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Baked Chicken with Barley

Italian Chicken Orzo with Broccoli

Giorgos Tsoulis
Aromatic and savory orzo paired with chicken and broccoli, providing a satisfying and protein-rich main course.
4.91 from 115 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Greek
Servings 5 servings

Ingredients
 
 

For the chicken:

  • 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 2 tbsp thyme finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 100 ml white wine
  • 1/2 lemon
  • salt
  • pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil

For the orzo:

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 400 g orzo
  • 1 clove of garlic finely chopped
  • 800 ml chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp thyme finely chopped
  • 200 ml heavy cream
  • 100 g broccoli crowns boiled
  • 100 g parmesan
  • 50 g butter frozen
  • salt
  • pepper

Instructions
 

For the chicken:

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/356° F, fan. Place the chicken in an ovenproof dish, add the mustard, thyme, garlic, onion, wine, lemon, salt, pepper, olive oil and pour in water until it covers everything.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hour. When ready, remove from the oven, remove the chicken from the juices and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake a little more, until golden and set aside until you are ready to use it.

For the orzo:

  • Place a pot over medium heat and add the olive oil, onion, and caramelize well for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook for another 1 minute.
  • Add the orzo along with the thyme. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon so that the orzo does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
  • Using a ladle, pour in the broth in batches. Wait for the first batch to be absorbed before pouring in the next. Repeat until all the broth is used. Once the orzo is cooked, add the heavy cream and broccoli and stir again.
  • Continue cooking for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat, add the parmesan, butter, salt and pepper and mix with a wooden spoon.
  • Serve the orzo hot topped with the chicken.

Notes

Chef’s tip: Add the broccoli at the end to avoid overcooking. If you wish, use the juices from the roasted the chicken, but delete that amount from the amount of chicken broth you add.
Greek Chicken Orzo with Broccoli
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