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This lemon chicken orzo recipe is creamy, comforting, and made in one pot for fewer dishes! It comes together in just 30 minutes for a cozy meal.
Love chicken and lemon? Try my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, or this Lemon Chicken Gnocchi.
Why you’ll love it
This chicken and orzo recipe is similar to a risotto, but it’s much easier to make. There’s no need to gradually stir in the liquid. It’s simply added in all at the same time. Pair with some cooked chicken, spinach, and parmesan, and the result is tender chicken and a dreamy lemon cream sauce!
My Creamy Garlic Spinach Orzo recipe gave me the idea for this chicken spinach orzo. It’s similar in ingredients and technique, but I wanted something that would work as a main course. Using rotisserie chicken makes for a fast and fuss-free dinner all in one pot.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – I like to use sweet (Vidalia) ones
- Italian seasoning – a go-to versatile and fragrant herb blend in a single jar
- Orzo – you’ll find it in the dry pasta aisle
- Chicken broth – for moisture and deeper savory flavor
- Lemon – fresh lemon juice brightens the whole dish and adds a touch of acidity. If you want an even more intense lemon flavor, include the zest of a lemon. Add it along with the lemon juice.
- Heavy cream – it adds a luxurious touch
- Chicken – rotisserie or leftover Cooked Chicken makes this orzo recipe even easier
- Parmesan – for a final cheesy touch. Always grate your own for max flavor and best texture.
- Spinach – we’re using fresh baby spinach
Can I use rice?
Our kitchen hasn’t tested this recipe with rice. Orzo is pasta that happens to be shaped like rice, so I would stick to using it since the liquid ratios and cook time will likely be different. Rice typically takes longer to cook than pasta.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use this lemon zester and lemon saver.
- Here’s the Dutch oven that I like to use.
- A garlic press makes mincing garlic super quick, and I like to store butter in this butter dish because it has markings right on it so measuring is easy.
How to make lemon chicken orzo
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onion in the butter and oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Stirring often, toast the orzo for a couple of minutes. Pour in the broth, cream, and lemon juice. Let it bubble gently, and cook for until the orzo is done, stirring every so often.
Once the liquid is absorbed, stir in the chicken. Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and let it sit for a few more minutes to thicken up more. Season with salt & pepper.
Pro tip
It may seem like there’s a lot of liquid, but the orzo does a good job of absorbing it! If you find by the end of cooking that there’s still too much, just wait a few minutes and the pasta will soak it up. If you find that it’s too dry, simply add another splash or cream and/or chicken broth.
Substitutions and variations
- Don’t like spinach? No problem. Leave it out. You could throw in other chopped and cooked veggies towards the end (like when the chicken is added) if you happen to have some on hand.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for something lower fat (e.g. half-and-half or milk). This recipe is cooked over a fairly high heat, plus the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice means there’s a strong chance of curdling.
- Since this is a one pot meal, the liquid ratios really matter, so I would be careful subbing another variety of pasta. Be prepared to add more liquid if needed.
What to serve with lemon chicken orzo
- Since it’s a hearty meal on its own, all you need is a slice of bread or a dinner roll to round it out. Garlic Bread works too if you’re wanting something more comforting.
- Serve it with a side salad. I like this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad or mixed greens with my Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- You can store leftovers in the fridge for a few days in an airtight container, but definitely be aware that the orzo will soak up the sauce over time.
- When reheating, use a saucepan over a low heat until warmed through. Add a splash of cream or broth if necessary.
- I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers.
Questions about this creamy lemon chicken orzo pasta recipe? Made it? Please leave me a comment below! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Lemon Chicken Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups cooked shredded/rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil, butter, and onion to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and orzo. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often (this infuses the orzo with more flavor and toasts it a little).
- Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often. You will probably need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should gently bubble vs. furiously boil, and you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked. See notes below and blog post for troubleshooting tips.
