When you’re craving something fresh, hearty, and comforting all in one bite, this Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta hits the spot. Tender chicken, bright lemon, and silky orzo come together in a one-pan meal that feels both cozy and light. It’s a from-scratch recipe that’s simple enough for a weeknight, but flavorful enough to serve to company.
Why You Will Love This Lemon Chicken and Orzo Recipe
Bright, Fresh Flavor – The fresh lemon adds a vibrant, zesty note that perfectly balances the savory chicken and creamy orzo.
One-Pan Meal – Who doesn’t love fewer dishes, less cleanup, and everything cooking together for maximum flavor. 👋
Weeknight Friendly – Comes together quickly with simple ingredients most of which you probably already have on hand.
Comforting but Light – It’s cozy and satisfying without feeling heavy – perfect for any season.
Family Approved – Kid-friendly flavors and familiar ingredients make this one a hit at the dinner table.
From-Scratch Goodness – No shortcuts or packaged sauces – just real ingredients you can feel good about.
Great for Leftovers – Tastes just as delicious the next day.
Equipment Needed
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Ingredients for Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
Boneless skinless chicken breasts – Adds protein and flavor to the dish. Could substitute with chicken thighs, pre-cooked chicken, turkey, or even pork.
Olive Oil (or vegetable oil) – For frying the chicken cutlets in the pan.
Salt, Cracked Black Pepper, Dried Oregano, and Paprika – seasonings for the chicken.
Chopped Onion and Garlic – aromatics which add flavor to the dish through smell and taste.
Orzo – pasta, provides carbohydrates to help fill and satisfy.
Low Sodium Chicken broth – Adds chicken flavor to the entire dish.
Heavy Cream – provides a creamy silky taste and texture.
Zest From One Lemon – adds lemon flavor.
Juice From One Lemon – adds more lemon flavor.
Italian Seasoning – gives the dish that authentic Italian flavor.
Fresh Spinach – provides color contrast and a healthy vegetable, you can add more or less to your liking.
Shredded Parmesan Cheese – gives a savory umami flavor.
How to Make This Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe
Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally – through the middle, so you end up with two thinner cutlets that are equal in shape and size to the original.
Season both sides of all the chicken cutlets with the salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika.
Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer add the chicken cutlets to the pan and fry for about 6 minutes per side until they are golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent about 5 minutes. If necessary you can add a little bit of the chicken broth to loosen up the bits of chicken and spices that might be stuck to the pan as you don’t want them to burn. Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add in the chicken broth, cream, lemon juice, zest, and Italian seasoning.
Stir in the orzo pasta. Bring back to a simmer then cover and lower heat. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. . Remove the cover, taste and decide if you would like to add more salt or pepper. Stir in the spinach and parmesan cheese. Add the chicken back into the pan, cover and allow it to heat through for about 5 minutes.
If you like, garnish with chopped fresh basil and lemon slices. Serve and enjoy.
Pro Tips Tricks and Substitutions
- You can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken if you like. If you do so, you can begin at step 4 (sauteing the onion) and add the chicken seasonings (salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika) in at step 5. The chicken breast could also be subbed with chicken thighs, turkey, and even pork if that is what you have on hand.
- If you don’t have spinach, you can omit it entirely, or replace with another leafy green like kale. Spinach does not take long to cook, so if you add kale instead you will want to add it a little sooner so that it has time to fully cook.
FAQs
What should I serve with this Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta? This is a pretty full meal all in one, but you could serve this with a side salad like my quinoa salad with arugula, or even my peach burrata salad. When in doubt, with my picky eaters when they were little, I served most meals with veggie sticks and dip like Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing if I needed to squeeze more veggies in.
How should I store leftovers? Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, place a serving on a plate, cover with a paper towel and place in the microwave for about a minute. Check the temperature and reheat a little longer if necessary. You can also reheat in a frypan, but you may need to add a few tablespoons of water or chicken stock just to moisten and loosen it up a bit. Heat on medium heat with some stirring until warm.
What is orzo? Is it pasta or rice? Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta. Even though it looks like rice, it’s made from wheat like other pasta and cooks quickly.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
Equipment
- 1 12" Fry Pan
- 1 Chef's Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Measuring Spoons
- 1 Measuring cup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs Chicken breast boneless and skinless
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil or vegetable oil
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
- ¾ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¾ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 ⅓ cup Chopped onion (1 med onion)
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 cups Low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1¼ cups Orzo
- 2 cups Fresh Spinach
- ⅓ cup Parmesan shredded
Garnish (optional)
- Chopped Fresh Basil
- Sliced Lemons
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally – through the middle, so you end up with two thinner cutlets that are equal in shape and size to the original.
- Season both sides of all the chicken cutlets with the salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika.
- Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer add the chicken cutlets to the pan and fry for about 6 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the chopped onion and saute until soft and translucent about 5 minutes. If necessary you can add a little bit of the chicken broth to loosen up bits of chicken and spices that might be stuck to the pan as you don’t want them to burn. Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add in the chicken broth, cream, lemon juice, zest, and Italian seasoning.
- Stir in the orzo pasta. Bring back to a simmer then cover and lower heat. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. . Remove the cover, taste and decide if you would like to add more salt or pepper. Stir in the spinach and parmesan cheese. Add the chicken back into the pan, cover and allow it to heat through for about 5 minutes.
- If you like, garnish with chopped fresh basil and lemon slices. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- You can use leftover chicken if you like. If you do so, you can begin at step 4 and add the chicken seasonings (salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika) in at step 5. The chicken breast could also be subbed with chicken thighs, turkey, and even pork.
- If you don’t have spinach, you can omit it entirely, or replace with another leafy green like kale. Spinach does not take long to cook, so if you add kale instead you will want to add it a little sooner so that it has time to cook.
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