One Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo

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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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: One Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo, One-Pan Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 524kcal

Author: Stacey Adams

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!

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