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Pink Owl Kitchen » Recipes » Main Courses » One Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo

One Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo

Published: Jul 19, 2021 · Modified: Oct 22, 2023 by Ashley · This post may contain affiliate links

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Chicken thighs are flavored with fresh sage and cooked with a delicious sage butter orzo to create this One Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo recipe. This dish is elegant enough to serve at your next dinner party yet simple enough to prepare as a weeknight meal.

overhead shot of one pan sage butter chicken and orzo in a cast iron skillet on wooden surface
Table of Contents
  • What You Need To Make This Recipe
  • How To Make This Recipe
  • A Few Notes for Making this Recipe
  • Recommended Tools for This Recipe
  • Check Out These Other Easy Dinner Ideas Before You Go!
  • 📖 Recipe

You just can't beat the convenience of a good one-pan meal and this dish will be on heavy rotation in our home from here on out. In this dish, chicken thighs are brined then pan-seared until crispy to lock in the juices and flavors then simmered with a flavorful sage butter orzo until cooked through and orzo is al dente.

The fresh sage leaves really elevate this dish and provide such a rich flavor and aroma. This recipe is comforting without being heavy, making it the perfect dish to enjoy year-round. If you're looking for a hearty, flavorful, yet easy to prepare dinner recipe, this is just the one!

close up side angle shot of one pan sage butter chicken and orzo in a cast iron skillet on wooden surface

What You Need To Make This Recipe

  • One pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs. About 1.25 pounds should be great for this recipe.
  • Fresh sage leaves. 10-12 leaves, removed from the stems, should do.
  • 1 large lemon. The lemon will be sliced and added to the chicken brine to help tenderize the chicken.
  • Spices to season chicken. I used salt & black pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and smoked paprika for this recipe.
  • Extra virgin olive oil and butter. For browning the chicken and orzo.
  • One shallot. We will use half of the shallot for this recipe to help flavor the orzo.
  • Fresh garlic. We will use 3 cloves for this recipe.
  • Orzo pasta. We will use one cup of pasta for this recipe.
  • Reduced sodium chicken broth. To cook orzo in until al dente.

How To Make This Recipe

Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and add enough water to cover the chicken by about one inch. Add salt, lemon slices, and sage leaves to the water and gently stir everything with a large spoon. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour.

overhead shot of chicken soaking in brine in bowl

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and remove each piece of chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brining liquid but be sure to reserve the sage leaves.

Season chicken thighs on each side with salt & pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and smoked paprika. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (I used this cast iron skillet) and place chicken thighs in skillet, smooth side down.

Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes, until golden and crispy, then flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side. Use tongs to transfer chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add butter to the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in. Once the butter has melted, add shallot, sage leaves, and garlic and cook for about a minute.

Add orzo to the skillet and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly, to lightly toast orzo. Be careful not to scorch the sage leaves. Add chicken stock to the skillet and give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Bring orzo to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Add chicken thighs back to the skillet with the orzo, smooth side facing up. Simmer orzo and chicken, uncovered for 10-12 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and orzo is al dente.

Remove pan from heat and allow the dish to cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and herbs. Enjoy!

seasoned raw chicken thighs on cutting board
chicken thighs cooking in cast iron skillet
shallot, garlic and sage cooking in cast iron skillet
orzo browning in cast iron skillet

A Few Notes for Making this Recipe

Do not skip brining the chicken. This step is important to ensure your chicken remains moist throughout the cooking process.

You can use dried sage leaves if you cannot find fresh sage. However, you will need significantly less as the flavor is much more concentrated in dried herbs.

If you prefer, you can use bone-in chicken thighs. Just keep in mind that they will take slightly longer to cook through so be sure and check your chicken for doneness.

overhead close up shot of one pan sage butter chicken and orzo in a cast iron skillet on wooden surface

Recommended Tools for This Recipe

12-inch cast-iron skillet

Large mixing bowl

Tongs

Check Out These Other Easy Dinner Ideas Before You Go!

One-Pan Skillet Lasagna With Spinach and Mushrooms

Creamy Garlic Tuscan Salmon

Cornbread Vegetable Pot Pie

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

detailed shot of one pan sage butter chicken and orzo in a cast iron skillet on wooden surface

📖 Recipe

overhead shot of one pan sage butter chicken and orzo in a cast iron skillet on wooden surface

One-Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo

Ashley Boyd
Chicken thighs are flavored with fresh sage and cooked with a delicious sage butter orzo to create this One Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo recipe.
5 from 16 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Prevent your screen from going dark
Servings 4 servings
Calories 398 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1.25 lb pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 10-12 fresh sage leaves
  • 1 large lemon - sliced
  • Salt & cracked black pepper - to taste
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil - extra virgin
  • 2 tablespoons butter - unsalted
  • ½ large shallot - chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 cup orzo pasta
  • 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and add enough water to cover the chicken by about one inch. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, lemon slices, and sage leaves to the water and gently stir everything with a large spoon. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour.
  • Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and remove each piece of chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brining liquid but be sure to reserve the sage leaves.
  • Season chicken thighs on each side with salt & pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and smoked paprika. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and place chicken thighs in skillet, smooth side down.
  • Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes, until a golden crust forms, then flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side. Use tongs to transfer chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate.
  • Add butter to the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in. Once the butter has melted, add shallot, sage leaves, and garlic and cook for about a minute.
  • Add orzo to the skillet and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly, to lightly toast orzo. Be careful not to scorch the sage leaves. Add chicken stock to the skillet and give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Bring orzo to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken thighs back to the skillet with the orzo, smooth side facing up. Simmer orzo and chicken, uncovered for 10-12 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and orzo is al dente.
  • Remove pan from heat and allow the dish to cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and herbs. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.8g | Protein: 47.3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5.2g | Cholesterol: 201mg | Sodium: 821mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 1.6g | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @thepinkowlkitchen on Instagram! And don't forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and review!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brynn

    September 28, 2023 at 5:50 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for a dinner party and it was a huge hit! The chicken came out incredibly tender, and the flavors were spot on. Would absolutely make again!

    Reply
    • Ashley Boyd

      October 02, 2023 at 11:30 am

      I'm thrilled to hear you and your guests enjoyed the sage chicken and orzo, Brynn! Thank you for trying our recipe!

      Reply
5 from 16 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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