We are the queens of ground chicken and orzo, and we bring those 2 ingredients together for a one pan meal with loads of flavor made in only 30 minutes! With red bell pepper, onions, garlic, saffron, lemon and white wine this recipe makes for a delicious restaurant quality dinner the whole family will love.
Ground Chicken Recipe
Anybody else purchase ground chicken but just isn’t sure how to use it? There are a few traditional ways- meatballs, meatloaf, but I’m a orzo girl and wanted to try something new.
The inspiration for this recipe comes from our Arroz con Pollo recipe (Spanish chicken and rice). I love the combination of saffron and white wine and wanted to try it with ground chicken and orzo. To my delight, it worked perfectly and I knew I had to share this recipe!
Sautee Ground Chicken & Veggies
While you’re preparing the ground chicken and veggies, combine chicken broth, white wine and saffron. This gives a chance for the saffron to bloom in the broth mixture, allowing for more saturated saffron flavor.
- Sautee ground chicken in about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet (use one with a lid for later steps).
- Once the chicken starts to develop a slight brown, add in the onions and red bell peppers, along with some garlic, salt and pepper.
- Keep sautéing on medium heat until the onion is slightly transclucent.
- Next, add in the orzo, and stir to combine. Toasting the orzo with the veggies and chicken enhances the flavor!
- Reduce heat to low.
Simmering Orzo
Add the broth mixture to the pan along with some fresh lemon juice and zest, and give it a good stir to combine. I mentioned it in the last step but be sure you did it- turn the heat down to low so it doesn’t burn. Place a lid on the skillet, and allow for it to simmer for about 7 minutes. Add in the frozen peas. Give it a stir, and put the lid back on for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the orzo has absorbed the liquid.
Once the orzo has absorbed all of the liquid, remove from heat, stir, and serve! I love this with a little feta cheese. This dinner has all of the elements, so no side dishes are needed which is really great. It’s got veggies, fats, protein, starch, and loads of flavor from the white wine, garlic and lemon.
More Ground Chicken Recipes
- Ground Chicken Pasta
- Chicken Poppers
- Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
- Easy Chicken Meatballs
- Asian Chicken Meatloaf
- Chicken Burgers with Spinach and Feta
More Recipes with Orzo
You’ll be hard pressed to find a food blog with more orzo recipes than us, we just love it!
- Tomato Orzo
- Ground Turkey Orzo Dinner
- Pesto Orzo Salad
- Greek Orzo Salad
- Tuscan Orzo with Shrimp
- Easy Chicken Orzo
- Mediterranean Orzo Dinner
- Creamy Orzo with Mushrooms and Chicken
- 20 Minute Orzo Shrimp Dinner
- Lemon Orzo Soup
Hope you love this one pan dinner as much as we did!
What do you think about this recipe? Have questions? Comment below! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics!
Ground Chicken Orzo Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken (Isernios is our favorite brand)
- 3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced white onion
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup orzo
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
- zest 1 lemon
Broth Mixture
- 1/4 cup wine
- 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 15 saffron threads (rough estimate)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine broth, wine, and saffron threads. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium large lidded skillet, add olive oil and ground chicken. Saute on medium heat until chicken begins to slightly brown.
- Once the chicken starts to develop a slight brown, add in the onions and red bell peppers, along with some garlic, salt and pepper. Sautee onion onion is slightly translucent. Add orzo, and sauté for additional 2-3 minutes until orzo is golden toasty color.
- Reduce heat to low, and add broth mixture. Add fresh lemon juice. Stir to combine and cover with lid. Allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Add frozen peas, and stir to combine. Cover with lid, and allow orzo to fully absorb liquid for another 5-7 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove from heat immediately once orzo is cooked to prevent burning.
- Serve & enjoy!
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