Hummus Baked Chicken with Feta and Vegetable Orzo is a flavorful, satisfying home-cooked meal that’s simple to prepare and perfect for busy weeknights.
This recipe delivers a complete dinner with minimal effort—creamy smashed chickpeas become a hummus-style coating for chicken while orzo and vegetables bake together to create a bright, textured bed for the meat.
Here’s how to make it:
The recipe begins by gently smashing cooked chickpeas by hand until they reach a mashed-potato-like consistency. Combine the smashed chickpeas with the juice of half a lemon, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper to form a coarse hummus to coat the chicken.
In a baking dish, stir together cooked orzo, the juice from the remaining half of the lemon, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, diced red bell pepper, and diced zucchini. Season the orzo mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Rub the chicken breasts on both sides with the chickpea mixture, arrange them over the orzo and vegetables, and spoon any remaining hummus over the top. Bake until the chicken reaches 165°F and is cooked through.
The result is an easy, complete meal for two with bright lemon notes, tender vegetables, and a creamy hummus topping finished with crumbled feta.
For variation, you can swap the plain chickpea mixture for a flavored hummus—try pumpkin curry hummus or roasted garlic beet hummus—to change the profile and add interesting color and aroma.
Hummus Baked Chicken with Feta and Vegetable Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 cups orzo cooked
- 1/2 cup red bell peppers diced
- 1 1/2 cup zucchini diced
- 12 ounces chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons feta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
-
Use your hands to gently smash the chickpeas in a bag or bowl until soft (about mashed potato consistency). Transfer to a medium bowl.
-
Cut the lemon in half. Add the juice of one half to the smashed chickpeas along with the minced garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
-
In a baking dish, combine cooked orzo, juice from the remaining lemon half, 1 tablespoon olive oil, diced red peppers, and diced zucchini. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
-
Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with the chickpea mixture and place on top of the orzo mixture. Spoon any remaining hummus over the chicken.
-
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
-
Remove the chicken to plates, stir the orzo (add another tablespoon of olive oil if it seems dry), divide the orzo between plates, and sprinkle with feta before serving.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 146g,
Protein: 69g,
Fat: 36g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave me a comment below