Creamy Lemon Garlic Orzo Chicken Skillet

My creamy, lemon garlic orzo chicken skillet is packed with flavor and makes for a very satisfying weeknight meal.

Orzo is one of those pasta shapes that doesn’t get enough love. You might find it in a soup recipe here or there but It is so much more versatile than that. As a rice lover, I appreciate orzo because it acts a little bit like rice but it’s still pasta. I love using orzo in my one pot meals because it cooks up similar to rice and makes for a great base for most of my one pot skillet recipes.

For this recipe in particular, I was inspired to make it lemon based because my husband has been loading up on the lemons lately because of his juicing journey. I decided to borrow a lemon for this recipe and I’m glad I did!

The chicken paired beautifully with the sauce and the lemon gave the acidity this rich, creamy recipe needed. If you’re tired of rice, I recommend you give my orzo chicken skillet recipe a try! You won’t be disappointed. Best of all the recipe takes under an hour from start to finish.

Let’s jump into it:

Yield: 4 servings

Creamy Lemon Garlic Orzo Chicken Skillet

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My creamy, lemon garlic orzo chicken skillet is packed with flavor and makes for a very satisfying weeknight meal.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of flour to lightly dredge chicken
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil

For sauce

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp garlic
• 1/2 cup diced white onions
• 1/4 cup dry white wine of choice
• 1 cup of orzo pasta
• 1 cup of heavy cream or half and half
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp of lemon juice
• 6 lemon slices * optional
• Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Cut chicken lengthwise and season with spices
3. Lightly dredge chicken pieces in flour until coated on both sides
4. To a large cast iron or oven safe skillet on medium heat, add butter and olive oil
5. Sear chicken breasts on both sides until golden brown and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes per side
6. Remove chicken breasts and set aside to rest
7. To the same skillet, add additional butter and oil if needed and saute onions and garlic
8. Deglaze the pan with white wine and scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan
9. Next, add the orzo, heavy cream ,chicken broth, lemon juice and parmesan cheese, and additional salt if needed, mix well to combine
10. Lastly, turn off the heat and add the chicken breast pieces back on top of the orzo and nestle lemon slices in between each chicken breast. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley
11. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and liquid has completely absorbed
12. Allow skillet to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to settle into the orzo and cool
13. Serve warm and enjoy!

If you love one pot meals then don’t forget to check out all my other skillet recipes.

Don’t forget to check out my last post on the blog here.