Piri Piri Chicken Orzo
An easy one pot dinner with bags of flavour! We’ve combined medium-spicy chicken with bright, colourful vegetables and filling orzo pasta to make a tasty meal that’s guaranteed to become a family favourite from the first bite.
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories464
- Carbs56g
- Protein43g
- Fat6.5g
- Saturates1.5g
- Sugars8g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
Who doesn’t love a meal that you can make all in one pot? With chicken, pasta and veggies all thrown in together, this Piri Piri Chicken is a hearty, filling meal that couldn’t be easier.
The dish gets its flavour from a readymade Piri Piri spice mix, so you don’t even need to measure out and add the spices individually. A punchy blend of herbs, spices and citrus peel, this gives the recipe a fiery heat that we would say is medium spicy – although you can add more or less to suit your tastes.
Although it looks a little like rice, orzo is one of our favourite pastas for an easy midweek dinner. The small shape makes it perfect for a one pot recipe like this – it cooks in the stock until tender and delicious.
Brimming with colourful vegetables, this simple dinner is satisfying, even without the need to serve an additional side dish.
What diets is this Piri Piri Chicken Orzo suitable for?
This Piri Piri Chicken Orzo can be enjoyed on a dairy free diet. It can also be made vegan or vegetarian, if you replace the chicken with a Quorn fillet and use a vegetable stock cube.
If you’re cooking for people with allergies, be extra careful when checking ingredients and preparing food.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Piri Piri Chicken Orzo?
You will need some Piri Piri seasoning. This is a blend of herbs, spices and citrus peel that can be found at the supermarket. Orzo pasta can be found alongside the other shapes in the pasta aisle.
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You will need some seasoning such as this Schwartz Piri Piri Seasoning. Add as much or as little as you like to adjust the spiciness!
We make this recipe in a 26cm casserole pan with a lid. A good quality ovenproof dish will come in handy time and time again.
How many calories are in this Piri Piri Chicken Orzo?
There are 464 calories per portion in this Piri Piri Chicken Orzo, which means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence category.
To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment!
This Piri Piri Chicken Orzo is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Coat the chicken thighs in the Piri Piri seasoning and set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Step 2
Spray a large ovenproof frying pan or casserole dish with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 4-5 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 3
Spray the pan with more low-calorie cooking spray (no need to wash first), and add the onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the onions and peppers are softening.
Step 4
Add the cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and 100ml of the chicken stock. Stir, then return the chicken to the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or tight-fitting kitchen foil and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Step 5
Remove from the oven and add the orzo, spring onion and the remaining stock. Stir well, then return to the oven for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring halfway through.
Step 6
Stir in the chopped coriander, then taste and season with salt and black pepper if needed. Serve alone, with steamed green vegetables or an accompaniment of your choice.
What could I serve with this Piri Piri Chicken Orzo?
This is a hearty recipe that is filling even when served without an accompaniment. If you like, you could serve a smaller portion and add a side dish of your choosing, such as any of these tasty green vegetable recipes:
How do you know when Piri Piri Chicken Orzo is cooked?
You should cook this Piri Piri Chicken Orzo until the chicken is cooked all the way through. The juices should run clear and there should be no pinkness left inside. This will take around an hour. The orzo and vegetables should be tender.
Here in the UK, the standard advice is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and maintained that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep you and your family safe!
How long can you keep Piri Piri Chicken Orzo in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you have any leftovers, you can leave them to cool, before refrigerating in a container with a lid. You can keep leftover Piri Piri Chicken Orzo in the fridge for 1-2 days.
Can I freeze Piri Piri Chicken Orzo?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Piri Piri Chicken Orzo?
From chilled: Place in a microwavable container with a loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost overnight and reheat from chilled.
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Piri Piri Chicken Orzo
An easy one pot dinner with bags of flavour! We’ve combined medium-spicy chicken with bright, colourful vegetables and filling orzo pasta to make a tasty meal that’s guaranteed to become a family favourite from the first bite.
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
1 HR 5
- KCals 464
- Carbs 56G
Instructions
- Coat the chicken thighs in the Piri Piri seasoning and set aside for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Spray a large ovenproof frying pan or casserole dish with low-calorie cooking spray and place over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 4-5 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Spray the pan with more low-calorie cooking spray (no need to wash first), and add the onion, garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the onions and peppers are softening.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and 100ml of the chicken stock. Stir, then return the chicken to the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or tight-fitting kitchen foil and place in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and add the orzo, spring onion and the remaining stock. Stir well, then return to the oven for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring halfway through.
- Stir in the chopped coriander, then taste and season with salt and black pepper if needed. Serve alone, with steamed green vegetables or an accompaniment of your choice.
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Recipe notes
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8 comments
See what others have to say
DotSunday 7th January 2024
Are you able to cook this in a slow cooker?
LisaThursday 11th January 2024
We’ve not tried this recipe in a slow cooker, so can’t guarantee the results. If you decide to give it a try, only add the orzo for the last 20 minutes or so
You might find these articles on our website useful
https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-convert-recipes-to-a-slow-cooker/
https://pinchofnom.com/what-can-i-cook-in-a-slow-cooker/#google_vignette
SarahWednesday 24th May 2023
Lovely recipe. Served it with garlic green beans.
SharonMonday 29th May 2023
Hi Sarah, thanks for your comment, we’re so pleased you enjoyed our Piri Piri Chicken Orzo!
RosieBlueTuesday 16th May 2023
Love this recipe – it makes loads, it’s super forgiving, flexible in the level of spice and you can literally use anything in it. I used mini chicken breast fillets instead of thighs (because that’s what I happened to have in the freezer), button mushrooms instead of white, and added a few leftover spears of asparagus that I had lying around and served it with steamed green beans. Brilliant hearty meal for friends and family.
SharonTuesday 16th May 2023
Hi RosieBlue, thanks so much for your lovely comment and tips! We’re really pleased to hear you love our Piri Piri Chicken Orzo!
Christine BoltonTuesday 9th May 2023
Could I use something else instead of coriander in the recipe as I really don’t like it?
SharonFriday 12th May 2023
Hi Christine, you could use fresh flat leafed parsley in this recipe if you prefer. Enjoy the recipe!
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