- Stir in the chicken.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan and spinach, and cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- Serves 4-6 depending on how much people eat.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream. There’s a good chance the sauce will curdle with something lower fat (due to the fairly high heat + citrus).
- If the pasta is soaking up the liquid too fast (like before the orzo is cooked), turn the heat down and/or add a splash more broth or cream. If there’s too much liquid, cover the pot for longer than suggested in the recipe and the orzo will absorb it quickly.
- Orzo is pasta. If you want to make this with rice, you may have to adjust liquid measurements and cooking time (it’s a different recipe that I have not tested).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Delicious!! Thank you!
You’re welcome!!
This was absolutely delicious! Great combination of flavors, and the amount of lemon was just right. Full disclosure, we can’t have gluten so I went ahead and used rice. I found gluten free orzo online, but wasn’t patient enough to wait for it it ship. In case anyone is interested, the rice took longer to cook, and I ended up giving it four cups of broth. It was worth the extra time and patience, this recipe is delicious and very easy! I love a one-pot recipe. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ali! Thanks for the tips with rice… I think that’ll for sure help some readers out! 🙂
made this tonight with a few exceptions and it was really good!! I used chicken breast because that’s what I had on hand. I browned them with some spices like garlic powder, salt, pepper and fresh parsley and removed them from the pan when adding onion and added them back in when adding the chicken broth. I also did not have cream so I used half and half and it did not curdle. I mixed almost a full cup of half and half with some melted butter and also added about a teaspoon of cornstarch just to help thicken it. I added it slowly and it was also at room temperature, so that may have helped. I also added zest from one lemon but next time I will add more! it was creamy and delicious and I will be making it again! I also garnished with fresh parsley and fresh chopped tomato for some added color.
So glad it worked out for you! 🙂
This was absolutely delish! We will definitely be making it again.
Fantastic!! Thanks for letting me know, Trish!
Hi Hi Natasha! I absolutely LOVE this fresh recipe! 😀 I made it lastnight for the first time for me and the boyfriend and his dad they actually liked it! I don’t prefer onions so I went with onion powder instead! I couldn’t taste the creaminess but it’s possible I made it a dash to greasy so I wasn’t sure what I did! But thank you for this recipe I’ll be making it more often! 😄😄
I’m so glad you liked it!! Hmm… did you use heavy cream? I wonder if it separated. Maybe try a slightly lower heat next time? In any case, I’m glad it tasted good. 🙂
Could you please provide weight measurements for the chicken? I have to track my calories and protein, and weight is much more accurate for that than cups. Thank you
Also, I want to use cauliflower rice instead of orzo to avoid excess carbs. How should I adjust the liquids to account for this change? Thank you.
Cauliflower rice is literally shredded cauliflower. It will not work in this dish in the same way at all. Orzo is pasta, soaks up the liquid, and releases starch. It’s a totally different recipe so I can’t speculate.
Hi Ana, I don’t use weight measurements for this recipe, but you can measure out anything from around 400-500g.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes, but it’ll probably disintegrate more than fresh would. I’d definitely not let it cook for too long. And be sure to thaw and squeeze the water out really well.
This was delicious. It was really easy to make & and a huge bonus that it only required I pot. I used coconut cream instead of heavy cream because my little one can’t have dairy, and it still turned out great.
I’m so glad it worked out and that you enjoyed it! 😀
I’m in U.K. – never used orzo pasta – can you get it here and if so , in a supermarket ? If not, what can I sue to substitute ?
Hi Sarah! I’m Canadian… I just did a quick Google search “orzo pasta in the UK” and it’s telling me that Tesco sells it, and links to Amazon are also showing up, so I imagine you’ll be able to find it. You may be able to use a different pasta… I’d try something smaller like ditalini or macaroni, but liquid quantities may need to be adjusted since every pasta absorbs it at different rates. I’d just watch it closely and make sure it doesn’t go too dry.
Orzo is also in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose x
Fabulous and easy! I made shredded chicken in the instant pot and threw this together. Will definitely make again!
Awesome!!