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Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken

Published: / Updated: / 56 Comments

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

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

lemon orzo salad in a white bowl

Why you'll crave it

I'm back with another recipe using everyone's favorite rice-shaped pasta! Orzo is extremely popular lately, so I'm thrilled to bring you even more recipes with it. You loved this Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, so I've come up with this irresistible orzo salad with chicken and fresh vegetables and a quick lemon honey vinaigrette that will become your new summer favorite.

This bright 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 on the patio with a glass of prosecco?

What you'll need

For the salad

  • Orzo - you'll find this small pasta that looks like grains of rice in a box in the dry pasta aisle
  • Cucumbers - I prefer using mini (Persian) cucumbers, but if you can't find them, half a regular English one works just fine
  • Tomatoes - whichever variety of little tomatoes looks freshest at the grocery store is your best bet. Grape, cherry, whatever!
  • Onion - red onion is the ideal kind for salads since it's less sharp than other varieties and packs a crunch
  • Arugula - for some green goodness, but it's optional if you'd like this salad for meal prep
  • Chicken - I just bought a rotisserie chicken for ease, but if you've got a leftover Roast Chicken, that's great too
  • Parmesan - I can't resist giving this pasta salad a little bit of a cheesy dimension
  • Basil - fresh basil perfectly complements and enhances all the flavors

For the dressing

  • Lemon - we're using both freshly squeezed lemon juice and the zest for ultimate brightness. I like to use my Microplane to effortlessly zest it.
  • Olive oil - to balance out the acidity and add body
  • Honey - for a hint of sweetness
  • Garlic - use even more if you're a big fan of garlic! I like to use this garlic press to mince it since you don't even need to peel the cloves.
  • Salt & pepper - as with any pasta salad, it's important to be generous

Make ahead tip

  • If you want to make this salad ahead of time or for meal prep, I suggest leaving out the arugula. That way, it'll last in the fridge a few days no problem. Just mix in the arugula when you're ready to enjoy it!
lemon orzo pasta salad with chicken in a glass prep bowl

How to make lemon orzo salad

This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

  • Boil a salted pot of water, and cook the orzo al dente. Rinse with cool water, drain, and transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
  • Prep and chop all the salad ingredients and add to the bowl.
  • Add the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl and mix thoroughly. Toss the salad with the dressing, and enjoy!

Substitutions and variations

  • 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.
  • Need to make this vegetarian? Simply omit the chicken.
  • Feel free to throw in any fresh herbs you may have in the garden!
  • If you 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.

What to serve with orzo salad

  • It makes a fantastic lighter main course, so it's perfect on its own or with a slice of crusty bread.
  • You can also leave out the chicken, and then it makes a perfect complement for seafood recipes such as my Easy Pan Seared Salmon Recipe or these Tequila Lime Shrimp.

Leftovers and storage

  • As mentioned above, this orzo salad will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days no problem if you leave out the arugula.
  • If this salad has been sitting out in the sun for any amount of time, I'd eat it right away or discard it for food safety reasons.

More pasta salad recipes

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! It's ready in about 30 minutes.
4.80 from 15 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

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
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  2. Melody says

    4 stars
    Really healthy salad for hot summer evenings. I used homegrown basil, arugula and tomatoes. I should have read reviews first. Definitely needs more dressing! I added Kalamata olives and dill. Better!

    Reply

  3. Kate Nelson says

    5 stars
    Fresh and delicious! Just wonderful. I followed the advice of some of the other reviewers and doubled the dressing recipe. *Chef's kiss*

    Reply

  5. Audry says

    OMG! I made this and I’m obsessed!! I went to Kroger to get the ingredients and it turns out that they actually had a lemon vinaigrette dressing that had all the ingredients for the dressing plus mustard. I used that in this recipe since I was short on time and it was delicious as well. I’m definitely making this again and it makes for a great meal prep

    Reply

  6. Kristen Bunch says

    5 stars
    Ok - made this, and it was a hit! Here was my slightly altered version: green onions instead of red; add toasted pine nuts; add extra "squirt" of honey to cut the bitterness in the dressing; double dressing. EXCELLENT summer salad!

    Reply

  7. Trudy says

    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

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

      Reply

  8. Samantha says

    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

  10. Renee Fellows says

    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

  11. Lori V says

    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

  12. Louise says

    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

  13. Rachel says

    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

  14. Kris says

    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

      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

  18. Frédérique says

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

    Reply

  19. Kelly says

    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

  20. Allyson says

    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

      • Nanci says

        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

  22. Donna says

    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

  23. Lindsey Yancey says

    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

  25. Chirag. says

    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

      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

  26. Wendy says

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

    Reply