This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This simple One-Pot Garlic Lemon Chicken Orzo is rich with zesty fresh flavor and is SO filling! Make this easy dinner tonight for a real treat. I mean really, who doesn’t love when their chicken dinner’s all in one pot?!
Garlic. Lemon. Chicken. Orzo. Swoon!
That combo of flavors is a real dream come true, especially when they’re all paired with lots of fresh herbs and other flavorful ingredients. The best part is, since this dinner is prepared in one pot, all of those ingredients really meld together in a delicious way.
This is a great dinner idea for when you want to shake up your usual weeknight routine, or even for when you’re hosting a dinner party!
It’s sophisticated enough to really impress your guests, while being simple enough for you to whip up just for the family. No matter who you serve it to, everyone’s going to love it!
Lemon and chicken are a match made in heaven, if you ask me. They just go together so famously!
With that being said, the classic flavor combo of lemon and chicken is SO much better when a good portion of garlic is also thrown into the mix.
The chicken and orzo both really adapt to the lemon and garlic flavors, making this whole entire dish pretty irresistible.
Ingredients for garlic lemon chicken orzo
- Flour – All-purpose flour is all you’ll need!
- Lemons – You’ll need the zest and juice of fresh lemons. None of that bottled stuff.
- Salt and black pepper
- Chicken thighs – Bone-in skin on chicken thighs will yield the best results.
- Olive oil – Avocado oil can be used in a pinch.
- Butter – Unsalted or salted both work, just pick your favorite.
- Garlic – For the best flavor, use freshly minced garlic.
- Sage leaves – This creates such a lovely depth to the herbaceous flavor.
- Thyme – Use fresh, not dried thyme!
- Chicken broth – Low-sodium broth will do the trick.
- Orzo – The star of the show!
Can I use boneless chicken thighs?
You can, but you’ll need to alter the cooking time a bit.
Keep in mind that boneless chicken thighs cook faster than bone-in ones, and you’ll want to keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out.
Use a meat thermometer to check – once the meat reaches 165°F, the chicken is safe to eat.
What about chicken breasts?
Same answer – yes, but you’ll need to alter cooking time a bit depending on thickness of your chicken breasts. They tend to dry out faster too so that’s why I don’t really recommend them.
How long will one-pot garlic lemon chicken orzo stay fresh?
In an airtight container in the refrigerator, any leftovers you have will stay fresh for about 3 days. While it reheats just fine in the microwave, it’s best to reheat this meal right back in the pot with a little but of olive oil.
Lemon and chicken?! You couldn’t ask for a fresher, yet savory combo!
Lemongrass Chicken Rice Noodle Bowls
Skillet Lemon Garlic Chicken with Rosemary
One-Pot Garlic Lemon Chicken Orzo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 3 fresh sage leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 48 ounces (1 ⅓ l) low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup (59 ml) lemon juice
- 1 pound (454 g) orzo pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F (204 °C)
- In a large bowl, stir the flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper together until combined.
- Toss the chicken in it to coat it then dust off any excess flour.
- Heat the oil in a deep skillet or oven safe pan over medium heat and add the chicken.
- Cook on each side for about 3 minutes or until a light crust starts to form and each side turns a light brown color.
- Bake for 20 minutes and remove the pan from the oven.
- Turn the oven heat up to 500 °F (260 °C) then add the chicken back to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 °F (74 °C) and the skin on the chicken is crispy and golden.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside for later on a plate covered with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
- Don’t wipe out the pan, just place it back on the stove over medium heat and add the butter, sage, thyme and lemon zest and stir and cook until the garlic and herbs become fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth, lemon juice and the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Add the orzo and let it cook as you stir constantly for the amount of time indicated on the box that it came in.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes then fluff the orzo before adding the chicken and serving with fresh thyme or freshly minced parsley for garnish.
Mine is actually a question. You listed lemon rind twice, but I only see it used once. Do you use both tablespoons at the same time?
Hi, sorry about that – it shouldn’t be listed twice. Please use 1 teaspoon of it.
Really loved this! I did use chicken breast as that was what I had, I altered the time–so delicious-big hit with the family, will definitely make again.
My roommate and I made this recipe when we had a friend over for dinner and she was impressed, so I’ve added to my list of recipes for dinner guests. It’s flavorful, quick prep, easy way to make your cooking skills look top notch, and on the lighter side but still very filling. I like to serve with asparagus topped with slivered almonds and think it complements the dish well.