One Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo
This easy one pot lemon chicken orzo is the perfect dish to add into your springtime recipe rotation. Cubed chicken, fresh lemon juice, and toasted orzo make for a flavorful meal.
Servings: 4 1 ½ cup servings
Calories: 507kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in ¼ inch square pieces
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup peas
Instructions
- Season chicken cubes with pepper and salt, set aside.
- In a large sauté pan or pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken to the pan and let it cook for 10 minutes or until you get a nice golden brown color on the exterior. Make sure to stir occasionally to brown all sides.
- Note: If there is some excess liquid released while the chicken cooks, remove some of the liquid by placing a few paper towels in the bottom of the pan to absorb the liquid and immediately discard. Removing some of the liquid will allow for a nice golden brown exterior on the chicken.
- Once your chicken has browned, remove it from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 3 minutes or until soft and translucent. If you need to add a splash of oil to the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, go for it!
- Add the uncooked orzo to the pan, stirring for one minute to give it a gentle toast.
- Add the cooked chicken, chicken broth, dried parsley, dried basil, and lemon zest to the pan and stir.
- Cover the pan and cook over medium low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure the orzo does not stick to the bottom.
- After 10 minutes, the orzo should be fully cooked.
- Add the lemon juice, parmesan cheese and peas to the pan and stir together.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Cooking a lot of chicken in a pot at once releases a lot of liquid. Drain some of this excess liquid to allow the chicken to properly brown and develop flavor.
Cubed chicken thighs can be an easy option if you don't have chicken breast on hand.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 995mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 2mg
