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Creamy lemon chicken orzo finished with parmesan, fresh dill, and lemon slices in a red Dutch oven.

One-Pot Healthy Lemon Chicken Orzo

5 from 2 votes
A light, creamy, lemony one-pan dinner made with leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, orzo, spinach, parmesan, and fresh dill. Everything cooks together in one pan for an easy, comforting weeknight meal.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings : 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 finely diced onion
  • 3 cloves minced garlic cloves
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1¼ cup orzo
  • 4 cups chicken bone broth
  • 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Start Cooking

Instructions
 

  1. Sauté the aromatics
    Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 finely diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in 3 cloves minced garlic cloves, and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
    Sautéed onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper in a Dutch oven as the base for lemon chicken orzo.
  2. Toast the orzo & add broth
    Add 1¼ cup orzo and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to coat the grains in the oil and aromatics.
    Pour in 4 cups chicken bone broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender.
    Orzo simmering in chicken bone broth with sautéed onions to create a creamy one-pot lemon chicken orzo.
  3. Add the parmesan & lemon
    On low heat, stir in 1 cup freshly grated parmesan, zest of 1 lemon, juice of 1 lemon and mix vigorously to release the starch from the pasta and create a creamy sauce.
    Creamy orzo cooking down in broth before adding chicken, parmesan, lemon, and spinach.
  4. Add the chicken
    Stir in 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken and let it warm through for 2 minutes as the orzo finishes cooking.
    Shredded rotisserie chicken being folded into creamy orzo for an easy one-pot lemon chicken orzo recipe.
  5. Finish
    Add 2 cups baby spinach until just wilted. Add more salt, lemon, or broth to loosen the texture if desired. Serve topped with 2 tbsp fresh dill and more freshly grated parmesan.
    Stirring parmesan, fresh dill, lemon zest, and spinach into creamy lemon chicken orzo.

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 46gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 560mgPotassium: 444mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1670IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 342mgIron: 2mg