This Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo is a one-skillet dinner that is absolutely packed with flavor. The chicken gets a quick lemony marinade, the orzo soaks up all the good stuff in the pan, and capers and parmesan finish it all off. It's sure to become a family favorite!
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I love a one-skillet dinner that feels like you spent hours on it and dirtied a ton of dishes. Especially one that's packed with flavor and is incredibly satisfying. And this creamy lemon chicken orzo is all of those things.
Tender marinated chicken sits on top of orzo cooked risotto-style, all finished with a little bit of cream that stays bright thanks to lemon juice, capers, and parmesan.
It's cozy without being heavy, and it's on the table in about 45 minutes (most of which is hands-off marinating time).
It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but is also an easy dinner party centerpiece.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
It's a one-pan dinner: the chicken cooks first and then everything else happens in the same skillet, so all the golden bits from the chicken get scraped up into the orzo. It builds the flavor and means you have fewer dishes to wash.
The chicken is marinated: be sure to let your chicken breasts spend a little time in the lemon, garlic, dijon, and smoked paprika marinade (just 30 minutes!) to keep the cooked chicken tender and packed with flavor.
Orzo is toasted and cooked in chicken broth: instead of boiling orzo in water, you'll toast it in the skillet and then simmer it in chicken broth to make it extra flavorful.
Capers and lemon balance the cream: thanks to a little cream, the orzo ends up deliciously creamy, but the capers bring salty pops and the lemon juice keeps everything bright. This dish is definitely not heavy.
🗒 Ingredients
You don't need anything complicated to make this creamy lemon chicken orzo and it's also pretty versatile, so you can make any changes you want.
Here's everything I use in the recipe (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: if your chicken breasts are really thick, you can slice them in half horizontally so they cook evenly. If you prefer, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
- Shallot
- Orzo: uncooked- you'll be cooking it in chicken broth.
- Dried oregano
- Red pepper flakes
- Low-sodium chicken broth: I almost always use low-sodium chicken broth and in this dish it's important you don't use full sodium as the parmesan and capers add plenty of salt on their own. It's also fine to use sodium-free as you can adjust seasonings before serving.
- Heavy cream: don't swap in half-and-half or milk here. They'll break or thin out and you won't get the same glossy sauce.
- Finely grated Parmesan: I always recommend freshly grated and real Parmigiano Reggiano if you can swing it!
- Capers
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Lemon zest
- Baby spinach: you can also use regular spinach if you chop it first.
- Garlic cloves
- Dijon mustard
- Smoked paprika: if you only have regular paprika, that will be fine.
- Salt & pepper
🍋 Recipe tips
- You can either marinate the chicken in a bowl or in a Ziplock bag. Just be sure to toss the chicken in the marinade so it's fully coated.
- I recommend marinating the chicken for 30 minutes, but be sure not to do it for longer than an hour. The lemon juice is acidic, so if the chicken sits in it too long, it will start to break down and turn mushy.
- Feel free to slice chicken in half horizontally or pound it flat if it's very thick (more than about ¾-inch thick at the fattest part). This will help the chicken cook faster and more evenly.
- Always zest your lemon before you juice it!
- I recommend using a wide skillet with high sides. I use a 10.5-inch stainless steel skillet. You want enough surface area for the orzo to simmer in a single layer.
- Let excess marinade drip off the chicken before putting it in the pan. You don't want to wipe it clean; just shake off any drippings so the chicken sears instead of steams.
- If you're not sure how to tell if your chicken is done, use a meat thermometer and cook until temperature reaches 160-165 degrees F in the thickest part.
- Be sure to let chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and always slice against the grain.
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- Stir the orzo occasionally as it cooks. Like risotto, it can stick to the bottom of the pan, especially in the last few minutes when most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- If the orzo gets too thick, you can loosen it up with an extra splash of broth or cream at the end.
- Taste the orzo mixture before adding any salt. Between the parm, capers, and broth, the dish may be salty enough before adding any extra.
- I like to slice the chicken and lay it over the orzo in the pan, but if you prefer to serve a full breast that is fine.
- Finish with more parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.
And watch your family go wild for this dish! The chicken is so incredibly tender and the orzo has SO much amazing flavor.
This is the kind of meal you'll immediately want to add into your regular monthly (or weekly) rotation.
But when served on dinner plates with asparagus or haricot verts and some chilled white wine, it makes an excellent dinner party entree.
⏲️ How to store leftovers
Leftovers keep fresh for about 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
The orzo will absorb most of the sauce overnight, so when you reheat, you'll likely want to add a splash of chicken broth or cream. Warm chicken and orzo gently on the stovetop or in the microwave at 50% power.
🎉 Recipe variations
I think this creamy lemon chicken orzo is perfection as is, but there are also a lot of things you can do to it to make it your own!
Here are some ideas:
- Swap the chicken breast for:
- Chicken thighs
- Shrimp
- Italian sausage
- Extra veggies
- Add more veggies like:
- Asparagus
- Peas
- Artichoke hearts
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Other additions
- Fresh basil
- Feta cheese
- Kalamata olives
- Additional lemon
- Chili crisp
- More garlic
- Swap chicken broth for veggie broth
🥘 More easy chicken dinners
If you're looking for some more quick and easy chicken dinners to add to your meal plans, check out some of my favorites:
I love how quick and easy this chicken comes together in one skillet. And the fact that the leftovers (if there are any) may actually be even more delicious the next day.
Let me know in the comments if you make it!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot finely diced
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes plus more for topping
- 2 ¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoon capers drained
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Marinade
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Start by marinating chicken: In a bowl or in a large Ziplock bag, mix together chicken marinade ingredients: olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes (and no longer than an hour).
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat and add chicken in a single layer. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate to rest.
- Reduce skillet heat to medium and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter. Once butter is melted, add shallot and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in orzo, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until orzo is lightly golden and fragrant.
- Pour chicken broth into skillet, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan. Bring broth to a gentle simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream, parmesan, and capers.
- Stir in lemon juice, taste, and add salt and pepper as needed. Fold spinach into the mixture until it's just wilting.
- Slice chicken and nestle into orzo. Top with more parmesan and red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The orzo will likely absorb most of the sauce overnight, so when you reheat, you may want to add a splash of chicken broth or cream. Warm chicken and orzo gently on the stovetop or in the microwave at 50% power.
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