This lemon chicken orzo recipe is creamy, comforting, made in one pot (for fewer dishes!), and comes together in about 30 minutes.
My Creamy Garlic Spinach Orzo recipe gave me the idea for this one. It's similar in ingredients and technique, but I wanted something that would work as a main course. We use rotisserie chicken (or any cooked chicken if you happen to have some that needs to be used up) for a fast and fuss-free dinner. Fresh lemon juice brightens the whole dish.
Love chicken and orzo? Try my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup or this Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken.
This chicken and orzo recipe is similar to a risotto, but it's a bit easier to make. Instead of stirring in the liquid gradually, it's added all at the same time. You simply stir it fairly often until the pasta absorbs the liquid (this also prevents the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot). The cooked chicken, spinach, and parmesan cheese are added in towards the end. The result? Tender chicken and a dreamy lemon cream sauce.
Recipe notes & tips:
- 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.
- 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.
- Don't like spinach? No problem. Leave it out.
- If you want an even more intense lemon flavor, include the zest of a lemon (add it along with the lemon juice). I use this lemon zester.
- 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).
- 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.
Can I use rice?
I haven't tested this recipe with rice. Orzo is pasta (that's shaped like rice), so I would stick to using it since the liquid ratios and cook time will likely be different (rice typically takes a bit longer to cook than pasta).
More creamy chicken recipes to try:
- Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Gnocchi
- Creamy Chicken Lasagna Soup
- Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Creamy Chicken Florentine
Questions about this creamy lemon chicken orzo pasta recipe? Made it? Leave me a comment below!
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 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).
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Fluffy says
WAY too much liquid. It's a stew.
Natasha says
I think the photos do a good job of illustrating what it should look like, and there's info throughout the blog post explaining how the orzo absorbs the liquid and troubleshooting tips if there's too much left (sounds like maybe that's what happened to you?).
Betsy says
This was such an easy recipe that tasted like it was much more difficult to make!!! Creamy and delicious 🤤
Will definitely make it again!!!😍
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it. Thanks, Betsy!
Jennifer White says
Wow! This was a fantastic and easy one pot meal. Wonderful flavor- followed the recipe but added lemon zest before serving. Husband loved it, too. Will definitely make again.
Natasha says
Excellent!! So happy you enjoyed it. 🙂
Debra says
Loved this dish. I *assumed* I had lemon juice on hand but it didn’t and substituted lime juice. Still delicious. This one is getting added to the dinner rotation.
Natasha says
That's great that you enjoyed it!! I'm glad you had lime on hand! 🙂
Laura says
Hi Natasha,
I just finished making this dish. I'm hoping there will be enough left over for dinner. Can't stop myself from eating it. It is awesome, I'm adding it to my weeknight meals. Thank you for sharing!
Laura
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! 🙂 You're very welcome!
Jstange says
Delicious!! Thank you!
Natasha says
You're welcome!!
Ali says
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!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Ali! Thanks for the tips with rice... I think that'll for sure help some readers out! 🙂
Briana says
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.
Natasha says
So glad it worked out for you! 🙂
Trish says
This was absolutely delish! We will definitely be making it again.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for letting me know, Trish!
Mersedes Alamillo says
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! 😄😄
Natasha says
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. 🙂
Ana says
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
Ana says
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.
Natasha says
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.
Natasha says
Hi Ana, I don't use weight measurements for this recipe, but you can measure out anything from around 400-500g.
Taylor says
Can I use frozen spinach?
Natasha says
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.
Brandi says
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.
Natasha says
I'm so glad it worked out and that you enjoyed it! 😀
Sarah B says
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 ?
Natasha says
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.
Jill Carley says
Orzo is also in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose x
Katherine says
Fabulous and easy! I made shredded chicken in the instant pot and threw this together. Will definitely make again!
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Nancy Akins says
This was delicious , made it exactly as the recipe states except I cooked some chicken instead of rotisserie chicken. The lemon was not overwhelming but added a nice note to the rich cream. Will be making again and again. This was quick too.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Rose says
I made this today and I've never even had orzo before but I always trust your recipes! It was so easy to make and now it's one of my favorite dishes. It was so creamy and delicious!!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you decided to try it, Rose! 😀 Thanks so much for your sweet review.
Kari says
I just recently discovered your page on Instagram and I’m so glad I did! I tried this recipe tonight for the first time and it was absolutely delicious! My husband says it’s a new favorite of his. Will definitely add this to our dinner rotation. Thanks for the recipe!
Natasha says
So glad you found me! 😀 You're very welcome.
Brigid says
I saw this recipe several days ago on your IG account and knew immediately it was something that my family would enjoy. What a treat on a snowy night! It was easy, comforting and super tasty! I wept.
Natasha says
Fantastic!!! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to review it.
Sarah says
Overall a good recipe, though I wish the flavors were a bit more bold (more spices?) The prep took longer than 10 min.
Natasha says
Hi Sarah! Thank you. Yes, it's really hard to gauge prep time since everyone works at a different speed, unfortunately. I try to always tack on longer than it takes me to prep since I am faster than most lol. I'm glad you liked it overall. 🙂 You could definitely play with adding more lemon/spices/salt/etc. to tweak it more to your preferences if you make it again.
Robyn says
I really enjoyed this dish. It was so easy to make & such a treat on a Tuesday night after working late. I only had ¼ cup of cream so mixed it with ½ & ½ and carefully incorporated into the pan of other simmering ingredients. Luckily no curdling! Delicious! Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Nicole Roth says
I haven’t tried this yet but wondering if even substituting the cream with coconut cream could cause curdling? I’ll be trying your original recipe regardless but also looking for yummy recipes for my sister who is dairy free.
Natasha says
Hi! I think that could work for this recipe. I don't think it would curdle, but it would alter the flavor a bit, but I think it would still be tasty.
Chrystal Blackburn says
Um...how do I express this? This is the bomb dot com! So delicious and totally going to make this again. I love me some Salt & Lavender. I didn't stray from this recipe at all...followed it to the T.
Natasha says
Aww thank you!!! 🙂
Mary Strasser says
Loved this recipe as did my husband who "hates" Orzo! Go figure.
Directions were easy to follow and cook time was accurate. Prep time however took me longer than 10 minutes. Then again most of the time prep takes me longer than it should. Will definitely make this again, but will add more spinach.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it... and I'd say that's a win with your husband haha. 🙂 Yeah, it's a bit tough to gauge prep time since everyone goes at different speeds.
Sally says
It’s delicious! Followed the recipe exactly as is. The ingredients came together perfectly! Thank you again Natasha!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! I'm so glad to hear that. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a review, Sally! 🙂