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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    One Pan Chicken Lemon Orzo

    August 24, 2023 by christina.klapper 50 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This Lemon Chicken Orzo is one of the best dinners I have ever made and it makes for an excellent meal prep recipe as well. It is easy, tangy, creamy, absolutely delicious and made in ONE pan! This meal also uses boursin cheese and it took the internet by storm as one of my first viral recipes!

    This one pan lemon chicken orzo is absolutely delicious, easy and makes for a great family dinner or meal prep and it uses boursin cheese which makes it so creamy and delicious.

    This one pan boursin cheese recipe is great year round and it is definitely a crowd pleaser. Having people over you want to impress and not sure what to make? This recipe will be your go to! It is a show stopper without all the added steps and time.

    If you love this recipe you will love my one pan chicken feta orzo which was inspired by this recipe or my one pan chicken and zucchini orzo.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • FAQ
    • One Pan Meals
    • Meal Prep
    • Jump to: Recipe
    • Food safety

    Ingredients

    • Chicken breast, diced into 1″ cubes
    • Avocado oil 
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Garlic powder
    • Smoked paprika
    • Italian seasoning
    • Fresh herbs (basil, dill, thyme), minced 
    • Garlic Cloves, minced 
    • Zest & Juice of one lemon
    • Lemon Sliced (optional)
    • Sun-dried tomatoes
    • Boursin cheese 
    • Chopped frozen spinach or fresh spinach
    • Orzo, dry
    • Chicken Bone Broth or Chicken Broth 
    • Water 

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    1. Preheat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position. 

    2. Grab a large baking pan (9×13). Add your diced chicken breast, avocado oil and seasonings. Next add your garlic, fresh herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sun-dried tomatoes. 

    3. Create a hole in the center and add your Boursin cheese. Next add in your frozen spinach, orzo, bone broth and water. Use a spatula to push down your orzo into the liquid and make sure everything is evenly distributed. 

    4. Place in the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until your orzo is cooked through! Let set for 10 minutes before serving. Mix and serve!

    Hint: The dish may appear watery upon pulling the dish out of the oven. Do NOT Panic! This is very normal. Orzo takes some time to absorb all of the water, so trust the process and wait 10 minutes before serving. The orzo will soak up the water and it will come out perfect!

    Hint: If you are using fresh spinach, wait to add the spinach at the end before mixing!

    Substitutions

    If you are interested in making this one pan boursin cheese recipe but you have dietary restrictions, you can make the following substitutions:

    • Dairy-Free – Boursin has a dairy-free option that you are welcome to use to make this recipe dairy-free.
    • Vegetarian– Skip the chicken and use vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian.
    • Vegan- Skip chicken, use vegetable broth and substitute for the dairy-free boursin to make this recipe vegan.
    • Gluten-free– try using rice instead of orzo to make this recipe gluten-free (I have personally not tried this therefore can not say with certainty this will work).
    • Frozen spinach– you can substitute for fresh spinach, I only used frozen because that’s all I had on hand!

    Variations

    • Spicy – add red chili flakes to make this recipe spicy.
    • Kid friendly – this recipe is kid friendly on it’s own!
    • Chicken– Substitute chicken for diced tofu as a plant based alternative protein source.

    Equipment

    All you need to make this one pan lemon chicken orzo recipe is a 9×13 ceramic baking dish or pan.

    For those that are looking for something similar to the pan I used in my reel, here is a baking dish I found on amazon with great reviews.

    If you are meal prepping this boursin cheese pasta, these are some of my favorite glass bento box containers.

    Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.

    Storage

    You can store this one pan lemon chicken orzo in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Top tip

    Dish may appear watery but trust the process and cook just until your orzo is cooked through. Once you remove your pan let it rest for 5 minutes before serving and this will soak up the excess liquid.

    FAQ

    What herbs did you use?

    You can use whatever herbs you have on hand but I used basil, thyme and dill. I think chives and rosemary would also fit nicely.

    Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

    I think rice should work as a substitute for orzo but I have not yet tried this so proceed with caution when trying.

