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One Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta

A light but hearty meal that's comforting, filling and great for spring.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: one pot
Servings: 6
Author: Ashlen Leonard

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken breast boneless, skinless, chopped
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 3 cups dry orzo
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for topping
  • ½ cup white onion diced
  • 4-6 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 ½ tsp dried basil
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Zest of ½ lemon

Instructions

  • Place the olive oil in a large deep pot (that has a lid) over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to this and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they become fragrant.
  • Add the chopped chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip and cook the other side of the chicken for another 4-5 minutes or until each side is slightly browned on the outside. To help speed up the process, you can place the lid on top and allow the chicken to steam for a 3-4 minutes on each side. The chicken doesn’t have to be fully cooked through, since it will continue cooking along with the orzo.
  • Pour in the dry orzo and stir well.
  • Add the chicken broth or stock. Stir well and make sure the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot with the lid, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes (stirring every 5 minutes to make sure the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom) or until the orzo has soaked up the liquid and the chicken has cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (73.9°C).
  • Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, freshly grated parmesan, fresh spinach, basil, salt and pepper. Stir and cook on low for another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted.
  • Serve immediately with a sprinkle of extra parmesan and fresh basil or parsley. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Notes

Substitutions & toppings

  • Chicken thighs
    • Instead of using 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, you can use 8 medium-sized chicken thighs (also boneless and skinless). The cooking time will be roughly the same, just make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (73.9°C).
  • Rice
    • If you prefer to use rice instead of orzo, this will work well. Keep an eye on the dish during the cooking process but the timing should be quite similar.
  • Vegetable broth/stock or beef broth/stock
    • Feel free to use either vegetable or beef broth or stock instead of chicken broth, if you prefer.
  • Butter or avocado oil
    • Either of these ingredients can be used in place of olive oil.
  • Extra parmesan cheese or feta cheese
    • Adding an extra sprinkle of parmesan or feta cheese to this dish right before serving takes it to the next level.
  • Fresh herbs
    • Fresh herbs like basil and parsley are additions that light up our senses. They bring colour to the dish as well as texture, taste and a delicious aroma. I highly recommend adding some fresh basil or parsley to your bowl before you dive in.
  • Lemon juice
    • Adding an extra squirt of lemon juice on top of this chicken orzo recipe is a great way to enhance the flavours and brighten up the dish even more!