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Baked Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Orzo, Spinach, Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato
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Built by the community using Chicken thigh fresh mozzarella orzo spinach lemon garlic tomato baked pan dosh
Juicy chicken thighs roasted over a bubbling pan of garlicky orzo, wilted spinach, and cherry tomatoes, finished with torn fresh mozzarella and a bright squeeze of lemon. This is a one-pan baked dinner that looks and tastes like it took far more effort than it did.
Cooking Ability Level
Prep
15 mins
Cook
40 mins
Serves
4
Difficulty
Getting Somewhere
Budget
Reasonable
Calories
620
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 200g (7oz) orzo
- 125g (4.5oz) fresh mozzarella, torn into chunks
- 100g (3.5oz) fresh spinach
- 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped (or a large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved)
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs (oregano, thyme, basil)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper. Season generously all over with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, and the lemon zest. Drizzle with a little olive oil and rub everything in.
3. Heat an oven-safe, wide pan or shallow casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sear the chicken thighs skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until the skin is deep golden and crisp. Flip and sear for 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and just starting to turn golden.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and dried herbs. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
6. Pour in the orzo and stir to coat in the garlicky juices. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
7. Nestle the seared chicken thighs on top of the orzo, skin-side up, pressing them down slightly so the orzo is submerged in the liquid.
8. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, the skin is crisp, and the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid.
9. Remove the pan from the oven. Scatter the spinach over the orzo and gently stir it into the liquid around the chicken — the residual heat will wilt it. Leave to sit for 2 minutes.
10. Dot the torn fresh mozzarella around the pan between the chicken thighs. Return to the oven for 3–4 minutes, just until the mozzarella softens and starts to melt. Serve straight from the pan.
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Nutrition per Serving
620
Calories
45g
Protein
42g
Carbs
28g
Fat