This beautiful Chicken in a Pot with Lemon Orzo turns out golden-brown and mouthwateringly tender, with a fragrant lemon-pepper seasoning, orzo pasta, and fresh vegetables.
Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot or a Dutch oven with a lid that’s about 7-qt or bigger. Make sure that the pot you use is safe to use in the oven and on the stove top.
Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
Spray the chicken with cooking oil and season with thyme, salt, basil, and lemon pepper.
Place the chicken in the heated oil, breast side down, and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden; turn it over and cook for 3 more minutes.
Decrease heat to Low; add in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Add more oil, if needed.
Scatter the onions, carrots, leeks, and lemons all around the chicken; season the veggies with salt and pepper and give them a stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
Pour in about 5 to 6 cups of chicken broth, or just enough to come up about ¾ of the way up, but do not cover the entire chicken with liquid, especially not the breast part.
Increase heat to High and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Take the pot out of the oven.
Carefully remove the lid; stir in the orzo.
Put the lid back on and continue to cook in the oven for 30 more minutes.
Take out of the oven and remove the lid; stir the orzo and let stand for 15 minutes.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British, French
Keyword: roast chicken, roast chicken in the oven, whole chicken recipes