Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta (15-Minute Dinner!)

A metal spoon sitting in a large skillet filled with creamy orzo, shredded chicken, spinach, cream cheese, and parmesan.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Pasta (15-Minute Dinner!)

Creamy orzo, bright lemon, and hearty rotisserie chicken create an easy, no-chop lemon chicken orzo pasta dinner that’s ready in just 15 minutes but tastes like it’s from your fav restaurant! Made without cream or soup mix, it’s fresh, flavorful, and soooo easy to make.

Course dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword lemon chicken orzo pasta

Prep Time 3

Cook Time 12

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 308

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Skillet

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups orzo pasta
3 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon kosher salt

To Add at the End

2 ounces of cream cheese (about 4 Tablespoons)
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cubed or roughly shredded cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken
2 cups baby spinach

Instructions

Heat a large, high-sided, lidded skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, lemon zest and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the orzo and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the chicken broth and salt, stirring to combine. Cover, bring to a strong simmer, then reduce to a low simmer.
Simmer until the orzo is just cooked through but still has a bite to it, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid the orzo sticking to the bottom of the pan.
When the orzo is cooked, turn to heat to the lowest setting, then add the cream cheese and stir until it's melted and well-combined.
Add the parmesan, lemon juice, black pepper, and chicken, stirring to combine and warm the chicken through. Add the spinach and stir to wilt.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if a stronger lemon flavor is desired.

Notes

Lemon: I use one tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent it from being too acidic for my preference, but you can certainly double or triple that if you love the flavor of lemon.
Cream: I like adding cream cheese for a tangy flavor + thicker texture, but you could leave it out or swap in cream. If you want to leave it out altogether you can. The final dish will be slightly less creamy, but will still have a lovely texture from the orzo and parmesan cheese.

Nutrition