    One Pan Meals

    Looking for other easy one pan meals like this? Try these:

    • Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins
    • Ground Turkey and Zucchini Meal Prep
    • Healthy Chicken Alfredo Casserole
    • Easy Baked Feta Spaghetti Squash

    Meal Prep

    Looking for some other easy meal prep recipes like this? Try these:

    • plate of baked tortellini with tomatoes and boursin cheese
      Tortellini Bake with Boursin & Tomato
    • Creamy Crock Pot Rotel Chicken
    • Chicken Apple Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
    • Fall Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies

    Jump to: Recipe

    This One Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo is the most delicious, easy and flavorful meals out there. It's also meal prep friendly.

    One Pan Lemon Chicken Orzo

    This Lemon Chicken Orzo makes for an excellent family dinner or meal prep recipe as well. It is easy, tangy, creamy, absolutely delicious and made in ONE pan! This viral meal took the internet by storm and for good reason.
    4.75 from 20 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 50 minutes mins
    Course Baby Led Weaning Lunch, Dinner, family dinner, Meal Prep
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 5
    Calories 347 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 9×13 ceramic baking dish

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound Chicken breast diced
    • 1 tablespoon Avocado oil
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ⅓ cup fresh herbs dill,thyme, basil, minced
    • 3-4 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 lemon zested & juiced
    • 1 lemon sliced to top (optional)
    • ½ cup Sun-dried tomatoes
    • 1 Boursin cheese
    • 6 oz or ½ a bag chopped frozen spinach or fresh spinach
    • 1.5 cups orzo dry
    • 2 cups chicken broth
    • 1 cup water
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position.
    • Grab a large baking pan (9×13). Add your diced chicken breast, avocado oil and seasonings. Next add your garlic, fresh herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sun-dried tomatoes.
    • Create a hole in the center and add your Boursin cheese. Next add in your frozen spinach, orzo, bone broth and water. Use a spatula to push down your orzo into the liquid and make sure everything is evenly distributed.
    • Place in the oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until your orzo is cooked through! Mix and serve!
    • Hint: The dish may appear watery upon pulling the dish out of the oven. Do not Panic! This is very normal. Orzo takes some time to absorb all of the water, so trust the process and wait 10 minutes before serving. The orzo will soak up the water and it will come out perfect!
    • Hint: If you are using fresh spinach, wait to add the spinach at the end before mixing!

    Video

    Notes

    Substitutions

      • Dairy-Free – Boursin has a dairy-free option that you are welcome to use to make this recipe dairy-free.
      • Vegetarian– Skip the chicken and use vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian.
      • Vegan- Skip chicken, use vegetable broth and substitute for the dairy-free boursin to make this recipe vegan.
      • Gluten-free– try using rice instead of orzo to make this recipe gluten-free (I have personally not tried this therefore can not say with certainty this will work).

    Variations

      • Spicy – add add red chili flakes to make this recipe spicy.
      • Kid friendly – this recipe is kid friendly on it’s own!
      • Chicken– Substitute chicken for diced tofu as a plant based alternative protein source.

    Equipment

    All you need for this recipe is a 9×13 ceramic baking dish or pan.
    For those that are looking for something similar to the dish I used in my reel, here is a baking dish I found on amazon with great reviews.
    If you are meal prepping this meal, these are some of my favorite glass bento box containers.
    Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.

    Storage

    You can store this one pan lemon chicken orzo in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    Top tip

    Make sure to slice your chicken into larger chunks so that they do not dry out in the cooking process.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 29gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 733mgPotassium: 991mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 4557IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Easy Dinner, Easy Meal prep, healthy dinner, lemon chicken orzo, one pan, one pan dinner, one pan meal prep
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Food safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    Related

    More Dinner

    • Chicken Fattoush Salad
    • Chicken Fajita Tacos
    • Gut Nourishing Soup
    • Easy and Healthy Chili Mac

    Comments

    1. Alicia says

      August 24, 2023 at 2:56 am

      5 stars
      So So good! Made it for dinner tonight. My husband asked that this be added to normal dinner rotation.

