One Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe

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This is the best recipe for Lemon Chicken Orzo that will become your favorite one pot meal for a quick weeknight dinner! The crispy chicken thighs are perfectly nestled in creamy zesty orzo pasta, creating a delicious combo of flavor and texture.

Chicken thighs with orzo and lemon slices in a skillet.

If you are looking for an easy weeknight dinner idea, try this amazing Lemon Chicken Orzo that you can make in one skillet! The whole recipe is so simple to prep and you will love the flavors!

The chicken thighs are pan seared first to get the perfect crispy top and then finished baking in the oven with creamy lemony orzo pasta. The dish comes out very light and refreshing, while being a perfect one pot comfort meal.

Ingredients and Substitution

Chicken Thighs. This recipe requires bone-in skin-on chicken thighs. They come out perfectly cooked and juicy. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are not going to work, just because they are too thin and will be overcooked by the time orzo is done. If you don’t like chicken thighs, you can use boneless skinless chicken breast and cook it according to the regular instructions.
Orzo. Orzo is a type of pasta in a grain shape, so make sure you DON’T rinse it before cooking! 😉
Lemons. I love this recipe to be bright and zesty. If you don’t like a lot of lemon flavor, you can reduce it to 2 tbsp of lemon juice and skip the lemon slices.
Chicken Broth. Homemade Chicken Stock is my favorite. But any store-bought one will work as well.
Veggies. Feel free to add some veggies to the dish! My favorite ones to incorporate are peas, asparagus, zucchini, spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.

How to make it

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Preheat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place it on the preheated skillet skin down. Sear for 3-5 minutes on both sides or until the skin is golden/brown color. Then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Process photos of searing chicken thighs in a skillet.

Add 1 sliced lemon to the same skillet and sear it for a couple of minutes on both sides to get the char. Then transfer it to a plate and also set aside.

Process photos of searing lemon slices in a skillet.

Add orzo to the same skillet and toast it for 1-2- minutes.

Process photos of toasting orzo in a skillet.

Then add chicken broth, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Bring it to boil and then place the seared chicken thighs and lemon slices on top.

Transfer it to the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should be at least 165°F) and the liquid is absorbed.

Chicken thighs, orzo, and lemon slices before and after baking.

Tips for best results

Chicken thighs. I prefer to trim the excess skin, so when it cooks together with the orzo, it doesn’t release too much fat liquids to make the dish greasy.
Lemon. I love this dish quite “lemony”, so I use lemon juice from a whole lemon (about ¼ cup). If you prefer it to be less acidic, you can use only 2 tbsp of lemon juice.

Storage and Freezing

How to store? You can refrigerate Lemon Chicken Orzo leftovers in an air-tight container for about 3 days.
How to reheat? You can reheat it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
How to freeze? The orzo usually doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend to freeze this dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is orzo?

Orzo is a type of pasta that’s shaped like a rice grains. It Italy it’s classified as “pastina”, which means “small pasta”.

Can I use rice instead of orzo?

I never tested this recipe with rice. Orzo is pasta and has different liquid/cooking ratio. If you want to cook with rice, check out my One Pot Chicken and Rice recipe.

What skillet to use?

I like to use my cast iron skillet. It does a great job searing the meat and you can easily transfer to the oven. If you don’t have one, you can use any oven-safe skillet.

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5 from 6 votes