I’m always looking for easy recipes, especially recipes that are at least semi-healthy. This garlic chicken with orzo recipe was one I found on Pinterest. I’ve made it twice now, and we BOTH enjoyed it BOTH times – yay! Here’s my modified recipe below:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, approx.
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken tenders (or 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts)
- salt, to taste
- 2-3 cups baby spinach or baby kale leaves (the first time I used baby kale leaves, we liked it both ways)
- shredded Parmesan cheese for topping
Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water or chicken stock to a boil. I cooked mine in part chicken stock, part water to add more flavor. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear. Reduce heat to medium, and mix in the cooked orzo. Place spinach in the skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
Note: I actually cooked my chicken in the crockpot an hour or so before putting it in the skillet. I’m always worried about not getting my chicken cooked through, so this worked out really well. I just put the chicken in my small crockpot when I got home from work, exercised, did a few other things, started cooking, then took the chicken out when I was ready for it.
This recipe goes well with garlic bread and salad. Enjoy!
