Whether you need to feed a hungry family or a handful of friends, this one pan baked chicken and orzo is the perfect recipe to reach for. With just one baking dish you end up with perfectly cooked chicken thighs and orzo pasta that are perfect for meal prep or to pair with a vegetable side dish for a balanced dinner that everyone at your table will love.

Jump To Recipe

You simply cannot convince me that you need to messy up your entire kitchen in order to get a delicious dinner on the table. Especially on busy weeknights, I want recipes that come together in one pot and are full of flavors that I know my entire family will enjoy.

While you can certainly make plenty of one pot recipes on the stovetop, lately I have been leaning in to more oven baked sheetpan meals (like my sheetpan beef and sweet potato fajitas that aren’t quite one pot but still delicious) or one pan casserole recipes.

This oven baked chicken and orzo recipe is everything I want and more when it comes to one pan dinners. Perfectly baked chicken thighs are cooked over light and fluffy orzo pasta for a one pan dinner that is full of classic, family friendly flavors. It’s herby and delicious!

Simply marinate your chicken in herbs and seasonings then place everything in a 9x13 baking dish, bake, and there you have a perfect one pan recipe. You can prep this chicken orzo bake for a week of meal prepped lunches or pair it with steamed or roasted vegetables for a balanced dinner!

Let’s get to the recipe:

Baked Chicken and Orzo

What makes this chicken with orzo so good?

This one pan recipe is one of my favorites to prep throughout the week because it is:

Family friendly: Classic baked chicken with orzo is perfect for every family member!
Ready in one 9x13 baking dish: Aside from the bowl you will use to marinate your chicken, the rest of this chicken and orzo recipe is dumped in a 9x13 baking dish and baked together. This allows all the flavors to come together AND cuts down on your clean up.
Classic flavors: This chicken orzo bake is full of simply delicious flavors from fresh and dried oregano, classic seasonings, chicken broth and cream of chicken which makes it the perfect one pan dinner to serve all year long.
Perfectly cooked chicken thighs: Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are the protein of choice here because they hold their moisture longer than chicken breast will with a longer baking time. They turn out perfectly cooked!
Filled with fluffy orzo pasta: Underneath your layer of perfectly cooked chicken thighs is light and fluffy and flavorful orzo pasta.
Large enough for a crowd: This chicken orzo pasta bake gives you 8 to 10 servings of chicken and rice making it perfect meal prepped lunches throughout the week or to feed an entire dinner table!
Perfect to pair with vegetables: While you can certainly add vegetables to your chicken and orzo pasta, I recommend keeping your pasta bake classic and pairing it with roasted or steamed vegetables or a even a seasonal salad.

There is so much to love about this recipe!

How to make the perfect chicken orzo bake:

If you are like me, then the idea of cooking your raw chicken with your uncooked orzo pasta probably gives you the shivers. Yes… I understand that we are cooking it to proper internal temperature. Yes… it still freaks me out sometimes.

Despite my initial hesitations, I have found a few tips and tricks to make the absolutely best chicken orzo bake that is delicious, easy to make, and PERFECTLY safe to eat. Here are my tips:

Tips for the best chicken orzo bake:

Bake your chicken with orzo at a lower temperature: You may be tempted to crank the oven temperature up to 400 degrees or more to lower your cooking time but I recommend keeping it at 375 and allow it to cook for longer
Yes, this will take a little bit longer, but it allows your orzo pasta to fully absorb the liquid while cooking the chicken slowly at the same time. I found that at a higher temperature, my chicken cooked too quickly and ended up being dry but my orzo pasta still wasn’t fully cooked.
Use chicken thighs: Because this will be in the oven for oven an hour, I recommend using boneless and skinless chicken thighs for your protein. They will hold their moisture better than chicken breast will and end up being perfectly cooked at this time and temperature!
Take off your tin foil half way through cooking: This will help achieve the perfect finish on your chicken and orzo dinner.
Use room temperature chicken stock: This may seem like a random tip but I do find that it makes a difference in cooking time! Using room temperature chicken stock will reduce the cooking time since your oven doesn’t have to work as hard to warm it up.

These simple tips will help you serve the most delicious baked chicken and orzo and remove any shivers that you may have had at the idea of a one pan chicken bake.

Ingredients and Instructions:

Ingredients:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this one pot chicken and orzo bake:

Boneless and skinless chicken thighs: Boneless and skinless chicken thighs are my recommendations for this chicken with orzo dinner! If you prefer a different cut, you can use chicken breast or bone in chicken thighs and make adjustments to cooking time as needed.
Orzo Pasta: Orzo is one of my favorite pastas to cook with because it cooks very similar to rice! If you need to swap it for something else then I would recommend a long grain white or brown rice or quinoa for a protein boost.
Seasonings: You’ll need dried oregano, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika for your chicken marinade.
Olive Oil: Or any oil you prefer.
Onion: Finely diced
Garlic: Minced garlic to both the chicken thighs and orzo pasta.
Cream of Chicken Soup: I love adding one can of cream of chicken soup to this recipe for the extra flavor it adds to your orzo pasta!
Chicken broth: You can use regular chicken broth, low sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth, or bone broth for your liquid.
Fresh oregano: For garnish and a last minute flavor addition.

This recipe is for a classic baked chicken with orzo but you can certainly add other flavors or ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes, olives, or vegetables to it if preferred.

Baked Chicken and Orzo Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1

Add your chicken thighs, olive oil, and seasonings to a large bowl. Mix together until your chicken is well coated and allow your chicken to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Whisk your chicken broth and cream of chicken soup together in a 9x13 baking dish until combined. Add in your diced onion, minced garlic, and orzo pasta.

Step 3

Place your marinated chicken on top of your orzo mixture, pressing your chicken thighs down into the chicken broth. Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove the tin foil and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes or until all of your chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the liquid is absorbed.

LTN Tip- Your chicken will release juices as it cooks so it is normal to see some liquid at the top of your dish. You can spoon it off OR leave it and mix it back into your rice mixture.

Step 5:

Top your chicken orzo bake with fresh oregano and serve with a side of steamed or roasted vegetables. Enjoy!

What to eat with baked chicken orzo?

When building a balance meal, I recommend having a protein, a carbohydrate, and a colorful food on your plate. This baked chicken orzo checks the boxes on the protein and the carbohydrate so you’ll want to pair it with a colorful option like:

Roasted vegetables like these parmesan roasted brussel sprouts

A seasonal salad like this butternut squash and kale salad with beets.
Stove top vegetables like this hot honey brussel sprouts or these garlic green beans and almonds
A flavorful dense bean salad like this edamame and bean salad recipe.

And more! Make this baked chicken and orzo your own and tag me on instagram with any fun ideas you come up with!

Recipe FAQ:

Is orzo pasta gluten free?
1. While it looks like a rice, most orzo pastas are made with wheat and are NOT gluten free. There are a few brands like this one that sell gluten free orzo pasta or you can also substitute it for chickpea orzo pasta or cauliflower rice as needed.
What are good substitutes for orzo?
1. There are plenty of good substitutes for orzo pasta, including most other pasta shapes! You can also use a short grain rice for a orzo substitute or swap it for quinoa if you want a gluten free option.

Other chicken dinner recipes you will love:

Looking for other dinner recipes with chicken? I have a few on my blog that I think you will love:

Easy BBQ Chicken Flatbread

Get the recipe

One Pan Coconut Lime Chicken

Get the recipe

*These blogs may contain affiliate links. Any purchase made through my links gives me a small commission and supports Lauren Twigge Nutrition

Baked Chicken and Orzo

Baked Chicken and Orzo

What makes this chicken with orzo so good?