One Pot Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chicken
This one pot creamy lemon orzo recipe is a perfect, easy weeknight meal. The bright lemon flavor with the pasta and chicken is so good!
Looking for a great way to utilize cooked chicken (like a rotisserie chicken!)? This pasta dish is so, so good! Creamy, cheesy, pasta perfection made start-to-finish in one pan. YESSSS!
Why this Recipe Makes a Perfect Weeknight Meal
- This one pot orzo dish uses every day fridge- and pantry-staples. No fancy or hard-to-find ingredients!
- It is hearty and filling…with very minimal effort!
- This recipe is a one pot wonder. Additionally, it comes together fast. If you have everything chopped and prepped, you’re looking at dinner in under 30 minutes!
- The flavors are incredible! Lemon + cream + pasta is a winning combination. And the bright lemon flavors in this orzo recipe with the creamy pasta are so yummy.
Key Ingredients
- Onion + Garlic: This recipe starts with cooking finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil. These aromatics help build flavor. In a simple pasta dish like this, it’s likely that onion powder/garlic powder can be subbed for the fresh onion and garlic, if needed.
- Orzo: Use dry, uncooked orzo pasta. This small, rice-shaped pasta helps give this dish big-time creamy risotto vibes.
- Chicken broth: Chicken broth or chicken stock work equally well.
- Milk: use 1%, 2% or whole milk for the best results.
- Cream: Regular or heavy whipping cream can be used.
- Lemon juice and zest: Fresh lemon juice is preferred for bright, punchy flavor. Make sure to zest the lemons before juicing them!
- Parmesan cheese: This ingredient is stirred in at the end amplifying the creaminess of the pasta and adding a bit of needed saltiness.
- Chicken: Cooked, diced chicken is stirred in at the end of cooking. This recipe makes great use of rotisserie chicken meat, but any variety or recipe for cooked chicken can be used (leftovers of this lemon garlic grilled chicken would be delicious in this orzo dish).
- Spinach: Fresh spinach, stirred in with the chicken and lemon zest, adds a pop of color and a boost in heartiness and nutrition. Add more, or less, to taste.
This creamy lemon orzo will thicken as it cools. It is best served as soon as possible for optimal creaminess.
How to Make This One Pot Orzo Recipe
Ah, the beauty of one pot recipes. I love them so much! This one pot pasta recipe comes together so fast.
- Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil.
- Add the orzo and cook until lightly toasted and sizzling.
- Stir in the broth, milk, cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Cook at a gentle simmer (not a hard boil), stirring often, for 9 to 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Stir in the chicken, spinach and lemon zest.
- Serve warm, with a little extra Parm, if desired!
➡️ You can see from the picture below that after the orzo has finished cooking, there is still a bit of liquid left int he pan. This is how it should be. That extra creamy liquid helps create the sauce for the pasta so it isn’t dry.
A Few Additional Notes
- This is the pan I use and love for one pan recipes. While oven baking isn’t called for here, this pan is great because it can go from stove to oven, if needed.
- Even though this pasta recipe is best served immediately, the leftovers, albeit a bit less creamy, are still delicious. Drizzle a tiny bit of milk or cream over the leftovers before reheating and sprinkle the warmed up pasta with some Parmesan before digging in.
- This dish can easily be made meatless. Simply omit the chicken and use vegetable broth, if needed.
I am really particular about one pot recipes. So many don’t live up to the hype. But this one certainly does!
The creamy orzo is reminiscent of risotto…but without all the stirring. And the bright lemon flavors and ease of cooking make this one pot creamy lemon orzo a stellar weeknight recipe.
One Pot Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 ½ cups (10 ounces) uncooked orzo
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk (preferably not skim)
- ½ cup cream
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons – zest them before juicing, the zest will be used later)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
- 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 2 to 3 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
Instructions
- In a deep 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the orzo and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted and sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the broth, milk, cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer (not a hard boil), stirring often, for 9 to 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente. There will still be liquid in the pan – this helps create the sauce for the pasta.
- Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (important!).
- Stir in the chicken, spinach and lemon zest. Heat through over medium-low heat, if needed.
- Serve warm with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. The pasta will thicken as it cools and is best served as soon as possible for optimal creaminess.
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 456kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 483mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
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I loved how easy this recipe was to make but it was too “lemony” for my family. If you don’t enjoy a strong citrus taste I would suggest using 1/2 or even a 1/4 of the lemon and then adding more if you want it stronger.
I’ve been looking forward to this since I first saw the recipe in my inbox yesterday. Made it tonight and it was a huge hit with everyone! We all loved it and almost everyone ate seconds. Quick, easy to make, and delicious. Will be in our regular rotation!
I had some leftover grilled chicken tenders, so this recipe popping into my inbox was very timely. I confess that I didn’t want a creamy pasta, so omitted the milk and cream and, instead, added extra chicken broth (1-1/2c) and 1/2c dry white wine (chardonnay). I love the flavor combination of chicken broth with lemon juice and white wine. It was very good and easy to pull together. Thank you!
Oh, great timing on using up that leftover grilled chicken, Jay. I bet that was delicious. Thanks for detailing your changes!
Well timed, Mel! I had all ingredients on hand. My adult daughter and husband raved! Lovely comfort food w/spinach for vegetable requirement. One dish. So easy and delicious.
Yay! So glad this one was a hit – thanks so much for letting me know!
I read this recipe in today’s email and it sounded right up my alley! Then… when I was contemplating dinner, I realized I had everything to make it (plus a couple of Brussels sprouts and wayward mushrooms), so I pared it down a little because it’s just hubs and me – DELICIOUS! It came together so quickly – I would definitely recommend having just a bit of bread to soak up the flavorful sauce – yummo!
Haha, the “wayward mushroom” comment put a smile on my face. Glad this one worked out for you and your husband! Great idea on the bread!
Not usually one to actually make the recipe the same day it’s posted, but HELLO, this is such a great one pot recipe. Super quick to throw together and is ready in about 20 minutes. This will definitely be on rotation going forward. Thanks Mel!
Jesica, thanks for making it so fast AND then taking the time to comment and let me know. Appreciate that so much!