo recipes
I do love risoni! So quick to cook, tastes like risotto.
Life of Dozer
NO, he’s not being adorable, cuddling up to me. He’s trying to get to my toast on the other side.
Hey Nagi – for the one pot chicken rasoni when you say 2.5 ‘cups’ of chicken broth what is that in the UK please , also what does 1 ‘cup’ of orzo equate to in the UK – usually there as an imperial / metric conversion but not on all of your recipes
A UK cup is 250ml, I find if you use 625ml chicken stock to 250ml orzo it comes out fine
Looking to give this a go, it looks amazing but would love to try rice so we can eat the left overs the next day. Am I right in assuming the rice would reheat better than the orzo? If so would I need to change any of the cool times or ingredient measures?
It was absolutely delicious as is every recipe of yours I try! You’re my go to website now when I need a new idea…
Always guaranteed to be so yummy!
Thank you!
Hi Nagi!
I’m thinking of cooking this for the family. So far I still have the other ingredients in stock. If I don’t have Risoni right now, what can be a substitute for this? Is there another kind of pasta I can use?
after baking, what’s the texture of the zucchini? Is it crunchy or does it soften up?
I want to try this recipe. Question for you – what if instead of a can of crushed tomatoes I used a jar of tomato/pasta sauce? Do you believe that would be a good substitute?
Hi Matt, it will be ok as long as it’s pure tomatoes and doesn’t have any added sugar/salt etc – N x
This was very delicious. I will definitely make again. Hubby liked it too. Pretty easy but not for a weeknight after work.
Yes definitely a great midweek meal – N x
Do you cook this with the lid?
Hi Nagi, I am making this for my Father-in-law today. Is it ok to freeze? We love your recipes and my children are devoted fans too!
Hi Carol, I find that the orzo can become a little hard when frozen – if you thaw it, I would add a little liquid to it to help loosen it up 🙂
This meal was amazing! So full of flavour! Thank-you so much for the recipe 🙂
You’re so welcome Natalie ☺️
Yum I made this for dinner last night & everyone made absolute pigs of themselves finishing every last bit. Will be doubling up next time!
Wahoo, that’s great Bernie!!
Love it! Followed the recipe except after the veggies finished sautéing, I added 2 spoons of a Greek dressing to it. Came out sooooo good. Quick, easy, totally customizable.
This recipe made me so excited to cook and it turned out amazing! I used chicken breast and it was juicy. Next time I want to add mushrooms and spinach. It was a bit liquidy but if you let it sit for half an hour, the risoni continues to absorb. Loved the flavour combinations, especially the feta ontop gave it that extra saltiness. Also added some chilli. Love ! Next I’m cooking the middle eastern feast – cannot wait.
Thanks so much for the feedback Emma, enjoy the Middle Eastern Feast!
Nagi, I made this before, and we loved it. But I can’t remember how I interpreted your directions. When the risoni goes into the oven, do I cover the pan? Thanks!
Excellent! I used rice instead of the pasta…great flavor…will make again !
Woot, that’s great Denise!
Nagi, I’ve commented before on your wonderful recipes–and how my husband’s eyes light up (no kidding!) when I tell him I’m trying something new from Nagi. (He calls you my “Australian Japanese friend”!) This one was no exception. He’s half Greek, and I’m a lemon-lover, so it was right up our alley. In the US we don’t say “punnet,” so I had to look up that one. My dictionary says “a small basket to hold fruit or vegetables.” Hmm–how small is “small,” I wonder? Well, I just dumped in what I had–maybe a little too many?–but it turned out great. Thanks, Nagi!
😂 I’m so glad it turned out for you! A punnet is usually 250g here ☺️
Hello. How far in advance can this be cooked and refrigerated? Could I cook it two days ahead? Thank you!
P.S. My friend and I have been recommending your page to so many people! We both have a Nagi crush!
Hi Meredith, I find that this recipe is better fresh as the pasta soaks up all the liquid when left, it may go too gluey in the fridge – N x
Awesome and very easy to follow recipe! I have a question though, it came out a little acidic and tomato-e but still good! Just wondering where I went wrong
Hi Nina, I find that some tinned tomatoes can be quite acidic and tangy (I’d sell my soul for decent tinned tomatoes here!!). I just combat this by adding a little sugar to balance out the flavours!
Nice relatively simple dish. I liked the hint of lemon and the roasted grape tomatoes were tasty! Thanks for sharing.
Quick question I followed the recipe to the T and it’s been in the oven for an hour and it’s still a soup consistency. I’ve made this once before and it cooked for an hour and a half in the oven before all the juice evaporated.
Nagi this was my first time trying a recipe of yours and it was… brilliant!! Thank you, from an almost complete beginner in the kitchen!
This was ridiculously good. The pop from the lemon at the end and the acidity from the feta really made this dish. I will make this again for sure.
Glad to hear you enjoyed this Tim!! Thanks for letting me know 🙂 N x ❤️
Delicious recipe! It turned out great and was easy to throw together! I love the lemon flavor in the chicken. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes 🙂
Just a note for anyone else, I added kalamata olives per the suggestion of another review and it really is a nice touch.