April 9, 2020
Skillet Baked Vegan Mediterranean-Inspired Chick’n & Orzo
Loaded with the delicious flavors inspired by the Mediterranean, and prepared in just ONE skillet, this Skillet Baked Vegan Mediterranean-Inspired Chick’n & Orzo is the perfect simple and comforting meal that comes together in just 30 minutes! 
take a trip to flavor town in just 30 minutes
Loaded with juicy tomatoes, rich kalamata olives, roasted red bell peppers, earthy artichoke hearts, and fresh kale – then topped with vegan feta, lemon zest, and herbaceous dill, this Skillet Baked Vegan Mediterranean-Inspired Chick’n & Orzo makes for the most flavor-packed and unexpected meal that is sure to become a household favorite!
Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’ the best Skillet Baked Vegan Mediterranean-Inspired Chick’n & Orzo!
what is orzo?
If you’re asking yourself, “is orzo rice or pasta?!”, you’re definitely not alone! Although it looks like rice, orzo (also known as risoni) is actually pasta. Much like the classic spaghetti, linguine, and penne noodles we all know and love, orzo is made from durum wheat, so it’s easily accessible! My Creamy Baked Vegan Mediterranean Chick’n & Orzo treats the pasta much like rice in that we make it almost like a risotto – except no stirring til your arms fall off because it’s pasta, AKA way more forgiving than rice. That’s a win-win, my friends.
how to make My Skillet Baked Vegan Mediterranean-Inspired Chick’n & Orzo
You may have had orzo in soups and pasta salads plenty of times, but I’m pretty sure you haven’t experienced orzo like this before. Here’s how to make the creamiest, most flavor-packed, best orzo ever:
- Sauté your vegan chicken strips in a large cast iron or oven safe skillet on medium high heat until it’s warmed through. Remove from heat, roughly chop into bite size pieces, and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté your onions and tomatoes until the tomatoes cook down just a bit. Then, add in your garlic, roasted bell peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, kale, chopped chicken, orzo, seasonings, broth and vegan mozzarella shreds. Stir to combine.
- Bake the Mediterranean Chick’n & Orzo in the oven until the orzo is tender, and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Finish the orzo with fresh lemon zest, herby dill, and creamy feta cheese. ENJOY!
when in doubt, skillet Baked Vegan Mediterranean Chick’n & Orzo for dinner.
In the middle of this quarantine, nothing hits the spot like something as cozy and flavorful as a big ass bowl of cheesy orzo! I really hope this Skillet Baked Vegan Mediterranean Chick’n & Orzo hits the spot for you, too! If it does, let me know! Snap a photo or video of your creamy orzo and tag me on Instagram at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing all your recreations of my recipes! Until next time, friends!
XO!
- 2 TBS avocado oil, divided
- 10 oz vegan chicken
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2½ cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- ½ cup artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives, cut in half
- 2 cups packed kale, roughly chopped
- 1 cup orzo
- 3 cups prepared vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ¾ cup vegan mozzarella shreds
- ½ tsp each : dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper
- Lemon zest and fresh lemon, for serving
- Fresh dill, for serving
- Vegan feta, for serving
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- In a large oven safe skillet on medium hight, add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add vegan chicken strips and cook until warmed through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the skillet, chop into bite size pieces, and set aside.
- In the same skillet on medium high heat, add remaining tablespoon of avocado oil, onions, and tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the tomatoes have cooked down a bit, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until it's fragrant, another 2 minutes. Add in the roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, kale, orzo, broth, mozzarella, seasonings, and cooked vegan chick'n. Give it a good mix to combine and bring to a light simmer.
- Once simmering, transfer the skillet into the preheated oven and bake until the orzo is tender and the liquid has absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Finish with the zest of one lemon, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, crumbled vegan feta, and some fresh dill. ENJOY!
You should totally make this tonight! I made it last night and it was delicious. Orzo is one of those things I always have in my pantry but don’t use often. I feel like orzo recipes are always soups or cold salads so this was a nice change! Me and my non vegan boyfriend both loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Amazing!! So easy to make.
This orzo recipe is 10/10 delicious. So many flavors and textures….creamy and tangy and salty. So satisfying. Will for sure make this a regular and for sure will be making this for family and friends. Very impressive recipe for minimal effort.
Always looking for rice dishes and this was simply amazing! 10/10 and I’ve already shared this recipe with my friends lol love it! This was extremely easy and very filling and my boyfriend loved it too! Thank you!
I am not huge on olives at all, but let me tell you, everything in this dish just WORKS. I usually pick off olives in my food, but I ate the ENTIRE thing. So hearty and delicious and really has all the great Mediterranean flavors it promises. Not to mention, it’s packed with so many yummy veggies it’s pretty healthy!
What brand of vegan chicken and vegan feta do you recommend?
Hi Fiona!
I really love Gardein vegan chicken and Violife Vegan Feta. If you’re unable to find Violife, there are a bunch of great ‘tofu feta’ recipes online that are so tasty and cost effective! Hope this helps 🙂
Am I missing where there chick’n gets added back into the skillet?
Hi Catherine! You’re going to add the chick’n back into the skillet in step 3, along with peppers, artichoke hearts, olives, kale, orzo, mozzarella, and seasonings. Hope this helps 🙂
Wow. This is ridiculously good. Even my picky boyfriend liked it. Thanks!
This was excellent! I’ll be making it again.
This looks amazing don’t have orzo, can I sue bow ties as they r both pasta. Might be ok?
Hey Paula! I haven’t tested this recipe with bow tie, but seeing as it’s pasta as well, I think you could absolutely sub it! Cooking time might vary, though … so maybe just keep an eye on it! Hope this helps 🙂
Seriously one of my favorite recipes. I make this often and it would be a perfect potluck contribution. I never add the vegan cheese, simply because it’s more work/ingredients and I feel like this dish is so delicious without it. A true 5 star recipe!