      Reply
    2. Kristi Bajjali says

      August 24, 2023 at 3:46 am

      5 stars
      This was the easiest recipe and it was DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to make it again!

      Reply
    3. Vanessa Sotelo says

      August 24, 2023 at 4:34 am

      Loved this receipt! First time cooking Orzo but it was very easy! My kiddos also loved it, they rarely ask for seconds and they went for thirds! Will defiantly be making again!

      Reply
    4. Nayla says

      August 24, 2023 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      Incredible recipe and delicious too!

      Reply
    5. Hillary Whitfield says

      August 24, 2023 at 3:05 pm

      5 stars
      SO GOOD! This was so easy for me to make during nap time, and reheated really well. The chicken was tender and so flavorful. Big hit with my toddler, too! Loved feeding my family a flavorful and nutritious meal with this recipe. Thanks!!

      Reply
    6. Katy says

      August 24, 2023 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      SO GOOD!

      Reply
    7. Jen F. says

      August 26, 2023 at 12:46 am

      I tried this recipe last night and it passed the test with my teen boys!! We are adding it into the rotation. It had amazing flavor!!

      Reply
    8. Lauren says

      August 28, 2023 at 5:04 pm

      5 stars
      I made this as meal prep for lunches this week and it is SO good.
      I doubled it to make 8 servings – it probably could have made 10, but I always make my boyfriend’s servings bigger, so 4 for him and 4 normal size servings for me haha. I used basil and dill for the fresh spices, and instead of spinach used yellow squash and zucchini. I salted those and let them drain some before adding them in, but also left out the water in the recipe since zucchini and squash release a lot of water when cooked. 12/10 recommend.

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        February 22, 2025 at 9:35 pm

        5 stars
        This is so darn good!
        I wanted a little char on my chicken, so I seasoned it, cooked it in a cast iron skillet, then chopped and mixed it in the baked orzo mixture at the end.
        I will be making this a lot!

        Reply
        • christina.klapper says

          February 22, 2025 at 9:35 pm

          I’m so happy that you loved it!!!!!

          Reply
    9. Chelsea says

      August 30, 2023 at 10:37 pm

      5 stars
      Very good! All the kids, including very picky four year old ate it. Dinner win. Will be making the other recipes next!

      Reply
    10. Nancy D'Amato says

      September 05, 2023 at 10:28 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I had all the ingredients, prepped and ready yesterday, but my daughter was dying for Chinese takeout, so I just saved everything for today. Then I tested positive for Covid but, with a mask on, I threw everything in my Pyrex and told my husband to take it out in 45 minutes. It is delicious! Unfortunately, we will forever called his dish Covid chicken. 🤣

      Reply
      • Nicole C says

        November 14, 2024 at 8:36 pm

        4 stars
        While easy to make, we all felt like something was missing. Chicken was also very dry. If I try it again, I might use chicken thighs instead of breasts.

        Reply
        • christina.klapper says

          November 14, 2024 at 8:39 pm

          Hey Nicole! Thank you for the feedback! Just curious, did you bake it in a ceramic dish? Also how long did you bake for?

          Reply
    11. Jenn says

      September 09, 2023 at 10:43 pm

      5 stars
      Just made this for dinner. It’s excellent, I’ll definitely be adding this dish to our regular rotation.

      Reply
    12. ELizabeth Rowbotham says

      September 13, 2023 at 11:17 pm

      4 stars
      I loved recipe but felt chicken was dry – any suggestions on how to cook without overcooking chicken?

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        September 14, 2023 at 3:00 am

        Hey Elizabeth! How long did you end up cooking the chicken for? I think sometimes people worry about the extra liquid that’s left in the pan, they end up cooking the dish longer and end up drying out the chicken rather than removing the dish from the oven and letting it rest for 7-10 minutes until the orzo is soaks up the liquid! Another thing is trying to choose higher quality (or further from the sell by date) chicken! I chose a chicken at the store that was a day or 2 from the sell by date and it ended up being SO dry when I was taste testing another recipe with a similar cook time but when I chose a higher quality chicken and further from the sell date, it was perfect!

