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    Home » Salads

    Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken

    Published: Jun 24, 2020 / Updated: Jun 12, 2022 / 44 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This lemon orzo salad recipe is a fresh, healthy, and colorful summer salad that's a breeze to make! Ready in about 30 minutes.

    Try this Easy Italian Pasta Salad for another quick summer salad.

    lemon orzo salad in a white bowl

    I'm back with another recipe with everyone's favorite rice-shaped pasta! I'm not quite sure why, but orzo seems to be very popular (you loved this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup), so I've added even more orzo recipes to my never-ending recipe list spreadsheet. 

    This lemon orzo pasta salad is easily customizable and lends itself to substitutions or additions. My mantra has always been that summer recipes like salads should be fuss-free. Who wants to be in the kitchen for hours when you can be outside? So, make this orzo pasta salad as-is or check out my suggestions in the recipe notes below.

    lemon orzo pasta salad with chicken in a glass prep bowl

    Recipe notes & tips:

    • If you want to make this salad ahead of time/for meal prep, I suggest leaving out the arugula. That way, it'll last in the fridge a few days.
    • Need to make this vegetarian? Omit the chicken.
    • I used a rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but you can definitely quickly cook some chicken if you have some (try pan frying it with your favorite seasoning) and it'll be delicious.
    • Feel free to throw in any herbs you may have in the garden!
    • Don't like arugula? Try swapping it for spinach.
    • I think that Kalamata olives and/or capers would go great in here if you're a fan.
    • I use my handy Microplane zester/grater to zest that lemon.

    Love pasta salads? Try these recipes:

    • Mediterranean Orzo Salad
    • Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
    • Grilled Shrimp, Orzo, and Arugula Salad

    lemon orzo salad close-up

    Are you an orzo fan? Leave me a comment below if you have any questions or if you've made this orzo salad. As always, tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you've made one of my recipes. 🙂

    lemon orzo salad close-up

    Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken

    This lemon orzo salad recipe is a fresh, healthy, and colorful summer salad that's a breeze to make! Ready in about 30 minutes.
    4.91 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 270 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup uncooked orzo
    • 2 mini cucumbers (or 1/2 English cucumber) chopped
    • 1 cup little tomatoes (grape/cherry/etc.) cut into quarters
    • 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
    • 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh arugula optional
    • 2 cups cooked/rotisserie chicken
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    • 2 tablespoons fresh basil sliced thin

    Dressing:

    • 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of 1 lemon
    • 2.5 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon honey
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Boil a salted pot of water and cook the orzo al dente according to package directions. Once it's done, rinse it with cool water and let it drain thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl.
    • Meanwhile, prep all the salad ingredients and add them to the bowl. If you're not going to eat the salad right away, I suggest skipping the arugula.
    • Add the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl, and whisk/shake until well combined.
    • Toss the salad with the dressing. Add more lemon/oil if needed. I also add plenty of salt & pepper - there's a lot of pasta in here, so you need to salt it well so it doesn't taste bland.

    Notes

    • This recipe makes quite a lot of pasta salad. If served with nothing else, this could serve 4 adults. You can easily get 6+ servings out of this. If you know you're going to have leftovers, I suggest either leaving out the arugula or only tossing it with the portion of the salad you'll be eating right away. Without arugula, this salad will last in the fridge for a few days no problem.
    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 19gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 167mgPotassium: 256mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword lemon orzo salad, orzo pasta salad recipe
    Author Natasha Bull
    « Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
    Mozzarella Mushroom White Wine Chicken »

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    1. Trudy says

      June 24, 2022 at 9:08 AM

      5 stars
      This was a perfect summer salad. We ate it as a main dish. Very good and light. I did make 50% more dressing, however which was perfect.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 24, 2022 at 10:21 AM

        I'm so glad it was a hit!! Yup, definitely easy to tweak the dressing. Thanks for your review, Trudy! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Samantha says

      May 31, 2022 at 5:39 PM

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and it was super tasty! I didn’t have a red onion so I added a little Dijon to the dressing to try to make up for the missing pizzaz. Really enjoyed it. Took the suggestion and mixed the arugula in when serving so I can enjoy over a few days. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 31, 2022 at 8:34 PM

        Awesome!! I'm so happy you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Cody says

      February 24, 2022 at 9:58 PM

      We made this for a large and inexpensive dinner on vacation in Hawaii and LOVED IT! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 24, 2022 at 10:27 PM

        That's awesome!! So glad you guys enjoyed it. 😀

        Reply
    4. Renee Fellows says

      September 10, 2021 at 6:30 PM

      I made this recipe. I thought it was good! I life arugula so I ate some with it. My husband thought it was a side salad, so we’re have it with fish tonight. I used Banza rice instead of orzo for more protein.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 11, 2021 at 8:09 AM

        I'm glad that you enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    5. Lori V says

      August 31, 2021 at 9:07 AM

      Omg! This was excellent. Had as leftovers for a couple of days and forgot the arugula. Didn’t miss it actually. Soooo good. Will definitely make again.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 31, 2021 at 9:23 AM

        I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Lori!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    6. Louise says

      August 16, 2021 at 5:26 PM

      5 stars
      Great easy one dish recipe. I added a can of chick peas and tripled the dressing. I kept the arugula in a separate dish without dressing. I put 1/2 the dressing on the chicken, orzo and veggies and kept 1/2 for people to add with the arugula. Loved this dish and will make it again.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 16, 2021 at 7:15 PM

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Louise!!

