Lemon Chicken Orzo

This Lemon Chicken Orzo is a ONE POT recipe with juicy seasoned chicken and orzo in a delicious lemon cream sauce with Parmesan, Romano, spinach, and lemon juice.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 541kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Sauce

2 ¼ cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
½ chicken bouillon cube
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon EACH: basil, oregano, parsley

Chicken, Orzo, Cheese, etc.

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast
2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning see notes
2 tablespoons flour
¾ cup dry white wine see notes
1 small yellow onion finely diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 cups packed baby spinach
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
¼ cup Romano cheese grated. (Or use more Parmesan)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
Cover the chicken with saran wrap and use a meat mallet to tenderize each side. Cut it into strips and pat it dry. Season each side with lemon pepper seasoning. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.
Turn the heat off. Add the wine to the same skillet and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce. Add the onions, butter, and garlic. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally as it cooks.
Turn the heat off and let the skillet cool for 1 minute. Gradually add the combined sauce mixture, stirring continuously. Set heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a gentle boil. Reduce heat if the boil becomes rapid.
Add the orzo and bring it back to a gentle boil. Cook according to package instructions. (I cook mine for 9 minutes.) Slide a silicone spatula along the bottom of the skillet throughout cooking to lift any pasta that may be settling.
Reduce heat to low. Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan and Romano cheese until combined.
Stir in the spinach and let it wilt, 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to combine and heat through.
Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and serve! The orzo will continue to absorb more sauce upon standing.

Notes

Pro Tips:

Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and has a lot of great flavor. (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that and consider using less on the chicken.
Dijon Mustard, Hot Sauce, and honey are used as secret flavor enhancers in this recipe that you can't taste outright. I use Frank's Hot Sauce.
Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
Flour: This helps brown the chicken more while also thickening the sauce a little more at the end.
Cheese: Grate the cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan and Romano. All Parmesan can be used if you don't have Romano.
Use fresh garlic cloves (vs. jarred minced garlic), for this recipe if possible.
Fresh Lemon Juice is much more flavorful than bottled lemon juice as well.
Use a wide, 12-inch skillet for this recipe so that the sauce can reduce and thicken properly.
More Orzo Recipes: Try my Chicken and Orzo, Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup, and my Orzo Salad recipes next!
This pairs well with my olive oil bread dip!

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze/reheat well, just be sure to let it thaw and reheat it gradually over low heat.

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition