One Pot Lemon Chicken and Orzo
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Golden brown, juicy chicken with the creamiest lemony orzo + sneaked in greens, all made in ONE SINGLE POT!
Featured Comment
Hello, lemony creamy velvety lush goodness. This is certainly my kind of speedy weeknight meal with oh-so-juicy, tender chicken thighs (breasts can absolutely be substituted), sneaked in leafy greens along with the creamiest, dreamiest of orzos. Yes, please!
reasons to make one pot lemon chicken and orzo
- One pot goodness. Everything truly comes together in a single pot in this no-fuss meal, even the uncooked pasta. This means less dishes, less clean up. Seems like a magic trick, no?
- Family-friendly meal. This dish is truly family-friendly, a hit with grown ups, teens, kids and picky eaters, not to mention the most perfect opportunity to sneak in extra leafy greens.
- Flexible and forgiving. Chicken and orzo is a great recipe to swap in your favorite chicken (breasts, thighs, tenderloins) and any other vegetable that needs to be used up like carrots, green beans and broccoli.
what is orzo
Orzo is a short-cut type pasta, similar in shape to a long grain of rice. Orzo can be added to one pot dishes, helping to thicken the dish naturally by releasing starch as it cooks in the broth, yielding a richer, more velvety smooth consistency.
tips and tricks for success
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for even heat distribution and a better sear.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage or basil) are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your dish. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
what to serve with one pot lemon chicken and orzo
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
One Pot Lemon Chicken and Orzo: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options to swap out the kale.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
The lemon juice helps balance out the flavors and richness of the dish.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
One Pot Lemon Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Equipment
Instructions
- Season chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the Dutch oven in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side; set aside.
- Add shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, thyme and rosemary until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock and Dijon, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in orzo; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 6 minutes.
- Stir in kale, Parmesan, heavy cream, lemon juice and lemon zest until the kale has wilted, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to the Dutch oven.
- Serve immediately.
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This was an absolute amazing one pot dish! I added spinach instead of kale and added a few mushrooms! Thank you for sharing!
Can something be subbed for the orzo to make it gluten free?
SO delicious! It took a bit longer to get the liquid to reduce than what’s in the recipe, but it turned out restaurant quality! Love the lemon flavor – it did not overpower the dish!
Hello, I want to make this dish to serve to my family on Christmas Eve. I have to cook it at home and transport it to my sister’s house. If I need to reheat it, can you give me some suggestions as how to best reheat for serving? For example, should I bring extra chicken stock, heavy cream and cheese to add for the reheat? Thanks!
Made this last night and it was a hit, my guys liked it and I have a picky teen. I also found it too thick and will skip the flour next time and maybe a bit more broth
Delicious! Fun & easy to make too. So hard to not eat it all in one sitting lol
Really delicious, we enjoyed thoroughly!
This recipe came together quickly and was absolutely delicious and got two thumbs up from my family. I’ll definitely make this again. AND, only one pot to clean!
New favorite dish! Followed almost exactly but substituted peas for kale since I didn’t have any. Came out really good!
We really enjoyed this. My 13 year old likes it but didn’t like the kale in it. I somehow forgot the lemon at the end. I also think I added too much flour as it was really thick. The pasta was burning to the bottom of the pan even with stove on lowest temp. So little issues for me but will try again. May substitute broccoli for kale.
Can you use a regular pot if you don’t have a dutch oven?
Made this today & it was wonderful. Followed recipe except I used 1 can of diced tomatoes with chilies for a little heat. Everyone enjoyed it & will be making again. Thanx for sharing.
Wow ! This is my first time posting a review on this site but this is shockingly and absolutely delicious. I felt like a chef making this !
This is the best dish i have ever eaten
Followed recipe exactly…..wonderful dish!!!
So delicious!! I subbed coconut milk for the heavy cream to keep it dairy free. It’s comfort food at its finest!
Omg. This was so good! Followed recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. Except spinach instead of kale.
Made this last week & it’s definitely going into our regular ration. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs & used spinach instead of kale. The whole family just loved it.
We had this for dinner 3 days ago and I can’t stop thinking about it. So incredibly flavorful and delicious. Can’t wait to make again!
This was great! I didn’t have shallots or rosemary on hand so I sub’d yellow onion and basil. Skipped the kale because I was making kale salad. Will definitely make again.