Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta is packed with tender chicken, velvety orzo pasta, and a hit of fresh lemon that wakes up your taste buds. It’s the kind of family favorite that tastes straight out of a restaurant, and comes together with one skillet and zero fuss.
It’ll make Tuesday night feel like it should come with a wine list.
Our Lemon Chicken Orzo pasta recipe delivers big, satisfying flavor in every bite. The chicken sears up golden and juicy, packed with seasoning and just the right hint of lemon. The orzo simmers in all that goodness, soaking up rich broth and citrus until it’s tender and full of life.
Then the cream and parmesan melt, making everything luxuriously silky, with a bright and savory finish that practically sings on the spoon.
It’s fast, it’s easy, and cleanup’s a breeze, which means more time at the table and less at the sink.
Our lemon chicken and orzo are layered with familiar flavors everyone loves. Even small children will eat them without negotiating terms.
For another easy one-pan wonder, try our Mediterranean Chicken, loaded with juicy chicken, feta, olives, and cherry tomatoes in a zesty, savory sauce. Or switch things up with our Chicken and Shrimp Orzo Paella, a hearty, flavor-packed dish that brings together tender chicken, succulent shrimp, and orzo in one satisfying skillet.
Ingredients for Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely. We made the dish with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can swap in chicken thighs if you prefer darker meat and a bit more richness.
For a lighter version, try using half-and-half instead of heavy cream, or add a splash of milk with a little extra parmesan to keep that velvety texture.
If you want to bulk it up with more veggies, toss in green beans, grape tomatoes, or baby spinach near the end of cooking for a pop of color and freshness.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make lemon chicken orzo pasta in your home kitchen.
- Remove the chicken from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. If the chicken breasts are thick, slice them in half to create thinner chicken cutlets.
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board.
- Pound each piece of chicken to about ½ inch thickness using a meat mallet.
- Add the all-purpose flour, table salt, and lemon pepper seasoning to a shallow bowl.
- Mix to combine the flour mixture.
- Place the breasts in the flour mixture.
- Coat both sides of the chicken pieces with the flour mixture.
- Place a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the hot pan. Then, add the floured breasts to the pan.
- Cook on each side 4- 6 minutes until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. has been reached. Then, remove the cooked breasts from the pan, and place them on a plate and loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Add the unsalted butter to the same pan over medium heat.
- Sauté onions until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
- Add the minced garlic and thyme to the pan.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the breasts.
- Add the orzo pasta to the pan.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes to toast the orzo, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken broth and fresh lemon juice to the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the orzo pasta is tender and fully cooked.
- Add the baby spinach to the pan.
- Give it a bit of a stir to combine.
- Add the ½ cup of room temperature heavy cream, grated pecorino romano cheese (or parmesan cheese), and lemon zest to the pan.
- Stir to combine, cook for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, spooning the creamy sauce over the top.
- Turn the breasts to heat through.
This is the kind of weeknight wonder that serves as a love letter to your wife, while saying “yes, Dad can cook” to the kids.
I’m not saying our Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta is the meaning of life, but when everyone’s eating and laughing and no one is in a rush to leave the table, you do start to wonder.
How to Store and Reheat
Let leftover lemon, chicken, and orzo cool completely. Then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To reheat, warm it in a skillet with a splash of broth or water over medium heat, stirring gently until the sauce loosens up. Or microwave a bowl with a spoonful of water, cover loosely, and heat in short bursts until warmed through and smooth again.
This pasta dish doesn’t freeze well. The sauce can separate, and the texture of the orzo tends to go mushy.
Recipe FAQs
Orzo keeps soaking up moisture as it sits, so by the time it’s chilled and stored, most of the liquid has been absorbed into the pasta. If you reheat it dry, the pasta can overcook and start to break down, which gives it that mushy texture. Adding a splash of broth or water helps bring the sauce back and feel more freshly made.
You can, but it’ll change the feel of the dish. Shredded rotisserie chicken gives you a creamier chicken pasta bowl instead of that golden-seared, saucy skillet dinner. Still good, just not quite the same.
Yes. Just swap the orzo for a gluten-free alternative like rice-shaped pasta or even rice itself. Keep an eye on cook time, as it may vary depending on the brand.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts -or tenders
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion -diced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons garlic -finely minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated pecorino romano -or parmesan
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.*If the chicken breasts are thick you can slice them in half
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board, and pound out the chicken breasts using a meat mallet to about ½ inch thickness.
- Add the all-purpose flour, table salt, and lemon pepper seasoning to a shallow bowl and mix to combine.
- Coat both sides of the chicken with the flour mixture.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the hot pan.
- Place the seasoned chicken into the pan and cook on each side 4- 6 minutes until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. has been reached.Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the breasts.
- Remove the cooked breasts from the pan, and place them on a plate and loosely tent with aluminum foil.
- Add the butter to the same pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions to the pan and cook until tender, 4 – 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't burn.
- Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the orzo pasta to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes to toast the orzo, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn.
- Add the chicken broth and lemon juice to the pasta and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the orzo, and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender.
- Add the room-temperature heavy cream, pecorino romano, and lemon zest to the pan. Stir to combine, cook for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- Add the baby spinach to the pan, and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and cook to reheat. Turning to heat through.
- Remove from heat and serve immediatley.
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