Lemon Chicken Orzo
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This creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo is simple, comforting and full of fresh flavour. You need just one pot and 30 minutes to make this restaurant-quality meal at home. A delicious weeknight dinner for your family, and impressive enough for guests!
If you have an electric pressure cooker, you might also like my Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto!
Why you’ll love this recipe
This Lemon Chicken Orzo recipe is ideal when you want a meal that feels fancy, but is easy to pull together. We think you’ll love it as much as we do because it’s
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this one-pot lemon chicken orzo. See the recipe card below for full details!
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – at least 8 ounces each. To save even more time, you could use a rotisserie chicken instead and add bite-size pieces to the cooked orzo just before serving. You can also use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer their texture.
- Cooking oil – we used avocado oil for its high smoke point, but you can use any neutral-tasting oil like olive oil or grapeseed oil.
- Unsalted butter – you can sub salted butter, but reduce the added salt slightly.
- Garlic – to deepen the savoury flavour. You can also add finely diced onion if you don’t mind the extra prep!
- Uncooked orzo – a must for this dish!
- Chicken broth – you can sub vegetable broth or even water in a pinch. Note if you use water, you may want to increase the added seasoning to compensate for the loss of flavour.
- Seasonings – dried basil (can sub Italian seasoning), paprika and salt.
- Heavy cream – using a cream with high fat content prevents the sauce from curdling when combined with the acid from the lemon juice. I don’t recommend subbing a low fat option. See the note in the recipe card below if you’d like to omit the cream for a more calorie-conscious option.
- Lemon – zest and freshly squeezed juice of one lemon. The recipe as written is for people that love lemon. You can reduce the lemon juice to 1-2 tablespoons and/or leave out the zest if you prefer a more subtle flavour.
- Baby spinach – for colour and nutrition.
- Freshly grated parmesan – melts beautifully into the sauce, thickening it slightly and adding a bit of sharp flavour.
How to make it
First, slice the chicken horizontally into thin cutlets and season both sides of each piece with salt. Cook in oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and set aside on a clean plate or cutting board.
Next, turn the heat down to medium and melt the butter. Sauté the minced garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the orzo and toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour in the broth, then add the dried basil and paprika. Bring to a strong simmer, then cover and turn the heat down to low. Continue to simmer covered for 10-15 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.
Uncover, then pour in the heavy cream and add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir until well combined and let it continue to simmer and thicken up for about 2 minutes. Add the baby spinach and parmesan, folding it in until well distributed and the spinach is wilted. Taste and add salt, if needed.
Last, slice the cooked chicken and nestle it into the orzo, allowing it to warm up before serving.
Tips for Success
What to serve with lemon chicken orzo
Lighter sides pair well with the rich creaminess of this dish. Some ideas are:
- A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette.
- Garlic bread or focaccia for soaking up the delicious creamy sauce.
- Roasted vegetables like asparagus, zucchini or green beans.
More chicken pasta recipes
- Chicken Pasta Bake
- Baked Feta Chicken Pasta
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta
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Lemon Chicken Orzo
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other neutral cooking oil)
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ teaspoons salt, divided (plus more to taste before serving)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2¼ cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (can sub Italian seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup heavy cream (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (see note 3)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (see note 4)
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 handfuls baby spinach
- Optional garnishes: additional parmesan, lemon slices, fresh basil, ground black pepper, or chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create thin cutlets. Use 1 teaspoon of salt to season both sides of each piece.
- Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a clean plate or cutting board.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the orzo and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted.
- Pour in the chicken broth, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, dried basil and paprika, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a strong simmer, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the orzo is tender and most but not all of the liquid is absorbed. Add a splash more broth if you find it's getting too dry.
- Uncover, then stir in the heavy cream, lemon zest and lemon juice. Simmer for about 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese and baby spinach, stirring until the cheese melts and the spinach wilts. Taste and add salt, if needed.
- Return the chicken to the skillet (slicing first, if desired), nestling it into the orzo. Let it warm through before removing from the heat and serve immediately with your chosen garnishes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Notes
- Butter: you can sub salted butter, but reduce the added salt slightly.
- If you want to omit the cream: you can make this dish without the cream as a lower calorie option. If you leave it out, also reduce the lemon juice to just a tablespoon and the lemon zest to 1-2 teaspoons, so that the lemon flavour won’t overpower the dish.
- Lemon zest: finely zest only the outermost layer of the lemon. Too much of the pith (the white part) can impart a bitter flavour. You can also omit the zest if you want a more subtle lemon flavour.
- Lemon juice: you can reduce to just 1-2 tablespoons if you want the lemon flavour to be more subtle.
- Chicken: to save time, you can skip cooking the chicken and add sliced rotisserie chicken to the orzo in the last step.
- Reheating: warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of broth as needed to reconstitute the creamy texture. You can also reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through, but you may find it less creamy this way.
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Hey, I’m Laura!
Creator of The Recipe Well
If you’re looking for easy meals and Instant Pot recipes, you’re in the right place! I use my nutrition degree to create simple, approachable recipes that will help you find your happy place in the kitchen.
