Enter: three of my favorite recipes all combined into a happy, highly secure throuple. You didn’t think it was possible? Well, think again. We’ve got my perfectly crispy chicken thighs (AKA what everyone in my family requests when they come over for dinner, plus the only contribution to the family cookbook I made that I felt I had already earned in my lifetime), my deliciously creamy Boursin chicken, and my one-pan-wonder chicken & orzo.
You’re going to love this one. It’s a meal in a pan, with extra deliciously creamy Boursin cream sauce for drizzling. The chicken thighs are cooked perfectly, with ultra-crispy skin and deliciously juicy meat. Pair it with a simple salad or side of roasted brocc, and you’ve got a restaurant-quality dinner on your hands that took like, two bothers.
But first, the sweetest story about that Boursin chicken. My daughter appeared in her first school musical last winter, Annie (And how lucky are we to have full-on theater productions at our elementary school?! Girlfriend is in kindergarten and had to learn her audition lines via audio, because she couldn’t read yet.). After one show, I was hanging out in the “dressing room,” a certainly fancy way to describe the middle school symphony’s room. In between the tubas and timpanis, the littles were shedding their faux-dirty orphan rags, and I got to talking to the mother of the girl who’d played Grace. “What stage presence! Such mature delivery of her lines!,” I was exclaiming exuberantly, as I typically bring the thunder enthusiasm to most interactions. Somehow she connected me with my site and proceeded to tell me how her daughter loves my Boursin chicken recipe. As if I needed another reason to admire this 8-year-old theater prodigy angel?
I’ll never unhear that, and I smugly burrow into that memory every time I make, nay—think about, my Boursin chicken. Except I took that recipe and made it even better, because I loaded it with bright, lemony flavor, and stirred in dried orzo to make it a one-pan meal.
Did I mention it’s super easy? It’s super easy and uses simple, foundational cooking techniques to get rich flavor and delightful chicken thighs, and you can repurpose those methods over and over for kitchen improv flair.
Recipe now? Recipe now.
Creamy Lemon Boursin Chicken & Orzo
Juicy chicken thighs with crispy skin and tender orzo, swaddled in a rich, lemony, creamy Boursin sauce that’s low on effort and huge on flavor.
Ingredients
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tablespoons neutral oil
Salt and black pepper
2 ½ cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
2 lemons (1 zested and juiced, 1 thinly sliced)
5.2 oz Boursin cheese (cut into 4 wedges)
1 ½ cups orzo
¾ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped chives, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Sear the chicken: Season chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place chicken thighs skin-side down and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Flip and cook another 2 minutes, until mostly cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Make the base sauce: Pour in the chicken broth and use a spatula or whisk to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits. Bring to a simmer. Add about ¾ of the Boursin cheese, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Whisk until smooth.
Add orzo and assemble: Stir in the orzo and bring the mixture back to a boil, then remove from heat. Arrange lemon slices over the top and return the chicken thighs to the skillet, placing them gently on top of the orzo.
Bake: Transfer skillet to oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked through (internal temperature should ready 160º, as the internal temp will rise another 5º or so while resting) and orzo is tender.
Make the sauce drizzle: While the chicken bakes, combine ½ cup heavy cream with the remaining Boursin, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Heat over low and whisk until smooth. Thin with a splash or two of broth if needed. Set aside.
Finish and serve: When cooked through, remove pan from oven and transfer the chicken to a plate. Stir the orzo to incorporate any remaining liquid and creamy sauce. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup heavy cream and season to taste. Add more chicken stock, as needed, to reach desired consistency.
If the orzo isn’t fully tender, cover the skillet and cook over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth as needed.
Serve: Spoon the creamy orzo into bowls and top with a chicken thigh. Drizzle with Boursin cream sauce and sprinkle with chives, if using.
Note: The orzo will absorb liquid like crazy, so make sure you’re serving quickly after getting it to the right consistency.
Step-by-Step Photos