        Reply
    7. Rachel says

      August 10, 2021 at 10:33 PM

      5 stars
      Excellent yummy fresh pasta salad. Quick and easy. Was a huge hit with everyone. Didnt change a thing. Will be making again for sure

      Reply
      • Rachel says

        August 10, 2021 at 10:45 PM

        Oops, I did change one thing. I almost doubled the amount of Lemon juice the recipe called for.

        Reply
        • Natasha says

          August 11, 2021 at 8:01 AM

          Yup, definitely a good idea to tweak ingredients to your liking. 🙂

          Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 11, 2021 at 8:01 AM

        Fantastic! So pleased you enjoyed it, Rachel!

        Reply
    8. Kris says

      May 16, 2021 at 5:07 PM

      5 stars
      My family loved this salad! Very light and summery. I substituted Dijon mustard for the garlic, used honey roasted rotisserie chicken, and feta instead of the Parmesan. They all agreed it was a keeper! Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 16, 2021 at 6:52 PM

        Fantastic!! Sounds delicious. Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Pia says

      May 3, 2021 at 12:21 PM

      5 stars
      We all loved it. So fresh and so tasty.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 3, 2021 at 12:31 PM

        Fantastic!! Thank you, Pia.

        Reply
    10. Michele says

      April 25, 2021 at 9:14 AM

      If you are meal prepping and don’t eat it right away do you reheat it or eat it cold?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 25, 2021 at 10:13 AM

        It's not hot to begin with, so yeah it's great for meal prepping and eating cold. I recommend adding the arugula just prior to serving or leaving it out altogether if meal prepping (it's in the recipe notes).

        Reply
    11. Kate says

      April 22, 2021 at 4:58 PM

      If making ahead, what do you think about adding in the arugula just before serving?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 22, 2021 at 8:05 PM

        I suggest that in the recipe notes, so yes lol. It'll definitely work. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the salad!

        Reply
    12. Frédérique says

      April 22, 2021 at 12:07 PM

      I absolutely devoured this! Such a perfect spring lunch! (I spaced on picking up cucumber at the market and it was still delicious)

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 22, 2021 at 12:57 PM

        I'm thrilled you enjoyed it, Frédérique 🙂

        Reply
    13. Kelly says

      September 17, 2020 at 10:54 AM

      5 stars
      This is so good!!! Trying to cut out meat so ommited that and I changed it up a bit by only adding 1/4 cup parm, no cucumber or onion , subbed spinach for arugula, and used sundried tomatoes. It was amazing!!! Love all of your recipes!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 17, 2020 at 12:44 PM

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you!

        Reply
    14. Allyson says

      September 13, 2020 at 12:11 PM

      5 stars
      My plan was to have this lovely salad for a dinner party outdoors yesterday. However, the weather disagreed & a cold plate didn't seem appropriate. Long story short, I doubled the dressing, omitted the cucumber & served this as a hot dish. It was a DELISH! It got raves & was truly tasty.
      Thanks for yet another versatile crowd pleaser.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 13, 2020 at 10:07 PM

        Ooh love that idea!! So glad you were able to pivot 🙂

        Reply
        • Nanci says

          August 4, 2021 at 6:43 PM

          4 stars
          I found the salad good but not fantastic. A little on the bland side as there was nothing the came forward …and I made it per the recipe. I would definitely add more lemon to the dressing. And feta instead of Parmesan cheese. Also some pitted black olives.

          Reply
    15. Joy says

      July 20, 2020 at 5:44 PM

      5 stars
      Really enjoyed this!!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 21, 2020 at 8:43 AM

        Excellent!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know, Joy!

        Reply
    16. Donna says

      July 3, 2020 at 3:29 PM

      Loved this salad and will definitely make it again. I doubled the dressing, because I find pasta always soaks it right up. Added sliced kalamata olives. Soooooo good! Thanks for the recipe! We will enjoy this all summer.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 3, 2020 at 4:56 PM

        I'm so glad you liked it, Donna!! Yup, the pasta definitely soaks it up.

        Reply
    17. Lindsey Yancey says

      June 30, 2020 at 7:02 PM

      5 stars
      This is so yummy and so easy! Im out of parmesan so I substituted it with feta, and I’m happy with the outcome. Thank you for another recipe that hits it out of the park! XOXO

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 1, 2020 at 8:49 AM

        I'm so glad you liked it!! Thank you 🙂

        Reply
    18. Mona says

      June 29, 2020 at 9:06 AM

      Absolutely will make this for July 4th patty!! Looks so yummy!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 29, 2020 at 9:36 AM

        Yay!! Let me know if you do!

        Reply
    19. Chirag. says

      June 29, 2020 at 8:24 AM

      Hi,
      I agree with the point of recipes needing to be fuss free during this season.

      I'd love to try this as it seems an innovative way to present pasta with less effort.

      My query is that is there any possibility to substitute Orzo with any other form of pasta?

      Thanks.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 29, 2020 at 8:40 AM

        Hi! I would normally say "yes", but my concern is that there may not be enough dressing if you do that. The orzo is pretty compact, and large pasta shapes may not work as well with the listed ingredient quantities. It is a pretty forgiving salad, though, so if you're willing to do a few tweaks (if needed), then I don't see why you couldn't give it a try. 🙂

        Reply
      • Donna says

        July 3, 2020 at 3:31 PM

        You could try Acini de Pepe pasta. I find it to be a good substitute.

        Reply
    20. Wendy says

      June 29, 2020 at 8:19 AM

      An absolute favorite! Already made this salad 3 times!!! Light and flavorful. Thanks for helping me look like a hero in the kitchen🥰

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 29, 2020 at 8:39 AM

        That's wonderful! Thanks so much for commenting. 🙂 XO

        Reply

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