Greek Chicken Orzo โ Youvetsi Kotopoulo is the kind of dish that defines Greek home cooking. Tender chicken simmers in a rich tomato sauce infused with olive oil, cinnamon, and allspice, until every bite tastes like pure comfort. Then, it bakes with orzo pasta (kritharaki in Greek) so the sauce seeps into every grain, creating a meal thatโs both rustic and elegant. Itโs a one-pot wonder that feels like it came straight from a Sunday table in a village kitchen โ simple to make, deeply flavorful, and perfect for feeding family and friends with love.
What cooks say:
“Absolutely fantastic recipe, incorporating a few extra spices to change up the experience. Brava!”
ANDREA
If you love this Chicken Orzo-Youvetsi Kotopoulo, you will also love thisย Stifado – Red Wine Beef Stew,ย Greek Style Chicken Bolognese orย Braised Chicken In Tomato Sauce!
Why you will love chicken youvetsi
Here is what you need
- Chicken thighs – This recipe uses free-range, organic boneless chicken thighs with the skin on. The skin adds wonderful flavor as it browns โ and turns deliciously crisp in the oven. You can also use bone-in thighs or even a small whole chicken cut into pieces.
- Bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, and whole allspice – These are the classic aromatics of a Greek red sauce. Allspice, called bahari in Greece, lends a deep, warm spice that defines dishes like giouvetsi and stifado.
- Tomatoes and tomato paste – Use crushed, diced, or passata โ whichever you have on hand. A spoonful of tomato paste enriches the sauce, adding body and that irresistible slow-cooked flavor.
- Onion and garlic – Every great sauce starts here. Sautรฉ them gently in olive oil until soft and fragrant โ the base for all that savory depth.
- Red wine – Always cook with wine youโd happily drink. It doesnโt need to be expensive โ just smooth and good quality. A dry red adds richness, but you can also use a rosรฉ or white wine for a lighter touch. If you prefer to skip alcohol, simply omit it โ the dish will still be delicious.
- Orzo pasta – Known as kritharaki in Greece, orzo is the soul of this dish. Its rice-like shape absorbs the tomato sauce beautifully, creating a creamy, comforting texture. You can substitute ditalini or orecchiette, but avoid larger shapes like penne or rigatoni โ theyโre better suited for gratins. Similarly, tiny pastina-like acini di pepe or stelline are best left for soups.
- Parmesan cheese – Traditionally, youvetsi is finished with kefalotiri or graviera (Greek gruyรจre), but parmesan, pecorino romano, or dry mizithra all work beautifully. Just keep saltiness in mind โ kefalotiri and pecorino are quite salty, while parmesan and graviera are milder. For serving, you can also crumble a little feta or goat cheese on top for a creamy contrast.
- Extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Step by step
Step 1. Brown the chicken.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season generously with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
In a Dutch oven or large deep skillet, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides until golden and crisp โ this seals in flavor and gives the sauce its rich base. Transfer the browned chicken to a platter and set aside.
Step 2. Build the aromatics.
In the same pan, add the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, oregano, and allspice. Sautรฉ for 2โ3 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and everything smells fragrant and warm.
Step 3. Add the tomato paste.
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1โ2 minutes. This little step deepens the flavor and gives the sauce its signature depth.
Step 4. Deglaze with wine.
Pour in the red wine and scrape up all the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for a minute or two, until the alcohol cooks off.
Step 5. Add tomatoes and simmer.
Add the tomatoes and one cup of hot water. Stir well, then return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially, and let it cook for about 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly and the chicken will become tender and infused with flavor.
Step 6. Bake the giouvetsi.
Preheat the oven to 180 ยฐC / 355 ยฐF. Remove the chicken once more to a platter. Stir the orzo into the sauce along with another cup of hot water โ the liquid should fully cover the orzo. Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it gently into the sauce.
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Check the orzo toward the end โ it should be tender but still have a light bite. If it looks too dry, add a splash more hot water and stir gently.
Grate about ยฝ cup of parmesan (or kefalotiri, graviera, or pecorino) and sprinkle it evenly over the top. Return the pan to the oven for a few more minutes, just until the cheese melts and turns lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving, the orzo will continue to absorb flavor as it settles.
Serve straight from the pan, family-style, with an extra drizzle of good olive oil and a little more grated cheese or crumbled feta on top. A crisp green salad and a glass of wine make it a perfect Greek comfort meal.
Pro tips
- No oven-safe pot? No problem. Cook the chicken and sauce on the stove in a large skillet as described in the recipe. Then, pour everything into a baking pan, add the orzo, and continue with the remaining steps.
- Keep it saucy. A successful youvetsi should come out of the oven beautifully saucy โ not dry. Check the liquid level during baking, and if it looks low, add a splash of hot water to keep the orzo moist and flavorful.
- Perfectly cooked orzo. The orzo only needs about 17 to 20 minutes in the oven to reach that ideal al dente texture. The extra five minutes of baking with cheese on top will make it tender yet still pleasantly firm. Remember, the orzo continues to absorb liquid as it rests, so itโs best to serve the dish right away.
