One-Pot Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chicken

Get ready to meet the one-pot wonder that is going to revolutionize your weeknight dinner game. This Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus looks and tastes like something you’d get at a fancy restaurant, but it comes together in one pot in about 30 minutes. It’s a total showstopper.

We’re searing chicken until it’s golden brown, then building a luscious, creamy sauce and cooking the orzo right in the same pot. The orzo releases its starches as it cooks, creating a sauce that’s as rich and velvety as a classic risotto, with none of the endless stirring! A big hit of fresh lemon juice and zest at the end makes the whole dish incredibly bright and vibrant. It’s the perfect elegant, easy meal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One-Pot Wonder: Everything—from the chicken to the sauce to the orzo itself—cooks in a single pot. The easiest cleanup ever!
• Incredibly Creamy (Without a Ton of Cream!): The orzo cooks directly in the sauce, creating its own luscious, creamy texture.
• Bright & Flavorful: The “Zesty Sprinkle” of fresh lemon at the end makes this dish taste unbelievably fresh, light, and delicious.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Let’s make a one-pot masterpiece. Here’s how.

First, gather your beautiful, fresh ingredients.

Next, we’ll get a beautiful sear on our chicken. This is our flavor-building step! Searing the chicken in the pot first creates those delicious browned bits on the bottom that will make our sauce taste incredible.

Now, build the sauce and cook the orzo. In that same pot, we’ll sauté some garlic, then toast the orzo. We’ll add our broth and let the orzo simmer away, absorbing all that flavor and creating its own creamy sauce.

When the orzo is almost done, stir in the asparagus. We’ll add it right at the end for just a couple of minutes so it gets perfectly tender-crisp and stays a beautiful, vibrant green.

Finally, bring it all together! Once the orzo is tender, we’ll stir in the asparagus, the cooked chicken, a little parmesan, and our big hit of lemon juice and zest. A final “sprinkle” of fresh herbs, and you have the most amazing one-pot meal.

Ava’s Notes

• Don’t Skip the Zest! The lemon zest is the most important part of the final “sprinkle.” It contains all the aromatic oils and adds a huge burst of bright lemon flavor that you can’t get from juice alone.
• What Kind of Chicken? Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work beautifully here. Just cut them into bite-sized pieces so they cook quickly.
• Pasta Water is Your Friend (Even Here!): As the orzo cooks, it will absorb a lot of liquid. If your pot looks a little dry, don’t be afraid to add an extra splash of broth or water to keep it saucy.

One-Pot Creamy Lemon Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus

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Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Total time

35

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 c uncooked orzo pasta

• 4 c chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 large lemon, juiced and zested

• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or dill

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Sear the Chicken: Season the chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
• Build the Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic to the same pot and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the uncooked orzo and toast for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Cook the Orzo: Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente and has absorbed most of the liquid. The mixture should be loose and creamy, like a risotto.
• Finish the Dish: Uncover the pot and stir in the cut asparagus pieces. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the asparagus is tender-crisp.
• Serve: Turn off the heat. Stir in the cooked chicken, the Parmesan cheese, and the lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, topped with a final “sprinkle” of fresh parsley.

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