        I hope that helps!! You can also try just cooking the chicken separate in a pan and adding in after if you have the time!

        Reply
    13. Joy says

      September 16, 2023 at 5:11 pm

      Same results in a glass pan vs. ceramic?

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        September 18, 2023 at 3:32 pm

        Hey Joy! Great question! I have not tried this with a glass pan but I think many other people have and have posted that it turned out great!

        Reply
        • Daizia Williams says

          December 05, 2024 at 4:44 am

          5 stars
          Yum! This is the second recipe I’ve tried after finding the Easy Eats Dietitian Instagram page, and my family is so pleased! As a busy, full-time working, exclusively pumping mama to three kids, cooking had fallen by the wayside lately. After getting tired of fast food and seeing the number on the scale start to creep up I was wanting to eat more real food but felt at a loss for where to start. This recipe and the boursin tortellini recipe have both been easy to make even while exhausted after a long work day, and both have tasted delicious! The whole family was going back for second and third helpings, and it was so great to have leftovers for lunch as well. Looking forward to continuing to try more recipes and eating more veggies and balanced meals! Thank you!

          Reply
          • christina.klapper says

            December 05, 2024 at 2:04 pm

            Wow this is such a sweet comment. This is what this page is all about 🥹 so glad you’re here and thank you so much for taking the time to review this recipe!!!!

            Reply
    14. canadian pharcharmy online says

      October 18, 2023 at 4:38 pm

      I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I do not know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!

      Reply
    15. Mickala Parsley says

      January 10, 2024 at 2:29 am

      5 stars
      Excited to say that this is a new favorite meal in our house! I love that it’s low key prep, being that it is only a one pan meal. It has elevated ingredients and flavors that makes it seem like you spent hours in the kitchen. I especially loved the lemon! We couldn’t stop eating it. Thanks so much for sharing

      Reply
    16. Becky Weatherford says

      April 16, 2024 at 10:14 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this and it is delicious. The only ingredient I skipped was the lemon slices. My family loved this recipe!!! Tastes so fresh and very filling but in a healthy way. The lemon flavor was perfect. I will definitely add this to my meal rotation.

      Reply
    17. Emily says

      May 10, 2024 at 7:31 am

      Can you use fresh spinach?

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        May 10, 2024 at 5:06 pm

        Hey Emily, Yes you can absolutely use fresh spinach! I would just chop it so that it fits in the pan easier 🙂

        Reply
    18. Haley Capps says

      June 03, 2024 at 12:58 am

      I have probably made this 10x now. An absolute staple in our house now. Quick, filling, and hobby approved.

      Reply
      • Mark says

        November 17, 2024 at 10:37 pm

        What about the 1/3 cup of fresh herbs? Is this amount right? I don’t understand how it doesn’t overpower everything and in the video doesn’t look like 1/3 cup

        Reply
        • christina.klapper says

          November 17, 2024 at 10:40 pm

          When I re recorded the video that’s all the basil I had but usually I add in dill basil etc and it is 1/3 cup! I chop the herbs and it really isn’t as much as it sounds because of the serving size!

          Reply
    19. Kelly Beeler says

      June 03, 2024 at 2:56 am

      5 stars
      This was such a great recipe! Very lemon-y but we added just a touch more garlic (we’re big seasoning/garlic people) and loved it! Next time, I’m going to try fresh spinach as I feel like frozen spinach sometimes has a distinct taste.
      Overall, an impressive dinner that was easy to make and will continue to be part of our rotation!

      Reply
    20. Stacie says

      November 04, 2024 at 8:43 pm

      5 stars
      I absolutely love this recipe! It is my go to and my husband’s favorite dish! Thank you for sharing all these great recipes.

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        November 04, 2024 at 8:44 pm

        I’m so glad you and your family love it!!!!