- Finishing touches. The melty cheese topping is optional, though highly recommended. You can also skip the final bake and simply serve grated parmesan or kefalotiri at the table. Graviera (Greek gruyรจre) or dry mizithra cheese are also delicious options for finishing this dish.
Serving suggestions
- Salad: Try our Greek lettuce salad-maroulosalata, roasted cauliflower steaks or our broccoli-cauliflower salad.
- Bread: Our peasant bread is terrific when dipped in the orzo sauce.
- Saganaki: Melty kefalotiri cheese is a no-brainer side to chicken orzo.
- Other side dishes to include at your family-style dinner table: marinated olives, bread dipping olive oil, and horta-boiled wild greens.
FAQs about pork pot roast
Storage and reheating
- Store youvetsi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a few drops of water (or broth) to the orzo to loosen up the sauce and add moisture. Heat it on the stove over medium-low heat or microwave.
- You can freeze any leftovers in an airtight container and use it within three months. To reheat it from frozen, defrost it first and warm it on the stove or in a microwave with some added water or broth to loosen up the orzo and sauce.
More Greek chicken recipes
Greek Chicken Orzo-youvetsi Kotopoulo
Equipment
- Oven-safe large pan like a Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1ยฝ lbs free-range chicken thighs
- ยผ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cloves
- 2-3 whole allspice
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ยฝ cup red wine
- 1ยฝ cup orzo pasta
- parmesan cheese
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Add olive oil to a Dutch oven and brown seasoned chicken thighs over medium-high heat.
- Transfer chicken to a platter. In the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves, oregano and allspice.Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the wine and deglaze the pan. After 1-2 minutes, add the tomatoes and one cup of hot water. Stir and add the chicken to the sauce. Cook chicken on medium-low for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180ยฐC / 355ยฐf
- Transfer the chicken to a platter.Add the orzo to the sauce and a cup of hot water and stir. The sauce should cover the orzo completely. Return the chicken to the pot and bake for 20 minutes. Add a little more hot water if needed while cooking. (Try a couple of orzo kernels to check the cooking).
- Shred ยฝ cup parmesan cheese and sprinkle it all over. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted.
Notes
- Use free-range chicken thighs for the best flavor and tender texture.
- Check the liquids while baking; add a splash of hot water if needed so the orzo stays saucy.
- The orzo continues to cook as it rests โ serve soon after baking.
- No oven-safe pot? Transfer to a baking pan before baking.
- Top with grated parmesan, kefalotiri, or graviera, or skip the melty topping and serve cheese on the side.
Nutrition
I loved that this is so much like the arroz con pollo that I grew up eating. The addition of allspice in the recipe really made the dish uniquely delicious.
This recipe was so good and is the definition of comfort food. My family loved it.
I love meals like this. I grew up in an Italian/Greek home so those Mediterranean flavors are so comforting to me. This looks delicious and brings me back to my childhood.
I have never tried anything like this before. But one thing I know for sure is that I will absolutely love it! My favorite ingredients + easy instructions = perfect recipe!
Looks delicious! I have never tried this recipe but would love to. Thanks for sharing!
Wow~ The chicken and the sauce were so delicious in this. This chicken orzo made the perfect comfort meal.
Wow! This is definately comfort food, and my mind is telling me yhat chicken is so moist and flavorful. You can see the love in this dish, thanks for sharing! โค๏ธ ๐
You had me at one pot meal! And then again when I made it and it turned out deliciously. Your directions are so easy to follow and all of the tips were so helpful!
Wow this dish was amazing! I rarely cook with red wine because I never know where to use it but I loved it in this dish. The spices a ton of flavor and the orzo was soft and so good.
I’m always hesitant about adding cinnamon to savory dishes, but this was amazing! I love the flavor, and it was pretty easy to make, too. Thanks!
I love Greek food but don’t really know how to cook it, this recipe was a great introduction to greek cooking! The chicken was so juicy and succulent!
No mention of oregano in the ingredients? How much thanks.
Great site btw
Hi Ad! Thanks for noticing the absence of oregano in the ingredients! About two teaspoons.
And thank you for liking the site!
x Jenny
I now have 5 recipes for this dish . This is the only one that uses Cinnamon , Cloves and Allspice . DEFINITELY going to cook this version . Thank you for posting . I have recently got “Wifey” to like Giouvetsi , hopefully she will like this version .
That’s great Mel! Come back and let me know how you liked it. x Jenny
Absolutely fantastic recipe, incorporating a few extra spices to change out the experience. Brava!
Thank you so much Andrea! Loved reading your comment! x Jenny
Great recipe, Jenny. Christos Anesti! Since I don’t eat lamb or beef, this is my contribution to Greek Easter at fellow Greek’s house. Mezethakia (appetizers)include: taramosalata (caviar salad), dolmathes (stuffed grapeleaves), melitzanosalata(babaganoush), tzatziki, skordalia, hummus, assorted black & green olives