Tender chicken and orzo come together with a creamy, dairy-free lemon sauce for the perfect weeknight dinner-turned-date-night recipe. Introducing my Creamy One-Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo, a delicious, flavorful recipe that you’ll want to keep in your back pocket. This one-pan dish has it all, and comes together in just 20 minutes. Truly, what could be better than that?
Friends, I am back with another 20 minute dinner recipe! Did you miss these? In case you’ve missed it, every week this year, I’ve been sharing a brand new, simple, easy dinner recipe that comes together in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for those weeknights where you don’t want to spend a ton of time cooking dinner. And, because I really want to make your life as simple as possible, not only do these recipes come together in just 20 minutes, but they also come together in just one pan, so there’s less cleanup at the end.
From my viral One-Pan “Marry Me” Chicken Orzo, to my Saucy and Tender Lemon Garlic Teriyaki Chicken, you simply can’t go wrong with a one-pan recipe. Especially one that’s filled with orzo, tender chicken, and a creamy, dairy-free lemon sauce. This is one recipe that will have you coming back for seconds… or even thirds!
Plus, this recipe is elevated enough to transcend the typical weeknight dinner. If you’re looking for the perfect recipe to serve for your next date night, this recipe fits the bill. Serve it alongside my Flourless Chocolate Cakes for dessert, and you’ve got a match (or meal) made in heaven.
To make this recipe, you will need chicken breast, cumin, paprika, kosher salt, ground black pepper, olive oil, yellow onion, garlic, chicken broth, dijon mustard, orzo, fresh spinach, coconut milk or heavy cream, lemons, and parmesan cheese.Add the diced onion and garlic to the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Then, add in the chicken broth and mustard, stirring well, followed by the orzo. Cook uncovered.
What You Need to Make This Easy 20-Minute Dinner Recipe
Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is the key to making this recipe!
Seasonings: To give this chicken the perfect flavor, we’ll be using a combination of cumin, paprika, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Yum!
Olive Oil: To cook the chicken, I like to choose a better-for-you oil such as olive oil.
Yellow Onion: Yellow onion has a mild, onion flavor that tastes perfect in this recipe.
Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible. The flavor is truly unbeatable!
Chicken Broth: Chicken broth adds a rich and delicious flavor to this orzo. If you want to add in some extra protein, you can also opt for chicken bone broth instead.
Prepare the chicken breast by patting them dry with a paper towel and slicing them into cubes. Add them to a bowl alongside the paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and ground black pepper, and toss until the chicken is fully coated in the seasonings.
Dijon Mustard: Don’t knock it until you try it – the dijon mustard adds the perfect tangy kick to this recipe!
Orzo: Orzo is a short-cut pasta that looks like a large grain of rice. It’s a delicious form of pasta to eat when you don’t want to feel super full and sluggish!
Fresh Spinach: Spinach is packed with vitamins and minerals and is the perfect way to sneak extra veggies into this recipe.
Full-Fat Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream: I prefer to use full-fat coconut milk to keep this recipe dairy-free, but heavy cream also works well, here.
Lemons: This recipe calls for lemon juice, lemon zest, and sliced lemons, to give this dish the perfect lemony flavor!
Parmesan Cheese: There is nothing better than taking a bite of creamy, cheesy pasta, and freshly grated parmesan cheese is the perfect addition to this recipe!
How to Make This Creamy, Lemony Chicken & Orzo
To make this recipe, start by preparing the chicken: pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and slice them into cubes. Add them to a bowl alongside the paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and ground black pepper, and toss until the chicken is fully coated in the seasonings.
Next, heat a skillet, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in the oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the edges start to cook. Then, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Once the orzo is cooked through, add in the spinach, the coconut milk or heavy cream (if using), lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese to the pan. Stir the ingredients together for about a minute, until they’re fully combined and the spinach is wilted.Then, add the cooked chicken back in the pan, stirring until it’s fully incorporated into the orzo and everything cooks through. Once it’s done, garnish with more parmesan cheese and lemon slices, if desired, then serve and enjoy!
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Then, dice the onion, mash the garlic, and add them to the hot pan. Cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, being sure to scrape down the sides of the pan so that none of the onion or garlic burns.
Then, add in the chicken broth and mustard, stirring well, followed by the orzo. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Once the orzo is cooked through, add in the spinach, the coconut milk or heavy cream (if using), lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese to the pan.
Stir the ingredients together for about a minute, until they’re fully combined and the spinach is wilted. Then, taste and adjust the kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Finally, add the chicken back in the pan, stirring until it’s fully incorporated into the orzo and everything cooks through. Depending on what brand of orzo you’re using, it may need a few more minutes to cook through – that is okay!
Once it’s done, plate it and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
Tender chicken and orzo come together with a creamy, dairy-free lemon sauce for the perfect weeknight dinner-turned-date-night recipe. Introducing my Creamy One-Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo, a delicious, flavorful recipe that you'll want to keep in your back pocket. This one-pan dish has it all, and comes together in just 20 minutes. Truly, what could be better than that?
