Hook Ya One-Pan Sunshine Herb Chicken & Orzo Bake
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Some dinners need a whole afternoon. This isn’t one of them. You stir everything together in a single 9x13 baking dish, lay the chicken on top, and let the oven do the work. The orzo soaks up the broth and the chicken drippings, the tomatoes burst into a sauce, and the whole thing comes out creamy, bright, and loaded with Florida flavor.
The secret is our Sunshine Herb seasoning, rubbed directly on the meat under the skin, with the skin pinned back in place with a toothpick. The flavor goes into the chicken instead of sitting on the skin, while a light coat of olive oil on top crisps the skin to a golden finish. Every bit of flavor drips down into the orzo below. One pan, a full pound of pasta, and enough to feed a crowd.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s a true one-dish dinner with almost no cleanup. It feeds eight. And it uses up what’s already in the fridge: onions, mushrooms, grape tomatoes, and that box of orzo in the pantry.
One-Pan Sunshine Herb Chicken, Mushroom & Orzo Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked orzo (about 2½ cups)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 pints grape tomatoes
- 2 medium onions, sliced into wedges
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2½ tbsp Hook Ya Sunshine Herb seasoning, divided
- 6-8 Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ¼ tsp salt, for the skin
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 4 cups baby spinach (optional)
- Toothpicks, to hold the skin in place
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat the oven to 400°F. Set a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any drips.
- Build the base. In a 9x13 baking dish, stir together the orzo, broth, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1 tbsp Sunshine Herb seasoning. Spread it out and push the orzo down under the liquid.
- Season under the skin. Pat the thighs dry. Gently peel back the skin on each one, rub the remaining Sunshine Herb seasoning directly onto the meat, then pull the skin back over the seasoning and pin it in place with a toothpick. This seasons the chicken itself, not just the skin.
- Prep the skin. Rub the skin with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Nestle the thighs skin-side up on the orzo.
- First bake. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Pull the dish out and stir the orzo around and between the thighs so the center cooks evenly.
- Finish baking. Return to the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the thighs reach 180–185°F near the bone and the orzo is tender. For extra-crispy skin, move the thighs to a sheet pan at 425°F for 5 to 10 minutes while the orzo rests.
- Stir and serve. Set the chicken aside and remove the toothpicks. Stir the parmesan, butter, lemon juice, and spinach into the hot orzo. Put the chicken back on top and rest 5 minutes before serving.
Lighter option: Use no-salt-added broth, cut the parmesan to ½ cup, use unsalted butter, and skip the salt on the skin. The Sunshine Herb seasoning and lemon bring plenty of flavor on their own.
Recipe from Hook Ya Products · hookyaproducts.com
Make It Your Own
Swap the mushrooms for bell pepper strips or zucchini. Crumble a little feta over the top right before serving. Or try it with our blackened seasoning on the chicken for a bolder, smokier version.
Get hooked on easy weeknight dinners. Pick up a bottle of Sunshine Herb seasoning and make this one tonight.
