Greek Chicken Feta Pasta Skillet (Printable Version)

A vibrant one-skillet pasta with Greek lemon chicken, creamy yogurt sauce, feta, and fresh spinach.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken & Marinade

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
06 - ½ teaspoon salt
07 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Pasta & Sauce

08 - 10 oz short pasta such as penne or fusilli
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
10 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
11 - 3.5 oz baby spinach
12 - 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
13 - ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
14 - ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water
15 - ½ teaspoon dried dill, optional
16 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

17 - Lemon wedges
18 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with olive oil, lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour for enhanced flavor development.
02 - Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta through a colander.
03 - While the pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add chopped red onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and translucent.
05 - Add baby spinach to the skillet and cook until just wilted, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low.
07 - Stir in cooked pasta, crumbled feta, Greek yogurt, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Toss until the sauce becomes creamy and coats the pasta evenly. Add additional pasta water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
08 - Season with black pepper and dill if using. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges and fresh chopped parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying your meal.
  • The lemon-yogurt sauce is naturally creamy without being heavy, so you feel good eating it on a regular Tuesday.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, perfect for those nights when hunger hits faster than ambition.
02 -
  • Don't use full-fat Greek yogurt straight from the fridge and dump it into high heat—it can split and get grainy, so I now temper it by stirring a bit of the warm pasta water into the yogurt first, then adding that mixture to the pan.
  • Pasta water is magic here; it's not just water but a starchy binder that makes the yogurt behave like actual sauce instead of just clinging in weird globs to the pasta.
03 -
  • Cook your pasta about a minute under al dente because it finishes in the skillet—this prevents the mushy pasta that turns into regret.
  • Don't skip tempering the yogurt with a little pasta water before stirring it into the pan; it prevents the curdled texture that can happen when cold yogurt hits hot liquid too fast.
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