Ingredients
1.5PoundsBoneless, Skinless Chicken Breastcut into cubes
1TeaspoonPaprika
½TeaspoonCumin
1TeaspoonKosher Salt
½TeaspoonGround Black Pepper
2TablespoonsOlive Oil
1SmallYellow Onionfinely diced
4-5ClovesGarlicmashed
2 ½CupsChicken Broth
3TeaspoonsDijon Mustard
1CupOrzo
2Large HandfulsSpinach
½CupFull-Fat Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream
3Lemons1 lemon zested, 2 lemons juiced (this is approximately 1/4-1/3 cup), and 1 lemon cut thin, into slices
¾CupParmesan Cheesefreshly grated
Instructions
To make this recipe, start by preparing the chicken: pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and slice them into cubes. Add them to a bowl alongside the paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and ground black pepper, and toss until the chicken is fully coated in the seasonings.
Next, heat a skillet, on the stove, over medium heat, and add in the oil.
Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the edges start to cook.
Then, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Then, dice the onion, mash the garlic, and add them to the hot pan.
Cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, being sure to scrape down the sides of the pan so that none of the onion or garlic burns.
Then, add in the chicken broth and mustard, stirring well, followed by the orzo.
Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once the orzo is cooked through, add in the spinach, the coconut milk or heavy cream (if using), lemon zest, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese to the pan.
Stir the ingredients together for about a minute, until they're fully combined and the spinach is wilted.
Then, taste and adjust the kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
Finally, add the chicken back in the pan, stirring until it's fully incorporated into the orzo and everything cooks through. Depending on what brand of orzo you're using, it may need a few more minutes to cook through – that is okay!
Wow! I thought this would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be THAT delicious! So delicious and quick/easy to make, I’m going to make it again for dinner tonight!
I made this a couple of times. This was delicious !! It is so easy and quick that I can easily make it when I get home from work and still have time to relax. I highly recommend it. I am making it for a third time tonight.
I am so thrilled to have that, Jill! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
This meal was incredible. Normally I tweak recipes to my personal taste or to fit ingredients I have in my home but this one seemed perfect as-is. And it was! It was truly so delicious. I’ll be making this again and SOON.
Wow, I’m so happy to hear that Cristina! Thank you so much for making it!
This was so yummy!! i actually marinated the chicken in the seasonings + lemon juice for a few hours before making and it was so yum!! I also added a bit of shaved parmesan on top at the end
Very good. I made a few additions. I added 4 large mushrooms sliced fairly thickly and 4 artichoke bottoms sliced thickly. I’d also highly recommend that the chicken be cooked sous vide and then added back in at the very end just to heat up. It’s too easy to overcook the chicken making it tough.
I stumbled upon this recipe from Nicole’s FB page and I’m am sooooo in love with it!!! It’s an easy, creamy, flavor bomb that I’ve already made twice in one week! Definitely adding to the rotation.
WHAT DID YOU THINK?
Rate + Review
Wow! I thought this would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be THAT delicious! So delicious and quick/easy to make, I’m going to make it again for dinner tonight!
I just made this for diner. My husband and daughter loved it. It’s a keeper.
How long do you cook the orzo?
I made this a couple of times. This was delicious !! It is so easy and quick that I can easily make it when I get home from work and still have time to relax. I highly recommend it. I am making it for a third time tonight.
I am so thrilled to have that, Jill! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
This meal was incredible. Normally I tweak recipes to my personal taste or to fit ingredients I have in my home but this one seemed perfect as-is. And it was! It was truly so delicious. I’ll be making this again and SOON.
Wow, I’m so happy to hear that Cristina! Thank you so much for making it!
This was so yummy!! i actually marinated the chicken in the seasonings + lemon juice for a few hours before making and it was so yum!! I also added a bit of shaved parmesan on top at the end
That sounds delicious, Tori! Thank you so much for your review!
So yummy! Hubs loved it! Wish nutrition facts were listed but other wise soooo good!
I forgot that I intentionally also left out the Kale, although it would have been good (as would swiss chard).
Very good. I made a few additions. I added 4 large mushrooms sliced fairly thickly and 4 artichoke bottoms sliced thickly. I’d also highly recommend that the chicken be cooked sous vide and then added back in at the very end just to heat up. It’s too easy to overcook the chicken making it tough.
I’m so glad you found a variation that works for you, Robert. Thank you for your review!
My family loved this! So easy and amazing every time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m so happy they enjoyed it, Danielle! Thank you for your review!
I’m assuming the lemon slices go in at the end?
Hi Dre, yes!
I stumbled upon this recipe from Nicole’s FB page and I’m am sooooo in love with it!!! It’s an easy, creamy, flavor bomb that I’ve already made twice in one week! Definitely adding to the rotation.
I am so happy to hear that, Amanda! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for all of your support on Facebook!