Delicious Greek chicken and orzo made easy in the slow cooker. This one-pot recipe combines tender chicken, a rich tomato sauce, roasted peppers and olives with orzo pasta that soaks up all the flavours. It’s family-friendly, Slimming World–compatible and perfect for a low-effort midweek meal.
This Greek Chicken and Orzo dish is inspired by traditional Mediterranean stews. Use skinless chicken breasts or thighs cooked slowly in a tomato-based sauce with roasted peppers and Kalamata olives. Finish with plenty of feta or grated Parmesan for a satisfying, savory meal.
What is orzo?
Orzo (called kritharaki in Greece) is a small rice-shaped pasta that works brilliantly in salads, soups and one-pot dishes. When cooked in sauce, orzo absorbs flavour and creates a comforting, risotto-like texture. If you prefer, swap orzo for pearl (Israeli) couscous, another small pasta shape, or serve the chicken over rice, cauliflower rice or mashed potatoes.
Slow Cooker Greek Chicken
Full measurements and a printable recipe card appear below. Read the steps and watch the video (if available) before you start.
Heat the olive oil in a pan or, if your slow cooker permits, sear directly in the cooker. Add the finely diced onion and cook over low heat until softened. Stir in garlic, salt, a little brown sugar (or alternative sweetener), ground cinnamon and a crumbled chicken stock cube.
Add tomato paste, bay leaves, canned chopped tomatoes, diced roasted peppers, the chicken pieces and Kalamata olives. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 3 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
Once the chicken is cooked, stir in the orzo and freshly boiled water, then cook for a further 20–30 minutes until the pasta is tender. Remove the pot from the heat as soon as the orzo is cooked to prevent it from becoming mushy.
Discard the bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with chopped oregano or basil and scatter crumbled feta or grated Parmesan on top. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water if needed.
Slimming World Tip
This recipe can be Slimming World–friendly and syn-free if you replace the olive oil with cooking spray and omit or reduce olives, which are higher in syns. Capers make a good lower-syn substitute for that briny flavour.
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Slow Cooker Greek Chicken
Video
Equipment
- Slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil or cooking spray
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp brown sugar or alternative sweetener
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 400 g (14 oz) canned chopped tomatoes
- 250 g (1 cup) fire-roasted peppers, diced
- 8 skinless chicken thighs or 3 large chicken breasts, diced
- 10 Greek Kalamata olives, whole or diced
- 210 g (1 cup) orzo
- 250 ml (1 cup) freshly boiled water
- Feta or grated Parmesan, to serve
- Basil or oregano leaves, to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pan or directly in the slow cooker if it allows searing. Add the chopped onion and cook over low heat until softened.
- Add the garlic, salt, sugar, cinnamon and crumbled stock cube. Stir to combine.
- Mix in the tomato paste, bay leaves, chopped tomatoes, diced peppers, chicken and olives. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- Stir in the orzo and the freshly boiled water, then cook for a further 20–30 minutes until the orzo is tender. Remove the pot from the cooker to stop the pasta from overcooking.
- Discard the bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with basil or oregano and top with crumbled feta or grated Parmesan before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 399 kcal | Carbohydrates: 36 g | Protein: 35 g | Fat: 12 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g
Nutritional information is approximate and will vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.