Lemon Chicken Orzo

close up shot of lemon chicken orzo served in white bowl garnished with fresh parsley

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This Lemon Chicken Orzo is vibrant, packed with flavour and all made in one pan!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £3 / $4

Equipment

1x Large Deep Cast Iron Skillet or Large Pot
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Wooden Spoon
Large Plate and Foil (to keep chicken warm)
Jug (for stock)

Ingredients

Chicken

2x 9oz/250g Chicken Breasts, brought close to room temp
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp EACH: Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder (or more garlic powder)
Olive Oil, as needed

Lemon Orzo

2 cups / 400g Uncooked Orzo
3 1/2 cups / 875ml Chicken Stock (not piping hot!)
1 cup / 250ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
1/2 cup / 40g freshly grated Parmesan
2 tbsp Butter
2 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves, finely diced (or sub 1/2 tsp dried)
1 Lemon, zested, halved, then one half diced into quarters
1 Leek, trimmed and finely diced (see notes)
1 clove of Garlic, finely diced
Salt & Pepper, to taste

To serve (optional)

1lb / 500g Asparagus, woody stalks removed
finely diced Fresh Parsley

Instructions

Slice the chicken breasts right through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts. Coat in salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper.
Heat up around 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large deep cast iron skillet or pot. Add chicken and fry both sides until golden, with the centre piping hot and white all the way through. Remove and add to a side plate. Fry asparagus (if using) for a few mins with a good pinch of salt & pepper until they begin to soften. Add to plate with the chicken and tightly cover in foil to keep warm. Slice chicken just before needed.
Reduce heat to a medium and melt in 1 tbsp butter. Add the leek and fry until soft, then add in garlic, thyme & lemon zest and fry for another 1-2mins. Stir in orzo, then pour in chicken stock and the juice of half the lemon. Give it a stir, then stir in the cream and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Give it a good stir then bring it to a simmer. Keep the heat on low, stirring frequently until the orzo is cooked and the sauce has thickened to a risotto-style consistency. Stir in parmesan then stir in 1 more tbsp butter. Check for seasoning and adjust if desired. Stir in a splash of stock, water or cream if you over-reduce the sauce.
Serve individual portions with sliced chicken on top, alongside asparagus, a sprinkle of fresh parsley and a small lemon wedge each (if you want it more lemony).

Video

Notes

a) Leek - Ensure you trim off the dark green leaves (you can save these for stocks or soups; they're too tough to eat normally). Also, make sure you rinse the leek in cold water to remove any hidden dirt. If you don't have leek you can sub 2 large shallots or 1 medium white onion.

b) Stock/Cream - Important your cream is at room temp and your stock isn't piping hot or it'll curdle the cream. Also just make sure you're definitely using heavy (US) or double (UK) cream. Anything thinner (i.e. half and half or milk) will likely curdle due to the acidity of the lemon.

c) One Pot - If you'd prefer, you can cook the chicken alongside the orzo. This will leave you with hotter chicken when serving. If you'd prefer to do it all in the same pot just follow the recipe as instructed.

d) Make Ahead - Best made fresh, but you can make the orzo ahead of time, then warm over low heat in a pan with a splash of milk, cream or stock to loosen up the sauce. Fry chicken/asparagus as you reheat orzo.

e) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 without asparagus.

Nutrition