Description
Lemon Chicken Orzo is a one-pan dish bursting with flavor and simplicity. With tender chicken, creamy orzo, and fresh spinach, it’s perfect for a quick dinner or comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2-3 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small shallot finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 3 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup grated parmesan optional
- 2 tablespoons butter optional
- Fresh parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add shallot and garlic, cooking for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the dry orzo and toast for 30 seconds.
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer; cover and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring halfway, until most liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in heavy cream, spinach, lemon zest, and juice. Let simmer for 1–2 minutes until creamy and spinach wilts.
- Fold in the shredded or diced chicken and heat through.
- Stir in Parmesan and butter if using, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Feel free to use rotisserie chicken for convenience.
This dish can be adjusted by adding more vegetables as desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg