Honey Butter Cajun Chicken & Orzo

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp lemon pepper
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 0.5 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 1 celery stalk (diced)
• 0.5 red bell pepper (diced)
• 0.5 green bell pepper (diced)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 garlic (minced)
• 1.5 cup orzo
• 2 tsp adobo seasoning
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 3.5 cup chicken broth
• 0.5 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (use heavy cream or coconut milk)
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp parsley (chopped)
• 4 sprigs thyme (fresh)
• 2 bay leaves

Steps

1. 1

   Season the chicken thighs with the Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, lemon pepper, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika, and black pepper, coating them evenly.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs until golden brown on both sides.

3. 3

   Lower the heat and add the butter, honey, and crushed red pepper to the skillet. Baste the chicken until glossy and coated.

4. 4

   Reserve about half of the honey butter sauce for serving. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.

5. 5

   In the same skillet, sauté the onion, celery, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper until softened.

6. 6

   Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

7. 7

   Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

8. 8

   Stir in the orzo, adobo seasoning, and the remaining 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. Cook for 1–2 minutes to toast the orzo.

9. 9

   Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream or coconut milk. Add the onion powder, cayenne pepper, chopped parsley, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves, then stir well.

10. 10

    Cover the skillet and simmer for 10–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo has absorbed about half of the liquid.

11. 11

    Return the chicken to the skillet and continue cooking for 8–10 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and creamy and the chicken is cooked through.

12. 12

    Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Drizzle the reserved honey butter sauce over the chicken before serving.

Notes

The source gives an unusually broad simmer range of 10–20 minutes. It does not specify the chicken's searing duration or a target internal temperature. The cream can be replaced with coconut milk.

Nutrition per serving

• one-pan
• dinner
• main course
• Cajun-inspired
• comfort food
• stovetop
• gluten-containing
• contains dairy