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Greek Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, Olives, and Fresh Basil is a delicious meatless meal that a whole family will love! This quick and easy side dish pairs well with any main course, and it comes together in under 30 minutes, using only one pan. Try this Mediterranean recipe, and it might become one of your new favorites.
Perfect side dish - Greek orzo with tomatoes and feta
I love making side dishes that go with anything! This Greek orzo will make a delicious pairing with your favorite proteins, such as grilled, baked, or pan-seared meats (chicken, pork, lamb, steak) or seafood (salmon, shrimp, scallops). Pair it with cilantro-lime honey salmon, garlic butter shrimp, or cajun chicken. You can also serve Greek orzo on its own - it makes a fantastic meatless main course. Everything is cooked in one pan in under 30 minutes - a perfect weeknight choice for busy people and families. This easy Mediterranean-style side dish also makes a beautiful presentation, and you can make it for special occasions when you have company over or guests.
How to make Greek orzo (quick overview)
- How to cook the orzo. First, you will cook orzo together with chicken stock (or vegetable stock, or water). Usually, the orzo is cooked in 1:2 proportion, for example, 1 cup of orzo in 2 cups of water, or 1.5 cups of orzo in 3 cups of water. Cook according to package instructions, which usually means 10 minutes. You might have to add a small amount of liquid (if the orzo is too dry) and check on your orzo 5 minutes into the cooking, to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the skillet.
- What kind of pan to use? Because orzo is so small, you can cook it pretty much in any kind of cooking pan. I cooked it in a large cast iron skillet, and then added the rest of the ingredients into the same skillet, making it a one-pan meal.
- Best add-ins for Greek orzo. After the orzo is cooked, add sliced cherry tomatoes (I recommend multi-colored, red, and yellow), sliced sun-dried tomatoes, sliced kalamata and green olives, and most of crumbled (or cubed) feta cheese.
- Best seasonings for orzo. After the orzo is cooked, add freshly squeezed lemon (or lime) juice, and a couple of tablespoons of high-quality extra virgin olive oil to the orzo. You can also use butter, but because it's Greek orzo, I definitely recommend using high-quality, extra virgin olive oil - this recipe is a perfect use for it! Season with a small amount of smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Reheat everything on low heat until all the ingredients are heated through to your liking. Season with salt and pepper. When you are ready to serve, simply top Greek orzo with a small amount of crumbled feta and chopped fresh basil.
- A note about salt. Because this recipe uses lots of salty ingredients (such as olives and feta cheese), season it with salt at the very end, and don't overdo it.
Greek Orzo
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups orzo
- 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock or water
- 8 oz cherry tomatoes (red and yellow), sliced in half
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (chopped)
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced
- ¼ cup green olives sliced
- 6 oz feta cheese crumbled or diced into small cubes
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large, high-sided skillet, combine orzo and chicken stock. Bring to a brief boil, reduce to a visible simmer, and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes (according to package instructions). Check the orzo 5 minutes into the cooking, and stir it to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Orzo is cooked when all the water is absorbed and the orzo has a nice texture of cooked pasta. You might have to add more water at the end if the orzo is undercooked or the water evaporates too fast.
- Stir in halved cherry tomatoes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, and sliced green olives. Add Feta cheese (crumbled or diced into small cubes), reserving ¼ cup of cheese for later.
- Add lemon juice (or lime), extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Reheat everything on low heat, constantly stirring, to blend all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.
- When serving, top with the remaining feta cheese and chopped fresh basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Storage Tips
- Fridge. Greek orzo keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days! What's not to love?! Keep it in an airtight container, of course.
- Freezer. Freeze this dish for up to 2 months.
How to reheat
- Stove-top. Reheat over low-medium heat in any kind of appropriately sized cooking pan. Add a small amount of olive oil when reheating, and stir often.
- Microwave oven. Reheat Greek orzo in a deep, high-sided microwave-safe dish (bowl) for about 30 seconds. Remove from the microwave oven, stir everything well. Return to the oven and reheat for 30 more seconds or more, until heated through.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, the Greek orzo freezes really well since it doesn't have any cream. It's a perfect recipe for your weekly or monthly meal prep! While this meal can be frozen with tomatoes in it, you can also freeze it without the fresh tomatoes, and add them only when serving.
Substitutions and variations
- Pasta. You can make this recipe with any other kind of short-cut pasta, such as bow-tie (farfalle), spiral pasta (fusilli), penne, or rigatoni.
- Rice. You can easily make this recipe with rice instead of orzo. After all, orzo is shaped very similarly to rice! I recommend jasmine rice, basmati rice, any long-grain rice, or Arborio rice.
