If you're looking for a quick and easy meal that the whole family will enjoy, you need to make this easy Lemon Chicken Orzo at least once. It's creamy, full of chicken, pasta, and bright lemon flavor that keeps the recipe from feeling too heavy. It doesn't take hours to make, but it looks restaurant-quality!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Main Course
- ⏱️ Time Needed: 15 minutes prep + 25 minutes cooking
- 🍴 Servings: 4
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Bright, creamy, and savory with tender chicken, fresh lemon, parmesan richness, and a gentle pop of garlic and herbs.
- 🍚 Best Served With: Green salad, roasted asparagus or broccoli, and warm garlic bread.
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months
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This lemon orzo recipe is also comforting. The orzo cooks in the broth, infusing it with even more flavor so each bite has plenty of depth. From the sharp cheese, the squeeze of lemon, and fresh spinach, you can create so many pleasing textures and flavors. To top it off, I make mine with juicy chicken breast to make it a complete meal in a single pan.
If you're looking for more easy one-pot meals, you should try this turkey chili and biscuits, and my creamy chicken stew.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's made entirely in one pot: This lemon garlic orzo is in just one pan! You'll sear the chicken and cook the pasta in the same pan for convenience and easy clean up.
- The sauce is well-rounded: You get tart flavor from the lemon, umami from the cheese, and the heavy cream makes it nice and rich! This all comes together to make a flavorful, balanced sauce.
- It's great for meal prep: Lemony orzo reheats really well, too. Make it ahead, divide it into portions, and you have a comforting pasta dish to enjoy throughout the week.
Ingredients
Here are the most important components of this lemon chicken and orzo pasta recipe. They come together to create a delicious and filling dinner.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless chicken breasts are my go-to for this lemon orzo. They're easy to cut into strips and take on flavor really well.
- Orzo: This is a type of short pasta that looks similar to rice. Since it's smaller, it absorbs flavor better than most pasta, making it ideal for one-pot recipes.
- Lemon: I use the zest and juice from a lemon. It gets added in layers to help build depth. The zest is mainly an aromatic that smells amazing as it cooks.
- Broth: I like to use low-sodium chicken broth in this recipe, as regular can make the dish too salty, especially since the orzo cooks in the broth. If you want to make it yourself, try this rotisserie chicken broth.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach works best in this orzo recipe because you can just add it at the end, and it only needs a few minutes to wilt. You can use frozen spinach, but it must be thawed and drained first.
- Parmesan cheese: I love the nutty, sharp flavor of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and it works as the perfect finisher for this dish. If you only have grated shaker cheese, that will work in a pinch. However, you will notice a difference in flavor!
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Herb-forward: Add some more freshly chopped herbs besides parsley, like basil and chives, to give this lemon orzo a lift and add color.
- Side dish: Omit the chicken to easily turn this into a tasty side dish.
- Use shrimp: Swap the chicken breasts for 1 ½ pounds of raw, peeled, and deveined shrimp for a fun seafood twist.
- Vegetarian: Swap the chicken for white beans or chickpeas and use vegetable broth instead of the chicken.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo
Below are the steps needed to cook your lemony orzo. Ensure that you have your ingredients chopped, measured, and ready to go before you get started.
Step 1: Sear the chicken. Heat your skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once hot, add the chicken strips and cook until brown on both sides. Remove from the skillet and set them aside.
Step 2: Add the orzo. Sauté the onion and garlic until fragrant before adding the orzo. Allow it to toast for a minute or so.
Step 3: Simmer: Add the broth, lemon, and cooked chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer the orzo for about 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 4: Finish with the remaining ingredients. Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan, and then the spinach. Allow it to rest and thicken for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy this grape salad recipe on the side.
Expert Tips
- Stir the orzo often: Orzo pasta has the tendency to stick to the bottom of the pan. To prevent this, ensure that you stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom gently.
- Simmer uncovered if needed: If you notice that there's a lot of liquid in the pan, simmer it uncovered 10 minutes or so to help evaporate the excess liquid and thicken the lemon orzo.
- Storing the leftovers: Transfer any leftover, cooled orzo to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating the orzo: Reheat single portions in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and larger portions in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes. Both reheating methods require a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce.
Try this recipe for risotto pasta and serve with crispy garlic bread and air fryer dinner rolls.
Serving Suggestions
- Prepare a refreshing side like this cold asparagus salad.
- Another tasty vegetable side dish that pairs well is sauteed zucchini and onions.
- One of my favorite Mediterranean pairings is homemade tzatziki sauce with air-fried flatbread. Enjoy these with leftovers of your lemon orzo.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe FAQs
Lemon chicken orzo usually becomes mushy when the orzo absorbs too much liquid or cooks for too long. Orzo is a small pasta that softens quickly, so extra broth or extended cooking time can easily push it past tender into mushy.
To prevent this, measure the liquid carefully and simmer the orzo only until it's just tender. Keep an eye on it toward the end of cooking since it finishes quickly, and remove it from the heat as soon as the pasta is done.
The best tip for this is slightly undercooking the orzo. Allow it to cook until it's al dente, and then let it sit because it will continue to cook as it sits. This keeps the pasta from becoming too dry and keeps the leftovers from drying out, too.
Yes, you can freeze lemon chicken orzo, but the texture of the orzo will soften a bit after thawing because pasta continues to absorb liquid over time. To freeze it, let the dish cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. When reheating, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and warm it gently on the stove with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce and bring back the creamy texture.
Yes! They take a little longer to cook, but provide a richer flavor than chicken breasts. Ensure that they are boneless and skinless so they're easier to work with.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts about 2 breasts, cut into thin strips
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional for heat
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper or to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat a large (12") skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and butter. Cook until the butter melts and begins to foam. Add the chicken strips, in batches to avoid overcrowding, and cook until lightly golden on both sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook just until fragrant.
- Stir in the orzo and let it toast for about a minute. Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the parmesan and heavy cream. Fold in the spinach and let it wilt gently into the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finish with fresh parsley. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes to thicken up.
- Serve with green salad, roasted asparagus or broccoli, and garlic bread.
Video
Notes
- Avoid adding extra liquid or overcooking the orzo because it can easily become very mushy.
- If you notice that your lemon orzo contains too much liquid, allow it to simmer uncovered to help evaporate some of the excess liquid.
- Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in this lemon orzo recipe.
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