Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo
This One Pan Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Meal is ready quickly, has minimal prep and clean up, and tastes like a 5-star restaurant meal! Made with flavorful chicken, orzo, coconut milk, lemon and veggies, this lemon orzo with chicken will quickly become a new family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts (thinner will cook faster)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 3 tsp olive oil or butter, divided
- 1 shallot
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 8 oz chicken broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1.5 cups orzo pasta
- ½ cup grape tomatoes, halves
- 2 lemons, juiced (about ¼ lemon juice – save the lemon zest!)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese + more for topping
- ¼ cup cream cheese, optional
- 1-2 cups spinach
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp basil, diced
Instructions
- In a bowl or on a small plate, season chicken breasts with italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Over medium high heat, add 2 tsp of olive oil and chicken breasts to a medium cooking pan (we're saving the last tsp of olive oil for later). Cook chicken breasts for 5-8 minutes, or until cooked through. Note you can put the lid on to cook longer, if needed.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it and set it aside on a separate plate. You can cut it into pieces while you finish cooking the orzo. Deglaze your pan if needed.
- Add another tsp of olive oil, shallot and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, coconut milk and orzo and gently bring to a boil. Then cover and turn the heat down.
- Keep an eye on it (uncover and stir as needed) to ensure orzo doesn’t stick to bottom of pan. After 5-7 minutes, add in the halved tomatoes.
- Once orzo is cooked through, add in the lemon juice, cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Lastly, add your spinach and then add the cooked chicken back in.
- Stir together until cheese is melted and distributed and spinach wilts. Add in lemon zest and basil, and enjoy.
Notes
*you can add all coconut milk after boiling the orzo, but I find that it's creamier when it boils in along with coconut milk :) Personal preference!
Nutrition
Calories: 593kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 39gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 844mgPotassium: 840mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1315IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 216mgIron: 4mg
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