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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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Thoughts on substituting coconut milk for heavy cream? My son has a dairy allergy so this is typically what I do and it has worked for other recipes. I saw your comment about not substituting, but curious your thoughts about trying coconut milk?? Thanks!!
Hi Jessi! The S&L kitchen hasn’t tried subbing for coconut milk for this recipe, but if you’re familiar with doing it for other recipes, you’re definitely welcome to try. The flavor and texture could change, of course. Let us know how it goes!
I made this for dinner tonight & It didn’t disappoint. Directions were clear and easy to follow. It was creamy and lemony. I added the lemon zest to give it an extra lemony boost. I recommend highly!
Thanks so much, A. H.! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this awesome recipe! I love cooking this when we have company – it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! I’ve found that when doubling this recipe, using double the chicken broth and cream ends up being just too much liquid. So for those ingredients I use x1.75 instead of x2, and it turns out perfectly. I also use a little more lemon juice and garlic than the recipe calls for.
That’s wonderful to hear, Brook! Thanks for your review and tip!
A tasty, easy recipe. I like big flavors so after I dished up my 9 year old, I added fresh thyme and red pepper flakes to mine. I enjoyed that addition and will make this again for a family friendly meal. Thank you!
Very good and very easy to make!!
Awesome!! Thanks so much, Karen! 🙂
Thank you! Recipe was easy to follow – easy to make – didn’t change a thing – and the flavor was amazing. I always follow a recipe as written the first time and then tweak to our tastes if I make it again. This recipe is perfect as it it – no tweaks needed for us.
Since start of pandemic – when boneless chicken breast were hard to fine and/or crazy expensive – I’ve been buying whole 5-6lb. chickens at Walmart. I put them in a pot with carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf, S&P and simmer for an hour – then pull it all apart. That way I have shredded chicken and homemade broth in the freezer when I need it. Plus, I have control of the amount of salt. Hardest part of making this recipe – it took me 3 weeks and checking multiple grocery stores before someone had orzo.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 I have heard that sometimes it can be hard to get orzo… first there was a bucatini shortage, and now this. In any case, I’m so glad you found it and decided to give this recipe a try, Mimi!
This was sooooo good! I added toasted pine nuts which was a delicious addition. Had to make it two nights in a row+
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for letting me know!
This was so easy and delicious! I substituted spinach for kale. We love things lemony so I used more lemon juice too. It was great!
So glad you enjoyed it, Alma! Thanks for your review. 🙂
This dish is so easy to put together and it’s extremely delicious! Packed with so much flavor and it really is comfort in a bowl!
Thanks so much for your kind review, Rosie! So pleased you enjoyed it! 🙂
Subbed and made it with soy milk and margarine instead since it’s all I had in my fridge this Saturday night! Came out fantastic! You do not need to use heavy cream.
Glad you enjoyed it, Cooper!