Chicken and Orzo are just meant to hang out together. There is something so comforting about the flavours of chicken soaking into those tender, lovely grains of rice-shaped pasta.
While we can eat chicken and orzo all year round, this recipe is a perfect way to showcase the first true Spring vegetables. And it is the lemon that brings them all together in a bright, fresh way.
Using one pot to bake the whole chicken, along with stock, aromatics, and eventually the orzo pasta and charred spring vegetables makes this a very user-friendly meal. This meal is great for Sunday dinner, but leftovers will work throughout the week as well.
What you will Need
Along with a whole chicken, this recipe calls for garlic, lemon, thyme, scallions, asparagus, runner beans, stock, orzo, spring greens like arugula, baby spinach and fresh basil, and preserved lemon paste. The finished flavour profile for this meal is bright and fresh, lemony and garlicky, with the charred vegetables creating the lovely balance against the soft and tender orzo pasta.
Which Pot to Use
You will need a pot that is wide and deep enough to hold the whole chicken, the stock and the vegetables after their initial charring. I actually use a large braiser (here is a link to the one I use, for size purposes only, I’m sure you can find a good price online!) since it is wide enough to hold everything, and still ensure that the top of the chicken is uncovered, to keep some crispness to the skin. The pot or braiser you use should also have a tight fitting lid, to keep in the steam. Most dutch ovens should also work for this meal.
Start with the Vegetables
You will start by trimming the scallions (or spring onions) of the root, and any tougher green ends. Trim the asparagus of any woody ends as well. I cut the runner beans into large thirds for easy cooking and eating. Feel free to use string beans instead, trimmed and cut in half if you want or if these are all that you can find.
Place the braiser or pot you will be using for the chicken onto a burner and heat it up over medium high heat. Add oil. Once warmed through, char the vegetables on both sides. It should take about 30 seconds or so on each side to get that lovely browning in spots. After that remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate. Don’t overcook, you just want to char a bit. They will finish cooking later on in the recipe.
Braising this Roast Chicken
To get the initial flavours, let’s stuff the chicken cavity with most of a garlic head, a whole lemon, and fresh thyme sprigs.
After a quick sear of the breasts in the pot on the stove top, the whole chicken is surrounded by smashed garlic and stock, and covered, and transferred to the oven to braise slowly. In this case the temperature is low, at 350F, and the warmed stock helps cook the chicken evenly. The top part of the chicken is uncovered, to keep the lovely burnish you created on the stove top. The steam from the liquid simmering away in the covered pot will ensure that the chicken is cooked through, resulting in a most tender, fall apart chicken.
Spring Greens Cream
While the chicken is braising, you will take some of the fresh greens and combine them with lemon juice and preserved lemon and whiz it all up to a fresh cream, almost pesto-like, but without the nuts and garlic.
Once the chicken is almost cooked through, you will add the orzo to the stock, as well as the Spring Greens Cream. Cover and return to the oven. In the last five minutes, return the charred vegetables to the pot around the chicken on the simmering orzo, to finish cooking through.
When ready, remove the pot to a cutting board, and remove the lid. Let the chicken rest to let the juices distrubute, and to let the orzo finish absorbing the liquid.
To Serve
Remove the vegetables to a serving platter. Take the remaining fresh spring greens and stir them through the cooked orzo. The heat from pasta will wilt the greens sufficiently to make them quite lovely to eat. Spoon the orzo onto the serving platter next to the vegetables.
Cut the chicken into portions and nestle them into the orzo. Finish everything with lemon zest.
Final Thoughts
Depending on the appetite and the chicken, this dish easily serves between four and six. Four for sure, with leftovers. But if you have some crusty bread or focaccia on the side, then six should be able to enjoy this meal.
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Break up any leftover chicken and fold it into the orzo and vegetables. When ready to re-heat, add it all to a skillet with oil warmed through, and heat on low to medium-low, covered, till warm. Splash some lemon on top, or even finish with a grating of parmesan cheese.
If you make this One Pot Lemony Spring Chicken and Orzo, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.
Love Jen
For other great lemony chicken recipes check out Chicken, Yellow Zucchini and Lemon Soup, Roast Chicken with Fennel, Rosemary and Lemon, Uber Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup.
