Creamy one pan lemon chicken orzo! This scrumptious recipe is bright and fresh, one of my favorites for spring. It's designed with easy weeknight cooking in mind: minimal ingredients and one skillet for lighter cleanup.
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The weather is warming up and I've been craving recipes with bright, fresh flavors. This one really hits the mark. It's delicious, really simple and fool-proof.
Leftovers reheat surprisingly well and make for a great lunch or dinner the following night.
You can whip up this skillet dinner in 30 minutes or less and cleanup is light. The perfect meal for a busy weeknight along with some roasted asparagus, broccoli, air fryer sweet potato cubes or garden salad!
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This Recipe = Weeknight Wonder
Simple: Straightforward and SO delicious. It uses minimal ingredients and only one pan for lighter cleanup.
Quick: Whip it up in 30 minutes!
Leftovers: This recipe makes quite a bit, and leftovers reheat surprisingly well. We usually get two meals from this recipe.
Your Grocery List:
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Orzo: I buy the Delallo brand because it's egg free which allows me to accommodate my toddler's food allergies.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin.
- Butter: I like to toast my orzo in butter (I use plant butter since my 2-year-old can't have dairy). You can also use extra olive oil!
- Seasonings: Salt, garlic powder, pepper and oregano.
- Chicken broth: Cooking liquid for our orzo pasta.
- Lemon: Adds the best, bright flavor! I recommend fresh lemon rather than bottled.
- Canned coconut milk: Canned (not boxed)! Boxed isn't as creamy. You can also use heavy cream if you don't need your orzo to be dairy free.
- Optional toppings: Fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan.
How To Make Lemon Chicken Orzo
Keep scrolling for the full recipe card and measurements. We’ll start here with a quick overview!
Cube & brown chicken:
- Cut chicken into 1-inch, bite sized cubes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Sauté chicken pieces over medium-high heat until golden. Avoid overcrowding the pan, which can create a steaming effect and prevent proper browning. I usually cook my chicken in two smaller batches!
- Set aside.
Toast orzo:
- Add orzo and butter to the pan. Stir until the butter is fully melted and orzo is lightly toasted and golden.
Simmer orzo:
- Add chicken stock and oregano. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 13-15 minutes. Stir often to prevent sticking.
- Stir lemon zest, lemon juice, coconut milk and cooked chicken into orzo.
Serve and enjoy:
- Garnish with basil and parmesan if desired.
Stacey's Top Tip 🍋
People have varying sensitivity to lemon flavor so I recommend starting really light with the zest and juice! Then, do a taste test and add more if necessary.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate: Place leftover chicken orzo in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator 3-4 days.
How to reheat: This recipe reheats really well with a splash of coconut milk to freshen things up. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop until warmed through completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would work great in this orzo.
You may need a bit more liquid! You can add more coconut milk at the end if you want it saucier.
Lemon is strong! So start slow and add more at the end if you prefer lots of citrus flavor.
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One Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet *Mine is 12 inches, 3.5 quarts capacity.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (2 medium) boneless, skinless chicken breast *cubed
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter *Use more olive oil or plant-butter for dairy free.
- 16 ounce package orzo pasta *see note below
- 3 & ½ cups (two 15oz cans) chicken broth *see note below
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ small lemon *juiced
- ½ cup canned coconut milk or cream *Or heavy cream if you don't need dairy-free. *See note below
Optional garnish
- Fresh or dried basil
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Lemon slices or wedges
Recipe notes:
Butter: My toddler has a dairy allergy so when I make this for our family, I substitute plant-butter or use extra olive oil. Broth/Orzo: I've made this recipe with a few different brands of orzo and I've found that some (generally smaller orzo pastas) require a little more liquid. Add an extra splash of water, broth or cream if necessary. Coconut milk/cream: Use canned (not boxed). Boxed isn't nearly as creamy! Find cans in the baking isle or Asian foods section at the grocery store.Instructions
- Cube chicken breast. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well to coat.1 pound (2 medium) boneless, skinless chicken breast, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Place a large skillet on the stovetop over medium high heat. Add olive oil.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sauté chicken pieces until golden. Work in batches if necessary, we want to avoid overcrowding the pan which can prevent proper browning. I usually split mine into two batches!
- Place chicken on a small plate to the side.
- Add orzo and butter to the skillet. Stir until butter is fully melted and orzo is lightly toasted (5 minutes).2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 16 ounce package orzo pasta
- Add oregano and chicken broth. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low and simmer 12-15 minutes, uncovered. Stir often to prevent orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan.3 & ½ cups (two 15oz cans) chicken broth, ½ teaspoon oregano
- Once orzo is fully cooked and liquid reduces/thickens, stir in lemon zest & juice and coconut cream. Lemon is strong so start with just a little bit and add more if necessary.¼ teaspoon lemon zest, ½ small lemon *juiced, ½ cup canned coconut milk or cream
- Garnish with fresh basil, lemon wedges and grated parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
- If you like this recipe, try my taco orzo skillet next!
Nutrition
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