Easy One-Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe with Spinach

I’m always on the lookout for healthy, easy, super delicious dinners and one-pan dinners and sheet pan meals always deliver. This One-Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo is at the top of my list for a healthy dinner that works just as well for date night as it does for a quick weeknight dinner. 

Bursting with lean protein thanks to the tender chicken breasts and savory bone broth, zingy and bright from the lemon, earthy and iron-rich from the spinach and nutty and satisfying from the orzo, this simple recipe may not seem like much, but it’s big on both flavor and nutrition. When you need to get dinner on the table, but don’t want to spend the rest of the night washing dishes, this one-pan meal is just what you need.

This One-Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo Recipe Is

• Fast and Easy: One of the best parts of this recipe is that it all comes together in a single skillet—no need for a stovetop full of dishes just to make a complete meal. Plus, because you only used one pan while cooking, you’ll have fewer dishes to wash when you’re done.
• Packed with Nutrition: Lean chicken breasts, fresh lemon, bone broth, and lots of fresh spinach make this simple recipe wholesome and nourishing without leaving you feeling weighed down. Plus, the orzo makes it comforting and cozy.
• Bright, Fresh Flavors: The lemon and spinach make this dish so fresh tasting, perfect to add a little brightness to a gray winter day.
• Versatile: If you don’t have spinach or want to use up other veggies or grains, you can quickly and easily swap in whatever you’d prefer. You can even make this dish vegetarian by using beans in place of the lean chicken and vegetable stock in place of the chicken broth and bone broth.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, quartered
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup of orzo pasta, uncooked
• 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
• 1/3 cup bone broth (or substitute more chicken broth)
• 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Sear the Chicken Breasts: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat (if you prefer, you can use an enameled cast-iron skillet or even an oval Dutch oven instead). Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Lay the pieces in the preheated pan and sear for about 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. The chicken won’t be cooked through—that’s okay! It’ll finish cooking later. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it on a plate. Set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.
2. Brown the Lemon Slices: After removing the chicken, add the vegan butter to the bottom of the pan to melt. Add the lemon slices and cook for one minute on each side until golden brown. Remove the lemon slices from the pan and add them to the plate with the seared chicken. 
3. Toast the Pasta: Add the minced garlic to the pan and give it a bit of a stir. Add the uncooked orzo and toast for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pasta and garlic are fragrant and golden.
4. Cook the Pasta and Chicken: Add the chicken broth, bone broth, and fresh lemon juice. Give it a quick stir. Add the spinach and stir to mix with the liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, add the chicken and lemon slices back to the pan. Cover the pan with a tightly fitting lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the orzo is al dente and the chicken is cooked to 165 degrees F.
5. Garnish and Serve: Once the chicken and orzo are cooked, taste the dish and season with salt and pepper if necessary. If you’d like, you can sprinkle a little fresh parsley, fresh basil, other fresh herbs, or even a little lemon zest over the top before serving. Plate the cooked chicken, orzo, spinach, and lemon slices and serve. Enjoy with lemon wedges on the side if desired!

Tips and Tricks

• Swap out the pasta: If needed, you can use a gluten-free orzo or other small pasta in this dish. You could also swap in rice (arborio would give it a risotto-like twist, but brown rice would also be great!) or quinoa. If you’re not worried about the gluten and looking for another way to change things up, try this with farro.
• Dial up the veggies: This lemon orzo chicken recipe has so much flavor on its own, but if you’d like, you can add additional vegetables like grape tomatoes, zucchini or yellow squash, onion, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, peas, or bell peppers. It’s a great choice if you need to sneak in a few more veggies that day.
• Add extra protein—or make it vegetarian: If you want a little extra protein, add chickpeas or cannellini beans to this dish for an easy way to bump up the protein content. Using quinoa instead of orzo would also increase the protein content. If you want to make this dish vegetarian, make sure you swap the chicken broth and bone broth for a veggie broth!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can this lemon chicken orzo recipe be made ahead?

While this dish is especially great when it’s freshly made, you can definitely make it ahead of time if that works better for your schedule. Prepare the recipe as written, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until everything is warm.

What can I serve alongside this lemon chicken orzo one-pan meal?

While you can definitely simply serve this one-pot lemon chicken orzo dish as a complete meal, the lemony orzo would also pair well with a simple green salad, mashed sweet potatoes or squash, roasted pumpkin or carrots, sautéed artichoke hearts, steamed peas or broccoli, and more. Get creative!

Does this recipe freeze well?

Although you can freeze this dish in an airtight container for up to 2 months, it’s really best fresh. The texture of this pasta dish may change a bit after freezing because cooked pasta can be tricky to freeze. If you’re not worried about the change in texture, it should be just fine!

This simple one-pot dish is flavorful and nutritious. Great for an easy weeknight meal, meal prep, or even date night, it’s a simple solution to the question, “what’s for dinner?” It may even become a family favorite.