One-Pot Lemon Rooster and Orzo

Tender hen, orzo pasta, tomatoes and spinach come collectively in a lemony cream sauce for a scrumptious dinner made multi functional pan. This one-pot lemon hen and orzo will change into a weeknight dinner favourite very quickly!

We love one-pot dinners round right here. There’s nothing higher than minimal cleanup and having a meal that my household will fortunately gobble up.

One-pot spaghetti and one-pot beef stroganoff are huge hits round right here. I wished so as to add to my listing of one-pot dinners with one thing round hen and orzo (one in all my favourite little pasta shapes) and this one-pot lemon hen and orzo was born.

Between the hen, the orzo, and the spinach and tomatoes, that is actually a full meal in a single pan. Speak about a weeknight dinner win!

What’s orzo?

Should you’ve ever eaten orzo at a restaurant or seen it in ready salads at locations like Entire Meals, you may suppose it’s a sort of rice due to the form.

However orzo is definitely pasta! Yow will discover it within the grocery retailer with the opposite small, formed pasta.

Orzo is nice in pasta salad recipes like my Greek orzo salad and herbed shrimp orzo salad. It’s additionally scrumptious in soups and one-pot dishes like one-pot orzo with hen sausage and this one-pot lemon hen and orzo.

Identical to most pastas, you may typically discover entire wheat orzo along with common orzo. Be happy to make use of the entire wheat model on this recipe when you’d wish to up the fiber and protein content material.

There are even gluten-free orzo choices out there for anybody who adheres to a gluten-free eating regimen.

My savory one-pot lemon hen and orzo

This one-pot lemon hen and orzo has so many nice issues packed into one dish.

Tender hen is nestled right into a pot of creamy orzo. A pop of lemon and dijon mustard deliver tons of taste and brighten the dish. 

Add within the spinach and the tomatoes for coloration and further taste and also you’ve received a complete lot of goodness on this meal.

Your complete recipe cooks in a single pot, so you could have fewer dishes to scrub when dinner is over. The leftovers additionally make nice lunches later within the week!

Tips on how to make lemon hen and orzo

This one-pot lemon hen and orzo appears fancy, however it’s truly fairly straightforward to make. Let’s discuss by it!

Substances you’ll want

Don’t be intimidated by the lengthy listing of elements for this recipe. When you get into the recipe, you’ll see that it’s truly not that dangerous.

To make this dish, you will have:

• 2 kilos boneless/skinless hen breasts or thighs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 massive diced
• 4-5 minced cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups hen inventory
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups dry orzo
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 10 ounces halved cherry or grape tomatoes (elective)
• 5 ounces contemporary child spinach
• Salt and pepper to style

I created this recipe with the intention to use hen breasts or thighs, whichever you like or have readily available. 

I like so as to add cherry or grape tomatoes to my lemon hen and orzo. I just like the added acidity and the pop of coloration they add, however be happy to omit them when you don’t like tomatoes.

Technically you possibly can omit the spinach, too, however I like having it in right here in order that that is actually a whole meal in a single pot. If you wish to depart it out, I counsel having one other vegetable facet, akin to air fryer inexperienced beans or honey glazed carrots.

Making the hen and orzo

In a massive dutch oven or a deep saute pan, warmth the olive oil over medium warmth. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the hen items and prepare dinner till they’re golden brown on each side and the inner temperature reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

This may take about 5-7 minutes per facet. Work in batches if you could! As soon as the hen is cooked, take away it to a plate, however depart the pan over medium warmth.

Add the onion and prepare dinner till softened, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, thyme, and italian seasoning and prepare dinner for 1 extra minute.

Sprinkle the flour over the cooked onions. Stir to mix and prepare dinner for 1 minute, then add the hen inventory and the mustard. As you stir, use your spoon to scrape the browned bits from the underside of the pan. Deliver the combination to a simmer.

As soon as simmering, add the orzo together with the cream, parmesan, lemon juice and lemon zest, and the halved tomatoes. Season with a heavy pinch of salt and pepper and stir to mix.

Flip the warmth right down to low. Cowl and simmer the combination for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, till the orzo is cooked by.

As soon as the orzo is finished, style for seasoning. Add further salt and pepper as wanted, then stir within the spinach and nestle the hen again into the pot. 

Let the spinach wilt and the hen to heat again by earlier than serving with further parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon.

Methods to vary up this recipe

In order that’s easy methods to make this lemon hen and orzo in accordance with the recipe. However like so a lot of my dinner recipes, you may change up some issues to suit your household’s tastes! 

Make it gluten free by swapping the normal orzo for gluten-free orzo. Omit the flour and cut back the liquid elements by ¼ to ½ cup. The sauce will not be as thick, however it will likely be scrumptious!

Use entire wheat orzo to get some additional fiber and protein into the dish with out your loved ones even realizing it.

Use rotisserie hen as a substitute of hen breasts or thighs. Begin with sauteing the onions within the olive oil; proceed with the recipe as written, stirring in just a few cups of shredded rotisserie hen on the finish.

Swap the cherry tomatoes for solar dried tomatoes. Roughly chop a jar of oil-packed solar dried tomatoes and add them to the recipe rather than the cherry tomatoes or wait to stir them in on the finish with the spinach.