One Pot Lemon Chicken and Orzo
This One-Pot Lemon Chicken and Orzo is a quick and easy way to brighten up your menu any time of year. Vibrant, colorful ingredients and super easy prep make this a great choice for a busy weeknight.
Servings: 6
Calories: 421kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups orzo pasta
- 2 cups roughly chopped fresh baby spinach packed
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 2 lemons divided
- ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan divided
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, mix the flour and garlic powder. Pound thicker pieces of chicken to ¼-inch thickness with the flat side of a meat mallet, if needed. Cut each piece in half (to make smaller serving sizes) and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.
- Dip both sides of chicken in flour mixture to coat lightly and shake off excess. Transfer to a large sheet of foil other work surface and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add half of the chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and fully cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and tent with a piece of foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. When finished, lightly wipe the excess oil from skillet.
- Return the skillet to the heat and add the broth and orzo. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to LOW and simmer, covered, 8-10 minutes or until tender. Remove the cover and stir in the spinach, tomatoes, the juice of one lemon, basil and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Remove the skillet from the heat. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and sprinkle with about half of the Parmesan.
- Cut the remaining lemon into wedges. Serve the chicken and orzo with the remaining Parmesan and lemon wedges on the side.
Video
Notes
I like to finely shred my Parmesan, then work it with my fingers to break it down to a fine consistency like you see in the pictures in this post.
Nutrition
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 775mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1264IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 2mg