Description
This delicious creamy lemon chicken orzo is the perfect weeknight meal! It’s packed with bright and citrusy flavors, and it’s creamy and cheesy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 medium chicken breasts (pounded to 1/2 inch thick evenly)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (divided)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion (small-diced)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups baby spinach (packed)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (plus more to taste)
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 medium lemon, plus more to taste (zested and juiced)
- Lemon slices for garnish
- Chopped Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Season: Season the chicken breasts with a few drizzles of olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Kosher salt (about ½ teaspoon per breast), and ground black pepper.
- Cook Chicken: In a large skillet, heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken, about 6 minutes per side, or until fully cooked through in the center. Remove from the skillet and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then, slice.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, melt the unsalted butter. Then, sauté onions until softened. Next, add the minced garlic and the remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and sauté for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Cook Orzo: Stir in the orzo pasta for about 2 minutes, followed by the chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 12 minutes.
- Cream and Spinach: Once the orzo is tender, uncover and stir in the spinach, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
- Finish: Finish with lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste).
- Serve: Serve with the sliced chicken on top, and garnish with lemon slices and Italian parsley.
Notes
Do not overcook the orzo pasta (10-12 minutes is sufficient) to avoid it becoming mushy. Zest the lemon before squeezing. Freshly grated parmesan cheese is preferred for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 528 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
Keywords: lemon chicken orzo, creamy chicken pasta, easy weeknight dinner, one pan chicken