One Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe

Chicken thighs with orzo and lemon slices in a skillet.

5 from 6 votes

One Pot Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 528kcal

Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
2 lemons (1 sliced, 1 juiced)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup dried orzo pasta
2 cups chicken broth

Instructions

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

Notes

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.
How to store? You can refrigerate it in an air-tight container for about 3 days.

Nutrition