One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo
Creamy lemon chicken orzo has fresh spinach, creamy orzo, and tender chicken, and is topped with fresh herbs. This crowd-pleasing pasta dish is dairy free and can easily be made gluten free.
Looking for more easy dinner recipes? Try my spicy garlic noodles, dairy free beef enchilada soup, or creamy spinach and sun dried tomato pasta.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lemon chicken orzo pasta:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- Sweet paprika
- Garlic powder
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dairy free butter
- Shallots
- Lemon zest
- Uncooked orzo
- Chicken broth
- Baby spinach
- Creamy oat milk or full-fat canned coconut milk – a great heavy cream replacement and adds extra creaminess.
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fresh parsley, fresh basil, or fresh dill – for garnish.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Orzo With Chicken: Step By Step
Here are some quick visual instructions. The full instructions and ingredient list will be in the printable recipe card below!
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel then add it to a large bowl with Italian seasoning, sweet paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large bowl. Mix until each piece is thoroughly coated.
- Heat a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and dairy free butter. Sear the seasoned chicken pieces on each side for 3-4 minutes then transfer them to a plate. They’ll finish cooking later.
- In the same pot, cook the shallots and lemon zest for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the dry orzo and chicken broth. Stir to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan then nestle the partially cooked chicken back in.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer over low heat. Stir occasionally until the orzo is al dente and the chicken is tender, about 9-11 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh spinach, milk of choice, and fresh lemon juice. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.
Helpful Tips
- If you don’t like a subtle coconut flavor, I highly recommend using creamy oat milk instead. It’ll add extra creaminess to the orzo but without any distinct flavor.
- The chicken is done when the internal temperature reads 165ºF with a meat thermometer.
Quick Tip: Use a rotisserie chicken for an even quicker meal. Shred it up and add it at the end of the cooking time.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Make It Your Way: Substitutions & Variations
Please remember that recipes are just a starting point.
How can you make this lemon chicken orzo recipe using what you already have? Here are some ideas…
- No chicken broth? – you can also use vegetable broth or crisp white wine.
- No chicken thighs? – it also works with boneless skinless chicken breasts. See the recipe FAQ’s for details.
- No shallot? – you can use half of a medium red or white onion instead.
- No spinach? – any variety of chopped kale would also work. Otherwise, you can omit it if you’d like.
- Not dairy free? – use unsalted butter and heavy cream.
- Make it gluten free – use gluten free orzo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but chicken breasts dry out more easily than chicken thighs so cut them in half lengthwise and cook them through completely in the skillet.
Then transfer them to a covered plate. Don’t add them back in until the orzo has finished cooking. This will help prevent the chicken from overcooking and drying out.
More Chicken Recipes
- One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo
- Dairy Free Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Dairy Free Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder (Dairy Free)
I hope you love this Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo! If you make this recipe, please leave a comment & a star rating below. Thank you!
One Pot Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt use ½ teaspoon if using any other kind
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon dairy free butter or unsalted butter if not dairy free
Creamy Lemon Orzo
- 2 small shallots diced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups uncooked orzo
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 heaping cups baby spinach
- ½ cup creamy oat milk or full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Garnish
- fresh herbs of choice: parsley, basil, or dill minced
- fresh lemon slices
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel then add it to a large bowl with Italian seasoning, sweet paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large bowl. Mix until each piece is thoroughly coated.
- Heat a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and dairy free butter.
- Sear the seasoned chicken pieces on each side for 3-4 minutes then transfer them to a plate. They'll finish cooking later.
- In the same pot, cook the shallots and lemon zest for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the dry orzo and chicken broth. Stir to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan then nestle the partially cooked chicken back in.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer over low heat. Stir occasionally until the orzo is al dente and the chicken is tender, about 9-11 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh spinach, milk of choice, and fresh lemon juice. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.