- Lime or lemon will work great. Freshly squeezed juice is always the best!
- Veggies. My favorite veggies for Greek orzo are chopped tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, zucchini, arugula, and spinach.
- Cheese. You can use grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Mozzarella cheese instead of or in addition to Feta cheese.
What to serve with it
- Arugula Salad with Pears, Apples, Cashews, and homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Simple Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
I have prepared two of your dishes this weekend. The Greek Orzo is fantastic and also the smothered chicken with creamy spinach....a huge hit. So glad I discovered you, Julia!!!
Gayle, I am so happy to have you here! ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful review!
Loved this recipe! I am a first timer to your recipes. Can I add chicken to this. If so how and which is the best part of the chicken to add.
Carol, I am so glad to have you here. ❤️ I recommend cooking skinless boneless chicken thighs according to this recipe, and then slice it up and add it to the Greek orzo:
https://juliasalbum.com/how-to-cook-boneless-skinless-chicken-thighs/
Loved your Greek orzo. It was so tasty I would like I would to add chicken to this recipe to make it a one dish company dinner. How do I accomplish this without drying out chicken? My dinner is in 2 weeks!
Carol, I've responded to your other comment and will respond here with some variations 🙂 :
I recommend cooking skinless boneless chicken thighs (or skinless boneless chicken breasts or tenderloins) according to this recipe, and then you can either slice the chicken or just nestle it on top. I would cook either chicken first, or the orzo first or both at the same time in different skillets:
https://juliasalbum.com/how-to-cook-boneless-skinless-chicken-thighs/
Omg! This was amazing.A beautiful blend of flavors. I did add mushrooms and spinach only because i love those 2 items in a dish like this. I will serve this on a dinner buffet because it is unique , different yet simple ,
This is my new meatless dinner!
My husband loved it. Next time I will toast/fry the orzo in some butter in the pan first until it has a toasted look as it allows the orzo to remain al dente. I do that with another orzo recipe and it really helps. Also, no salt is needed as you had said many ingredients are salty. I will make this again. Thanks
Kelly, thank you so much for such helpful and detailed review. So glad you loved this recipe! ❤️
I was so excited to try this recipe I went to the grocery store to get what I needed. This seemed like the perfect recipe to use up some orzo I had in the cupboard. Well, I got hime to find what I thought was orzo was actually farro. I made it anyway, subbing the farro and a can of canneli beans for the pasta. It was great - I don't eat meat anyway so it was a perfect meatless meal. Will definitely make again.
I also did not use any additional salt - between the cheese and the olives it had plenty.
Packed with flavor and it looks enticing as well! Could add fresh chopped spinach and/or pine nuts too!
June, yes, this would be delish with chopped spinach! And, I love adding pine nuts to Mediterranean dishes! ❤️
Could you serve this cold?
Jenny, you can serve this at room temperature, not refrigerator cold. Enjoy!
We love this recipe, very fidling. 5 stars for sure. Make a bookmart for sure.
Diana, this makes me so happy!!
Absolutely fantastic! Even great cold! Followed exactly and can't wait to make it again. Thanks for sharing! I have a pic but can't post it.
Lee, thank you for your wonderful review! 🙂
Julia. – This
is my first visit to your site, and I am so glad that I found you! I can’t wait to try this salad. Your photos make me want to dive right in! I cannot wait to see what else is here.
Brenda, your comment really made my day! Thank you! I hope you try this recipe and my other recipes and love them all! 🙂
All your food looks delicious and I would like to see more!
Cindy, you are so kind - thank you! ❤️❤️❤️
I made this tonite. It was so good!! It is a keeper! Thank you.
Teresa, thank you for your feedback - so helpful!
This is Sooooo good!!! If you love greek and the taste of olives, you’ll love this! I didn’t have fresh basil, so I used 2 teaspoons of dried basil. It didn’t need any extra salt. Thank you, Julia!
Julie, thank you for your rave review - I so appreciate it! ❤️❤️
Loved this recipe! I can see this being served all year. My only tip is don’t over cook your orzo. That might have happened to me.
Angie, I am so glad you loved this recipe - thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
Can this recipe be served cold or room temp to take to a party
Carol, I was wondering the same thing.
Carol, Lois, yes, you can serve this at room temperature, almost like a salad. I wouldn't serve it refrigerator-cold and olive oil will solidify.
After refrigerating this, which I will be doing, I will just bring it to room temperature before I serve it. Probably a couple of hours and drizzle it with more olive oil to refresh it. I think that would be perfect.
Yes, I agree. This is perfect to be served at room temperature!
LOOKS DELICIOUS
Frances - thank you! 🙂