Chicken in a Pot Recipe
Golden, tender chicken with lemon-pepper seasoning and orzo that cooks right in the pot. This is a cozy and delicious one-pot chicken dinner.
Servings: 6
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 pound whole chicken
- cooking spray
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus more for the vegetables
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning use fresh ground black pepper if you do not have lemon pepper seasoning
- freshly ground black pepper to taste, for the vegetables
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 small yellow onions cut into wedges
- 2 large carrots cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 medium leeks sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 2 lemons cut into 4 to 6 wedges (use 1 lemon if you don't like a strong lemon flavor)
- 5 to 6 cups chicken broth
- 1¾ cups dry orzo pasta
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pot or 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 stovetop.
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Then, spray the chicken with cooking oil and season it with the thyme, salt, basil, and lemon pepper.
- Brown the chicken. 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.
- Add the aromatics and vegetables. Decrease the heat to low; add in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Add more oil, if needed. Scatter the onions, carrots, leeks, and lemons around the chicken; season the veggies with salt and pepper, then give them a stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the broth and bring to a boil. 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 the heat to High and bring to a boil.
- Roast in the oven. Once boiling, cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Add the orzo and continue to cook. 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.
- Let it rest. Take the pot out of the oven, remove the lid, stir the orzo, and let it all rest for 15 minutes.
- Serve. Remove the lemon wedges and toss them out, garnish the chicken, veggies, and orzo with parsley, and serve.
Notes
- Inspired by Nigella Lawson
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 451mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4060IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 3mg
