This recipe doesn't have a real name. It's not moussaka. It's not souvlaki. It's not pastitsio. It's just... Greek. There's chicken, there's orzo, there's olives and feta and a fancy little tomato situation on top. It's what happens when you want Mediterranean flavors but don't want to spend three hours doing it. We're calling it "The Greek One" because marketing is hard and I'm not a restaurant.
Prep: 15 minCook: 20 minServes: 4Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
The Main Event
The Fancy Tomato Situation
Instructions
Start with the chicken. In a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken pieces, oregano, smoked paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss it all together right there in the pan like you're too lazy to use a mixing bowl. (You are, and that's fine.) Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is browned all over and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Add the flavor bomb. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and chopped garlic. Cook for another minute. Your kitchen should smell incredible right now. If it doesn't, something went wrong and I can't help you from here. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
Pepper time. Add the sliced bell peppers to the same skillet. Cook until they're soft, about 2-3 minutes. Don't wash the pan between steps—that's where the flavor lives.
Cook the orzo IN the skillet. This is the magic part. Add the dry orzo and 2½ cups of water directly to the pan with the peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Stir it around and let it cook, stirring often, until almost all the water is absorbed. This takes about 10 minutes. Yes, you have to stir. No, you can't just walk away. This isn't a slow cooker.
Bring it all together. Once the orzo is cooked and the water is mostly absorbed, stir the chicken and olives back into the pan. Let everything warm through together, about 3 minutes. Taste it. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
Meanwhile, make the tomato thing. While the orzo is doing its thing, toss the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and grated garlic together in a bowl. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. This takes 30 seconds and makes you look like you tried way harder than you did.
Serve it up. Scoop the orzo into bowls. Top with crumbled feta (be generous—feta is the point). Spoon that fancy tomato mixture on top. Add a dollop of tzatziki. Accept compliments graciously even though this took you like 30 minutes.
Stuff You'll Need
One large skillet (that's the whole point—one pan). A bowl for the tomatoes. A spoon for stirring. The willingness to eat an entire cup of feta cheese and not feel bad about it.