Lemon Hen and Orzo - The Keep At Residence Chef

With recent, vibrant lemon and herbs, this one-pot meal is our favourite technique to efficiently pull off a home-cooked meal throughout the busy workweek. This simple recipe covers your entire bases—prepared in simply 45 minutes and tremendous flavorful whereas nonetheless being a lighter possibility that doesn’t depart you feeling weighed down.

Love Orzo previous as a lot as we do? Attempt our simple and scrumptious One Pot Italian Chicken Orzo.

Why Our Recipe

A one-pot meal that’s fast and straightforward to get on the desk in about 45 minutes.
Contemporary lemon and herbs loosen up this simple rooster dish.
Orzo is a simple and filling different to your customary pasta dish.

Orzo pasta elevates this easy dish and pairs nicely with the lemon rooster, protecting issues attention-grabbing so that you don’t need to fall again on boring, boiled pasta.

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients used to make Lemon Chicken & Orzo.

Hen Breasts: You can too use boneless thighs for those who favor darker meat. Simply be sure to chop them into bite-size items and trim off any fats.
Olive Oil: Substitute with any impartial cooking oil, comparable to vegetable or canola oil.
Hen Broth: Utilizing a low-sodium possibility means that you can finest management the flavour. It’s an important chef tip.
Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice works nicely and retains prep to a minimal, however freshly squeezed all the time has the very best taste.
Orzo: This short-cut pasta resembles rice and is discovered within the pasta aisle in a field or plastic container. Verify the cooking time in your package deal for the very best outcomes.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly shredded or grated Parmesan all the time melts the very best.

Hen Choices

Rotisserie Hen: If you happen to’re in a rush, rotisserie rooster is a improbable time-saver. Since rotisserie chickens are normally a loss chief for grocery shops, it’s a money-saver too! Merely shred about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pre-cooked rooster and stir it in throughout the previous few minutes of cooking.

Leftover Hen: Bought leftover rooster from a earlier meal? Whether or not it’s grilled, baked, or roasted, you possibly can simply shred it and add it to your soup. It is a nice technique to reduce waste and provides new life to leftovers.

Hen Thighs: If you happen to favor darkish meat, boneless rooster thighs are a tasty different to rooster breasts. They add a richer taste to the soup and have a tendency to remain extra tender and juicy. Sear and prepare dinner them simply as you’d rooster breasts.

Add Veggies

Simply add some colour to this one-pot dish by incorporating recent greens.

Asparagus, broccoli, and inexperienced beans are all nice choices that pair nicely with lemon, basil, and parmesan.

When so as to add in…

Closeup of Lemon Chicken & Orzo in a pot.

The Proper Pan

Dimension Issues: Go for a big, deep skillet (12 inches or larger). It offers the rooster and orzo loads of room to prepare dinner evenly and retains all the things from spilling out whenever you stir.

Lid Required: You’ll want a lid to cowl the pan whereas the orzo cooks. In case your skillet doesn’t have one, no worries—simply cowl it tightly with foil.

No skillet? No downside! A large, shallow Dutch oven or braiser works like a allure.

Storage & Reheating Directions

Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.

To freeze, let the dish cool fully, then retailer it in parts in a freezer-safe container for as much as 2 months. That within the fridge in a single day earlier than reheating.

Reheat on the stovetop in a skillet over medium-low warmth, stirring often, till warmed via.

Reheat within the microwave in parts in 30-second increments, stirring in between every, till warmed via.