        Reply
    21. Courtney says

      November 11, 2024 at 8:33 pm

      I want to try this with gluten free noodles, instead of orzo. Do I need cook the noodles first?

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        November 11, 2024 at 8:36 pm

        Hey courtney,

        I have not tried this so I can’t say for sure. I would think if they have a similar cook time to regular orzo, it should be fine to cook it together, however, if the instructions are different you may want to cook orzo separately and make sure not to add the bone broth and water to the pan.

        Reply
      • Cindy says

        November 15, 2024 at 3:25 pm

        This was amazing. I used risotto as we have a celiac in this family and it turned out really well.

        Reply
        • christina.klapper says

          November 15, 2024 at 7:31 pm

          I’m so glad to hear you loved it Cindy!!!

          Reply
    22. Patricia says

      November 13, 2024 at 2:18 am

      3 stars
      The dish tastes great. My problem is that everything over cooked by the time the orzo was done. I also didn’t see the note about adding fresh spinach at end, so some was crispy. I would try again, but I would definitely change some things.

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        November 13, 2024 at 2:20 am

        Hey Patricia! I’m curious, did you use a ceramic dish? Also how long did you end up baking for?

        Reply
    23. Paige Reel says

      November 19, 2024 at 3:34 pm

      For the fresh herbs, is it 1/3 cup of a combination of the three or 1/3 cup of each herb? Seems like that would be a lot so I’m thinking a combination. Making this tonight!

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        November 19, 2024 at 5:26 pm

        Yes 1/3 cup total herbs!!

        Reply
    24. Jill Black says

      December 04, 2024 at 12:14 am

      Love this dish!!! Fam fav. What is we use leftover smoked turkey chunks? Maybe add toward the end of orzo cooking time?

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        December 04, 2024 at 2:32 pm

        Yes!! You can add half way through or honestly at the beginning!! Should be fine!

        Reply
    25. Amanda says

      December 16, 2024 at 10:37 pm

      Too much lemon in this recipe!! The lemon overpowered all the other flavours unfortunately. I would use half a lemon or even less.

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        December 16, 2024 at 10:43 pm

        Hey Amanda!

        Yes, this is definitely a lemon forward dish and for those who love super lemony flavors!!! You can definitely reduce the amount of lemon you use per preference!

        Reply
    26. Natalie says

      January 09, 2025 at 2:40 am

      4 stars
      Love this recipe! Is there any recommendations on a different type of tomato to use? We aren’t big fans of sun dried tomatoes. Even so, we loved this! It was a little too much lemon for our liking, so I might add a little less next time. But overall, so good! And EASY!

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        January 11, 2025 at 9:25 pm

        Hey Natalie! You can use regular cherry tomatoes instead! Yes, it’s super lemony so feel free to adjust as needed!!! So glad you enjoyed it!!!

        Reply
    27. J west says

      January 12, 2025 at 1:16 am

      Hi! I’m looking forward to using this recipe for a week-long stay of guests. I’d like to prep it about 5-6 days beforehand. Would you suggest freezing it before it is cooked, or after it is cooked for best results?

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        January 14, 2025 at 7:59 pm

        I would recommend making this fresh for best results! However, if you have to, I would probably make it first. Allow to come to room temperature within recommended time frame, then freeze in an air tight container. Just keep in mind the dish can only be reheated one time (the time you serve it).

        Reply
    28. Kelly says

      January 29, 2025 at 12:54 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! Everyone loved it including my toddler. Great way to give him more spinach in his diet! It fully cooked in under 30 min for us, and the chicken was perfect and not overcooked or dry at all. Definitely needed the 10 min rest, that’s when I added the chopped up fresh spinach

      Reply
      • christina.klapper says

        January 29, 2025 at 4:30 am

        Yay!!! I’m so happy you and the family loved it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Christina! I'm a Registered Dietitian, wife and mom that’s passionate about sharing all the tips, tricks, and recipes to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I’m a strong believer that balance is the key to success. It doesn’t need to be difficult, so come join the fun!

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