Dinner at the Zoo

By 91 Comments

Mediterranean Chicken

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This recipe for Mediterranean chicken is chicken thighs, olives, roasted peppers and orzo, all cooked in a single pan. An easy and healthy dinner option with minimal clean up at the end of the night!

I love one pot meals, some of my favorites include chili mac, pizza pasta and this fresh and delicious Mediterranean chicken.

Mediterranean Chicken Recipe | One Pot Chicken #chicken #pasta #healthy #onepot #dinner #dinneratthezoo Mediterranean Chicken Recipe | One Pot Chicken #chicken #pasta #healthy #onepot #dinner #dinneratthezoo

A pan of Mediterranean chicken with orzo, chickpeas and vegetables.

I love Mediterranean food – the flavors are bold and fresh and it’s also healthy. I often cook with ingredients that are found in the Mediterranean diet – whole grains, fruit and vegetables, beans, olive oil and herbs. I took all of my favorite Mediterranean flavors and turned them into a one pot meal, because by now you all know that I’m all about cooking in one pot whenever possible. This one pot Mediterranean chicken  is a real winner and the kids enjoyed it too!

How do you make Mediterranean chicken?

This recipe starts with chicken thighs, which are browned and then combined with chickpeas, orzo, olives, roasted peppers and chicken broth. Everything goes into the oven to simmer until tender. Add a sprinkling of fresh parsley and dinner is served!

Browned chicken thighs in a pan.

Tips for Mediterranean chicken

  • I like to use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for this dish, but you can also use drumsticks or bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.
  • Orzo is a small rice shaped pasta that can be found with the rest of the pasta shapes at most grocery stores. You can use regular orzo or whole wheat orzo in this dish.
  • This recipe calls for roasted red bell peppers  – you can roast your own, or buy a jar of prepared roasted peppers to save on time.
  • This dish is perfect as-is, but I sometimes like to serve it with a steamed vegetable on the side such as broccoli, green beans or asparagus.

Orzo pasta, olives, chickpeas and roasted peppers in a skillet.

Mediterranean Chicken Variations

There are so many different ways to vary the flavors in this dish to make your own creation!

  • Beans: Instead of chickpeas, try cannellini or Great Northern beans.
  • Vegetables: Swap out the bell peppers for marinated artichoke hearts or sauteed mushrooms.
  • Grains: Try bulgur wheat or brown rice instead of orzo pasta.

A spoon serving up a portion of Mediterranean chicken thighs.

More than ever I have been relying on easy dinner options. I’d much rather be out in the yard with the kids instead of standing over a hot stove. This Mediterranean chicken  is perfect for our hectic schedule because I can just combine everything in one pot, put it in the oven and walk away until the timer tells me it’s dinner time. Plus clean up is a breeze. Have you hopped on the one pot meal bandwagon yet? If not, this recipe is the perfect place to start.

Mediterranean chicken thighs served over orzo with green beans.

More easy chicken recipes

A pan of Mediterranean chicken with orzo, chickpeas and vegetables.
Print Pin
5 from 10 votes

One Pot Mediterranean Chicken

This recipe for Mediterranean chicken is chicken thighs, olives, roasted peppers and orzo, all cooked in a single pan. An easy and healthy dinner option with minimal clean up at the end of the night!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword Greek chicken, mediterranean chicken, one pot meal, one pot mediterranean chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 510kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 4 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup roasted peppers roughly chopped (can use red, yellow or orange peppers)
  • 8 ounces orzo pasta uncooked
  • 3/4 cup kalamata olives halved
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan.
  • Drain off excess fat leaving about 1 teaspoon in the pan. Add the onion, cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for one minute more.
  • Add the orzo, oregano, roasted peppers, olives and chickpeas to the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the orzo mixture; add chicken broth.
  • Bring everything to a boil, cover the pot with a lid and place into the oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

Notes

Make Ahead: If you make your own roasted peppers, you can make them 2 days in advance. Never roasted peppers before? Here's a how-to guide.

Nutrition

Calories: 510kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 950mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 24.4mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 5.6mg

This post was originally published July 16, 2015 and was updated on June 25, 2019 with new content.

Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

Comments

  2. Kennedy Cole@KCole's Creative Corner says

    OK, I could totally dig into a big plate of this every night for dinner 😉 The Mediterranean’s know how to eat! Thanks for sharing; I will totally be making this ASAP 😀

    Reply

    • Sara says

      I’m going to be making it again soon, the whole family loved it. If you make it be sure to report back! 🙂

      Reply

  4. Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. says

    That looks delicious, and one pot meals are always a winner around here! My kids adore black olives too, they get excited whenever they see them on the table!

    Reply

    • Sara says

      Thanks Stacey! I swear my girls would eat the whole can if I let them, we’re still working on the concept of moderation 🙂

      Reply

  9. Alisa @ Go Dairy Free says

    This looks like a fabulous meal and one that would fit my household well! I think I’d try adding some greens.

    Reply

    • Sara says

      You could try adding in some spinach at the end after you take it out of the oven, the residual heat would cook it through!

      Reply

  11. Des @ Life's Ambrosia says

    Now that is a great looking dish! And I love the fact that you used chicken thighs. I prefer those over breasts because, like you said, they are less likely to dry out and honestly they are so much more flavorful!

    Reply

  13. Manila Spoon says

    I love one pot meals – this mediterranean chicken has all the delicious flavors I love! Pinned, too!

    Reply

  16. Alyssa @ Good. Simple. says

    This looks like one of those rare gems of a recipe that my whole family would like. Just pinned it and look forward to making soon!!

    Reply

  18. Amanda says

    WOW this looks so good. I’m pinning this recipe! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

    Amanda – TheFashionToFollow.com

    Reply

  19. Kelly says

    This looks delicious. I think I will be saving this recipe and surprising my husband with something new for dinner.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Sites I am featured In