One Pot Lemony Spring Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg 3 1/2 lb chicken
- salt and pepper
- 1 head of garlic, divided
- 2 lemons, divided
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Bunch spring onions or scallions, roots and dry green ends trimmed away
- 150 g 5 oz asparagus, trimmed from any woody ends
- 150 g 5 oz runner beans, trimmed and cut into thirds, you can also use green string beans if this is all you can find. See Notes Below
- 80 g 2.8 oz spring greens, like a combo of baby spinach, arugula, watercress and basil
- 1 tbsp preserved lemon paste, see Notes
- 600 ml 2 1/5 cups chicken stock
- 300 g 1 1/2 cups orzo
Instructions
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Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside 4 cloves of garlic from the head of garlic, and place the remaining head into the cavity. Add four sprigs fresh thyme into the cavity. Cut one lemon into quarters and stuff it into the cavity as well. Set aside.
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Heat the oven to 350F (160°C). Put a large, lidded, flameproof casserole over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the spring onions and sear on each side till just browned in spots, about 30-35 seconds, then remove to a plate with tongs. Do the same with the asparagus and runner beans. Set aside for later.
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Add the prepared chicken to the pan breast-side down and cook for about 3 minutes until the skin is golden, adjusting the chicken so that both breasts get equal time at browning. Adjust the heat if necessary. Turn it over and reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle the breasts and legs with salt and pepper.
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Smash the remaining garlic cloves and add them to the pan, stirring them around in the oil.
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Pour in the stock. Bring everything to the boil, then add the lid and pop in the oven. Braise for 1 hour, 10 minutes.
Spring Greens Cream
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While the chicken braises, put half of the spring greens into a blender.
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Zest the remaining lemon, and then juice it. Add the lemon juice and preserved lemon to the blender with the greens, and whizz it all to a paste.
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*I find that a small chopper or Nutri-bullet type blender works best.
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Take the pot out of the oven, then stir the orzo and the whizzed Spring Greens Cream. Cover and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
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Add the charred vegetables around the chicken over the simmering orzo. Cover again and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
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Remove the lid and leave to stand for 15 minutes – this gives the chicken a chance to rest and the orzo will finish absorbing the liquid. While it is resting, chop the remaining spring greens into smaller bite sized pieces.
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Remove the vegetables to a serving plate. Remove the chicken to the same serving plate or a cutting board to cut into four to six portions. Stir the remaining chopped spring greens through the orzo and transfer it all to the serving dish.
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Finish the entire dish with salt and pepper and the reserved lemon zest, and the leaves from the remaining two thyme sprigs.
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Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container and served, warmed through in a greased skillet set on low. Break up any remaining chicken and stir it through the orzo, to create a lovely casserole type dish. A splash of lemon or even a sprinkling of parmesan cheese is a lovely addition.
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See blog post for more details and suggestions.
Recipe Notes
Preserved Lemon Paste
1 large unwaxed lemon, trimmed of ends
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice (from about 2-3 lemons)
2 tsp sea salt
Cut the lemon into 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) thick rounds and remove any seeds. Put these as well as the lemon juice and salt into a small sauce pan which has a lid.
Place it on medium-high heat. Bring it to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with the lid and cook for 12-14 minutes. the rinds should start to look translucent and the juice will have reduced by about half.
Let it cool slightly and then transfer to a small food processor or good blender. Whiz till you have achieved a smooth-ish, spreadable paste. Transfer to a small glass jar with a lid. Smooth out the top and drizzle olive oil on top to seal the lemon paste. Put the lid on. Keep in the fridge. If you continue to add a bit of oil after each use, this jar will last just fine in the fridge for a couple of months. Add it to roasts, marinades, even salad dressings etc.
Adapted from OTK Extra Good Things cookbook by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi
If you want to replace the runner beans, snow or snap peas in their shells would work. If you would like to use shelled peas, then don't go through the initial charring process, just add them in at the end when the vegetables are returned to the pot once the orzo has started to cook.
I say this feeds four, it will probably feed six! Inspired by a dish from Delicious.
Please edit recipe. I didn’t know what runner beans were and I had to look up. Since butter beans (runner beans) can’t be found everywhere, can they be substituted by another bean? Thanks.
Hi Renée, I actually do make mention that string beans can be used if you cannot find runner or butter beans. It’s in the blog post, which I always suggest everyone read through as well- the direction to do so is right at the end of the recipe. But yes, I will update the recipe card as well. Jen
So sorry, I read it twice and didn’t see it. Thank you though – could I use snap or peas?
Hi Renée, no worries! Yes, peas are a perfect option as well. I have added a direction in the Notes section, as there is a difference between using peas in their shell vs shelled peas. Thanks! Jen