Springtime Chicken & Orzo

This spring chicken and orzo pea recipe has been on my weeknight rotation lately. It comes together in under 30 minutes and my kids love it. I sear boneless chicken thighs which cook quickly, and then I like to toast the orzo for some more flavor.

I love to add peas in the springtime — it’s a great way to sneak in some veg. As it cooks, the orzo absorbs all the delicious chicken juices and the chicken comes out so tender.

Check out the full recipe below.

Very best,

Arielle

Serves 4-6

½ - 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs (about 6-8 pieces)
1 pound dried orzo
1 cup (8 ounces) frozen or fresh peas
1 bunch scallions (6-8 stalks), thinly sliced
½ teaspoon whole or ground cumin seeds
Leaves from a few sprigs of fresh mint or parsley, thinly sliced
Juice from ½ lemon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Place a wide skillet over medium high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the chicken thighs into the pot and sear the chicken for 5-8 minutes or until it’s dark golden brown. Flip and continue cooking on the other side for 2 minutes and transfer the chicken out of the pan. If your pan is too crowd you can sear the chicken pieces in batches.

Lower the heat to medium and add a teaspoon of oil into the pan. Add the orzo and the cumin. Mix the orzo often, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until it’s browned. Add the scallions and a tablespoon of water. Scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan and cook the scallions for 1-2 minutes or until softened. Add the peas, 2 teaspoons of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 3 ½ cups of water.

Bring everything to a boil, add the chicken back into the pan, nestling it over the orzo. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook the orzo for 15-20 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and absorbs most of the liquid.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over everything, garnish with the mint leaves and serve hot.

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