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.
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.
Notes
See the blog post for helpful tips, storage, and recipe FAQs.