Description
This Greek Chicken Casserole is a flavorful and hearty one-dish meal featuring shredded cooked chicken, orzo pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach, feta cheese, and Kalamata olives, all baked together in a tangy lemon-infused broth. It’s easy to prepare and perfect for a nutritious weeknight dinner or meal prep, with Mediterranean flavors that are both comforting and vibrant.
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 to get it ready for baking the casserole.
- Cook Chicken if Needed: If you don’t have pre-cooked chicken, bake chicken breasts or thighs for 25 minutes until fully cooked, then shred into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Prepare Onion: In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add the diced onion and drizzle with olive oil; stir to coat. Place the dish in the oven for 5 minutes to soften the onion.
- Add Base Ingredients: Remove the dish, then add orzo, minced garlic, diced sundried tomatoes, chopped spinach, kalamata olives, dried oregano, olive oil, and salt. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Add Chicken & Cheese: Stir in the shredded chicken, crumbled feta cheese, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest to the casserole mixture.
- Add Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and give everything a final stir until ingredients are well incorporated and mostly submerged.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes to start cooking the orzo.
- Uncover and Continue Baking: Remove the foil, stir the casserole to redistribute ingredients, and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until orzo is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed.
- Rest & Serve: Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes after baking. Serve hot, topped with extra crumbled feta and fresh parsley. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- To Use Onion Powder: Substitute the diced onion with 1 teaspoon onion powder.
- To Use Garlic Powder: Substitute minced garlic with 2 teaspoons garlic powder.
- To Use Fresh Oregano: Replace the dried oregano with 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano.
- To Use Frozen Spinach: Thaw 1/4 cup frozen spinach, press out excess water, and add with other ingredients in step #4.
- To Make it in a Slow Cooker: Combine ingredients as per steps #2 to #5 in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours until liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender; then finish as in step #8.
