This lemon chicken orzo is creamy, cozy, and ready in 30 minutes. Juicy chicken, tender pasta, and fresh spinach come together in one pot with a bright, citrusy kick—easy and delicious!
Love lemon and chicken? Try my easy Lemon Chicken recipe or my Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings.
Why You Will Love This Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta Dinner
This easy lemon chicken orzo is a one-pan wonder! In just 30 minutes, the chicken, orzo, spinach, and sauce cook together for a creamy, comforting meal with a bright citrus kick. The spinach blends right in, adding a boost of nutrition without extra effort.
This dish is rich, savory, and easy to clean up—perfect for busy weeknights but impressive enough for date night. If you love simple one-pot meals, don’t miss my Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta and One-Pot Easy Chili Mac!
Lemon Chicken Orzo Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Chicken thighs or chicken breast tenderloins can be used instead of chicken breasts if you prefer.
- Yellow onion: Vidalia onions add subtle sweetness, balancing the lemon and creamy sauce.
- Minced garlic: I prefer to use fresh cloves of garlic rather than any dried garlic or jarred.
- Dried thyme: Adds earthy, floral notes. Use 1 tsp fresh thyme if substituting.
- Salt: We recommend 1/2 teaspoon, but feel free to start with less adjust to taste.
- Black pepper
- Dijon mustard: Adds a tangy, sharp flavor to the sauce.
- Chicken broth: Cooks the orzo while building a rich sauce.
- Heavy cream: Makes the sauce smooth, creamy, and comforting.
- Orzo pasta: A small, rice-shaped pasta that absorbs flavor and cooks quickly.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest: Adds a bright, tangy flavor that cuts through the richness of the cream and complements the chicken and vegetables.
- Fresh baby spinach leaves: Adds color and nutrients; swap with kale, asparagus, or chard.
- Shredded parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, nutty flavor and extra creaminess.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo
- Prepare The Chicken Pieces: Cook the chicken in oil until no pink remains and the pieces are lightly golden. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Cook The Onion: In the same skillet, add olive oil, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until the onion is tender and translucent. Stir in the dijon mustard and cook for another 30 – 60 seconds.
- Simmer In The Skillet: Stir the chicken broth, heavy cream, and orzo pasta into the skillet. Bring the liquids to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the pasta is cooked to al dente.
- Combine All Components: Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, spinach leaves, and cheese and cook until the spinach leaves are wilted into the sauce. Add the cooked chicken pieces and stir to combine.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This lemon chicken orzo recipe is best served warm and freshly made. Please note that the longer it sits and cools, the thicker it will become as it continues to absorb some of the sauce.
This hearty chicken lemon orzo pasta is a complete meal in and of itself, but it would go great with a simple salad or veggie on the side. And for any extra sauce, my cauliflower breadsticks and Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread are perfect for soaking up what’s left on the plate!
Tips & Variations
- Stir The Sauce: The pasta will absorb the liquids as it cooks. Be sure to stir the pasta and liquids often to ensure the pasta is not sticking and the liquids are not burning.
- Remove Spinach Stems: Before adding the fresh baby spinach leaves, be sure to remove any large stems from the leaves. You can also use regular fresh spinach leaves however, they may be quite large so you should give them a rough chop before adding them to the skillet.
- Pick Preservative-Free Parm: I find that freshly shredded parmesan cheese melts the best when heated in the sauce. If buying prepackaged shredded parmesan cheese, choose a brand that does not add other ingredients (for anti-caking or sticking) into the package. I find that the additives in prepackaged shredded cheeses do not allow the cheese to melt as smoothly.
Proper Storage
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish as the texture of the cooked pasta, spinach and sauce will not have the same consistency as it will when made fresh.
- To Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
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Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta
Serves — 4
Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta is a one-pot wonder when you need a cozy meal with minimal cleanup. Chicken, pasta, and spinach smothered in a creamy sauce is a delicious one dish dinner.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided, 2 tablespoons to cook the chicken and 1 tablespoon to cook to onion
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup sweet yellow (vidalia) onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves packed
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large (12 inch) heavy duty skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the boneless skinless chicken breast pieces to the hot skillet. Allow the chicken to cook, and brown, for 8-10 minutes or until no pink remains and the chicken pieces are lightly golden.3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and place it onto a plate. Set aside.
- To the hot skillet, with the chicken pieces removed, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, diced sweet yellow onion, minced garlic, dried thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook the onions for 1-2 minutes or until tender and translucent. Stir in the dijon mustard and cook for another 30 – 60 seconds.1 cup sweet yellow (vidalia) onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- Add the chicken broth, heavy cream and orzo pasta to the skillet and stir to combine.2½ cups chicken broth, ¾ cup heavy cream, 1 cup orzo pasta
- Bring the liquids to a boil. Once the liquids come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the orzo pasta is cooked to al dente. The pasta will absorb the liquids as it cooks. Be sure to stir the pasta, and liquids, often to ensure the pasta is not sticking and the liquids are not burning.
- Once the pasta is cooked, and the sauce has thickened, add the fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, baby spinach leaves and shredded parmesan cheese to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until all the baby spinach leaves have wilted into the hot sauce.2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Add the reserved cooked chicken pieces to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Turn off the heat to the skillet before serving. The sauce will thicken slightly once removed from the heat and the sauce starts to cool.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage :
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dish as the texture of the cooked pasta, spinach and sauce will not have the same consistency as it will when made fresh.
- To Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through.
- The pasta will absorb the liquids as it cooks. Be sure to stir the pasta and liquids often to ensure the pasta is not sticking and the liquids are not burning.
- Before adding the fresh baby spinach leaves, be sure to remove any large stems from the leaves. You can also use regular fresh spinach leaves however, they may be quite large so you should give them a rough chop before adding them to the skillet.
- I find that freshly shredded parmesan cheese melts the best when heated in the sauce. If buying prepackaged shredded parmesan cheese, choose a brand that does not add other ingredients (for anti-caking or sticking) into the package. I find that the additives in prepackaged shredded cheeses do not allow the cheese to melt as smoothly.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1479mg | Potassium: 770mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2308IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 383mg | Iron: 2mg
