This Greek chicken orzo bake is a really easy and delicious pasta casserole recipe that is made with seasoned chicken, tomatoes, spinach, lemon and plenty of feta! It’s simple to make gluten-free, uses few ingredients, and reheats well so you can use this not only as a weeknight dinner, but as a meal prep recipe as well.
Greek Chicken Orzo Bake Ingredients
What I love most about this Greek chicken bake recipe is how few ingredients go into the casserole, yet it’s got so much flavor! The list of items you’ll need is short, and it uses pretty standard ingredients. You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which will need to be chopped into 1-inch pieces.
You’ll also need orzo, which should be cooked according to the instructions on the package. Then you’ll need 2 cans of drained diced tomatoes, a few handfuls of spinach, feta, a lemon for the juice and zest, chicken broth, olive oil and a few spices.
For the spices, you can either use a pre-made Greek seasoning if you have a blend on hand already, or you can make your own. In the notes of the recipe below there is a simple combination of spices you can follow to make a quick Greek spice mix. For that you will need dill, basil, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and salt.
How to Prep and Cook Orzo Bake
This recipe couldn’t be easier to prepare. Letting the orzo cook is the only thing that will take you more than a few minutes. Once that’s done, though, it all comes together very quickly. You will start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F., and adding the orzo, diced tomatoes, spinach and half of the feta into a large casserole dish.
This will get stirred so the orzo is combined with the feta and vegetables, then you’ll pour in the broth and mix around again so the orzo and vegetables are flat in an even layer in the dish.
In a medium bowl, add your diced chicken, oil, and the Greek seasoning and mix it all together until the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the seasoning. Then place the chicken pieces on top of the orzo and do not stir, just let the chicken sit on top of the orzo mixture.
You’ll then cover the casserole dish with foil and place it into the oven to bake for one hour. The last step is to remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining feta crumbles over the top of the casserole along with the lemon zest. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the feta looks baked and chicken is cooked through.
Serving and Storing Instructions
You can top with additional fresh herbs like chopped parsley, dill or basil, or more feta or even parmesan if you’d like more cheese. You can serve it with a side of additional vegetables, like roasted broccoli or green beans, but it is a great cozy meal served in a bowl all on its own.
To store your chicken orzo bake, you will first want to ensure that it has cooled completely. Then you can cover the casserole dish with press and seal, or some other air-tight wrap to refrigerate the entire dish. Or, you can portion it out into individual containers with lids and keep in the fridge for meal prep or lunches for up to 4 days.
Gluten-Free Instructions
To make this Greek chicken orzo bake gluten-free, you only need to make one simple swap. Instead of traditional orzo pasta, use a gluten-free version instead. DeLallo is my preferred gluten-free orzo brand, but there are others you can use as well, such as Jovial. Just as written in the instructions, you will cook it following the instructions on the package.
Other Casserole Recipes You’ll Love:
Southwest Ground Beef Casserole
Chicken and Bacon Alfredo Casserole
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PS. If you’ve made this recipe, don’t forget to rate this recipe and let me know in the comments how you liked it!
Greek Chicken Orzo Bake
This Greek chicken orzo bake is a really easy and delicious pasta casserole recipe that is made with seasoned chicken, tomatoes, spinach, lemon and plenty of feta! It’s simple to make gluten-free, uses few ingredients, and reheats well so you can use this not only as a weeknight dinner, but as a meal prep recipe as well.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Casserole
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 16 ounces orzo, cooked and drained
- 2 (14.5 ounces) cans diced tomatoes, drained
- 12 ounces crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 4–5 ounces spinach
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1–pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 teaspoons Greek seasoning (see notes for homemade option)
- 1 zest from 1 lemon, about 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly coat a large casserole dish with a cooking oil spray
- Add the orzo, diced tomatoes, 6 oz feta, spinach, oregano and lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour the chicken broth into the orzo mixture
- In a bowl, mix the diced chicken with the Greek seasoning ingredients and oil until the chicken pieces are evenly coated
- Place the chicken over the orzo, do not stir. Cover the casserole dish and then bake for 1 hour.
- Uncover, and sprinkle the lemon zest and remaining 6 oz of cheese over the top and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and feta looks baked
- Garnish with your preference of fresh herbs, such as chopped parsley, basil, oregano or dill
Notes
Greek seasoning for chicken:
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
To make gluten-free, use your preferred brand of gluten-free orzo
Keywords: gluten free casserole, greek chicken casserole, orzo pasta bake, chicken casserole, pasta bake
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juli says
Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and it was a huge hit
★★★★★
Kate Gutekunst says
This looks like a lovely recipe but it bears mentioning that orzo is a rice-shaped pasta made of wheat (semolina) and this not gluten free. That’s not an issue for me and I’m still making it but just a little public-service announcement for people avoiding gluten.
★★★★★
Bailey says
Hi, Kate! I hope you enjoy the recipe! As for the gluten PSA, there is a section in the post about using gluten-free orzo with links to my favorite options. I do eat gluten free, and many of us who do know about gluten free pasta! They sell it in almost every major grocery store nowadays, and it’s very easy to find. Thank you, though!
Darien Runnels says
Delicious!! I added 1/4 cup more of chicken broth and a little more lemon juice. I also stirred in more spinach when I took it out of oven. Next time I would add a bit more chicken.
★★★★★
Danielle Valenti says
This was delish! Whole family loved it!
★★★★★
Kim says
made this tonight it was a hit- although the 4 servings has me very confused….unless its 4 very hungry football players…..but leftovers work for me
★★★★★
Alexis Z says
A new favorite in our house !
★★★★★
Ashley says
Not going to lie, I was skeptical. But I love everything in this so I made it. Wow…. It’s so amazing. And I added chopped Kalamata olives and freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. It’s delicious and the chicken is so tender. Definitely a new go to for my family!
★★★★★
Natalie Dimercurio says
I have made this at least 10 times. I use fire roasted tomatoes and add extra chicken, because we are a protein focused family. It is so so so good. Making again tomorrow!
★★★★★
Ruth says
Orzo is pasta. So this is not gluten free. I have never seen a gluten free orzo for sale at any store.
Bailey says
Well, it is gluten free, if you use gluten free orzo… There are quite a few options. This is the one I use most often: https://www.delallo.com/gluten-free-orzo-1/
Brennen says
I did this recipe exact and it was awesome!! Will make it again!
★★★★★
Brennen says
I did the recipe exact!! It was perfect!! Will so make it again!
★★★★★
Brennen says
Perfect!!! Will so make it again!
★★★★★
Colleen says
I made this with the jovial gf orzo and it turned to mush. Not sure if I did something wrong. Flavors were all there though!
★★★★
ChrisO says
This recipe is FANTASTIC! I’ve made it several times for my family and neighbors and have passed your recipe on to many others. Thank you for an easy, flavorful recipe!
★★★★★
Bailey says
I am so, so happy to hear this! Thank you so much. Sorry for the late response, but really appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Kbear says
This was really delicious! I added in minced garlic – the only thing I’d do differently is seer/brown the chicken before the bake. Still got 3 sick family members to finally eat with this gem!
★★★★
Catherine says
This was sooooooo good. Already have requests to make it again next week!
★★★★★