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Dinner recipe

Saucy Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake with Lemon

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A family-friendly one-pan orzo bake with chicken, tomato sauce, spinach, and a golden cheese topping.

Start planningStart cookingIngredients
40 min610 kcal4 base servingsFamily FriendlyOne PanWeeknight
ContainsGluten, Milk
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Recipe and nutrition estimates

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Focus ingredients: chicken breast, orzo, cheddar

Dietary fit: No diet tags added for this recipe yet

Serving tip: Keep the sauce slightly loose before the final bake; the orzo thickens as it rests.

Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake plated and ready to serve.

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Ingredients

What you need

  • 500g chicken breast
  • 300g orzo
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic
  • 500g passata
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 100g spinach
  • 80g cheddar
  • 500ml chicken stock
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

You'll also need

wide ovenproof pan, knife, oven

Method

Step by step

Up to 8 clear steps
  1. Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake cooking step 1: Get prepped.
    Step 1

    Heat the oven

    Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, then heat the oven to 200C. Dice the onion, finely chop the garlic, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, and boil a kettle.

  2. Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake cooking step 2: Start cooking.
    Step 2

    Start the pan

    Warm a wide ovenproof pan over a medium-high heat, add the chicken, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until lightly golden on the outside, then lift it onto a plate. Hold back extra salt and black pepper until the final taste check.

    6 min
  3. Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake cooking step 3: Build the flavour.
    Step 3

    Build the flavour base

    Add the onion to the same pan and cook for 4 minutes until starting to soften, then stir in the garlic and smoked paprika for 1 minute.

    4 min
  4. Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake cooking step 4: Bring it together.
    Step 4

    Cook the chicken breast

    Stir in the orzo, passata, chicken stock, and browned chicken, scraping the base of the pan, then bring to a steady simmer. Add a small pinch of sugar only if the tomatoes taste sharp.

  5. Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake cooking step 5: Finish the dish.
    Step 5

    Bake until golden

    Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 12 minutes until the orzo is nearly tender and the sauce is still a little loose.

    12 min
  6. Tomato Chicken Orzo Bake cooking step 6: Serve.
    Step 6

    Bake until golden

    Stir in the spinach and a squeeze of lemon, scatter over the cheddar, then bake uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until bubbling, golden, and the chicken is piping hot.

    10 min
  7. Step 7

    Finish and serve

    Rest for 3 minutes so the sauce settles, then serve with the remaining lemon cut into wedges. Taste once everything is assembled, then add a little salt and black pepper only if needed.

    3 min