Lemon Chicken and Orzo Recipe
Lemon Chicken and Orzo is a bright, simple skillet dinner with seared chicken thighs, garlic, and fresh lemon. The orzo soaks up all the flavors, creating a creamy pasta that’s fresh and balanced. With just one pan and a handful of ingredients, it’s a weeknight dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes.
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Equipment
- Cooking pan I used Lodge braiser
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper or more to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter or use more olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups uncooked orzo
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Juice from 1 small lemon or half of large one
- ⅓ cup heavy cream you could also sub this with broth
- ½ tsp kosher salt or more to taste
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 bunch asparagus optional
- Parmesan cheese, parsley, and lemon to serve
Instructions
- Add your chicken to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with paprika, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Rub to evenly coat the chicken.
- Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven with a lid over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. It does not need to be cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- In the same pan, reduce heat to medium. Then add butter, onion, and garlic. Stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add orzo and stir continuously for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cream, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken thighs back on top of the orzo, top with asparagus pieces (if using), cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender and most of the liquid has absorbed (some liquid is fine; it will reabsorb back into the orzo as it cools).
- Top with grated parmesan, fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon to serve.
Notes
- Sear the chicken thighs until golden for extra flavor before simmering.
- Cook the onion and garlic first to build a rich base for the orzo.
- Keep some liquid in the pan so the orzo stays creamy as it cooks.
- Add Parmesan, parsley, and lemon at the end to brighten the dish.