Description
This Greek Chicken Casserole is a comforting one-dish meal featuring tender shredded chicken, orzo pasta, spinach, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and tangy feta cheese all baked together in a flavorful lemon-infused broth. Easy to prepare and perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups orzo, uncooked
- 1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded (about 4 cups, roughly 3 chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, packed, diced
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled, plus more to serve
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 5 cups chicken broth, or water
- Fresh parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting the casserole.
- Cook Chicken: If you don’t have cooked chicken, bake chicken breasts or thighs in the oven for 25 minutes until fully cooked. Then shred using two forks into bite-sized pieces.
- Sauté Onion: In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add diced onion and drizzle with olive oil. Stir to coat, then place in oven for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
- Combine Ingredients: Remove baking dish from oven and add uncooked orzo, minced garlic, sundried tomatoes, chopped spinach, kalamata olives if using, oregano, additional olive oil, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Add Chicken and Feta: Stir in the shredded chicken, crumbled feta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest thoroughly with the other ingredients.
- Add Broth: Pour in chicken broth to submerge most of the ingredients. Give a final stir to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and Continue Baking: Remove foil, stir the casserole to mix ingredients again, then bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until orzo is tender and most liquid has been absorbed.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with extra crumbled feta and fresh parsley. Store leftovers in an airtight container in fridge up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken broth with water for a lighter dish, although broth adds more flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, omit chicken and increase feta and vegetables.
- Make sure to cover the dish with foil initially to allow the orzo to cook evenly by steaming in the broth.
- Leftovers store well and make a great reheatable meal perfect for busy days.
- Kalamata olives are optional but add a nice briny flavor typical of Greek cuisine.
