This Lemon Garlic Chicken Orzo is a quick & easy one pan meal that has just a few simple ingredients and just 5 minutes of prep! Made with rotisserie chicken, zesty lemon, garlic, spinach, orzo pasta and boursin cheese. Perfect easy weeknight dinner my entire family loves!
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EASY ONE PAN LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN ORZO
This lemon garlic chicken orzo is one of those easy meals that you can never go wrong with! Orzo pasta is the perfect balance of pasta and rice. Plus, it gives the most amazing texture to the meal. The flavor combination of the lemon and garlic is truly a classic that everyone loves! Even my young kids loved this meal, which really is the true test of a good dish! If you love this recipe, I highly recommend my Marry Me Chicken Orzo.
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN ORZO
Quick and Easy: This meal really is so simple to make, which makes it perfect for those busy weeknights with your family. Only takes five minutes to prep the ingredients, and you'll have dinner ready in just under an hour.
Family-Friendly: This lemon garlic chicken orzo bake is made with just a few simple ingredients, and my family cannot get enough of this dish! Picky toddler approved, and one of those dinners you should add to your meal rotation.
Delicious: This easy, one-pan meal is full of so much flavor! The creamy boursin cheese and orzo pasta add the perfect touch for an easy comfort food that everyone will be asking for more.
INGREDIENTS
- Cooked chicken: I like to use rotisserie chicken, however, you can also premake your chicken.
- Garlic and herb Boursin cheese: adds a rich and creamy consistency for the dish
- Orzo: A form of pasta that looks similar to long grain rice. A great alternative to a heavier pasta option.
- Spinach: I prefer using diced, fresh spinach. Full of nutrients and flavor.
- Lemon: Helps provide the fresh flavors in the orzo bake. Light and refreshing.
- Chicken broth: Provides lots of flavor for the recipe. However, if it is unavailable, you can use water with chicken bouillon, or bone broth as well.
- Heavy whipping cream: provides the creamy consistency for the sauce. You can use half and half instead if you do not have heavy cream.
- Parmesan cheese: I love topping the orzo bake with freshly grated parmesan cheese to give it that delicious cheesy flavor.
- Seasonings: The seasonings used in this recipe include lemon zest, italian seasoning, Kinder's garlic butter seasoning, oregano, onion powder, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder.
HOW TO MAKE ONE PAN LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN ORZO
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a 13x9 pan, add orzo, cooked chicken, spinach, and 1 garlic and herb boursin cheese.
Then, add chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, and seasonings listed.
Add lemon zest of one lemon, and the juice of half the lemon. The amount of lemon juice can be adjusted based on preference.
Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. At the 30 minute mark, remove aluminum foil and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Let it rest for 5-10 minutes prior to combining ingredients. Once the dish has cooled, stir ingredients together and top with parmesan cheese.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Chicken: For this recipe, I used premade cooked chicken to help decrease cooking time. However, you can easily use any type of cooked chicken you have on hand, such as rotisserie chicken, which adds even more flavor.
Boursin Cheese:For the best flavor, I love using garlic & herb Boursin cheese in this casserole. However, if you don't have it on hand, you can absolutely substitute plain cream cheese and simply add a few extra seasonings. In fact, plain cream cheese is also a great budget-friendly alternative.
Leftovers: If you happen to have leftovers of this delicious lemon garlic chicken orzo casserole, simply store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days and reheat well for an easy meal later on.
Cooking Time: If you notice there is still liquid in the casserole dish at the end of cooking, simply add an additional 3-5 minutes as needed. Additionally, keep in mind that if your oven runs cooler, it may require a bit more time for the orzo to fully cook.
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Lemon Garlic Chicken Orzo
Equipment
- 1 13x9 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken
- garlic and herb boursin cheese
- 1.5 cups dry orzo
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon kinder's garlic butter seasoning optional
- lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ lemon (juice squeezed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a 13x9 pan, add orzo, cooked chicken, diced fresh baby spinach, and 1 garlic and herb boursin cheese.
- Add seasonings listed, zest 1 lemon, and add ½ lemon (freshly squeezed)
- Add 3 cups chicken broth & ¾ cup heavy cream or half/half. (heavy cream preferred for extra creamy consistency)
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes
- At the 30 minute mark, remove aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from oven, let it sit for 5-10 min.
- add parmesan cheese and combine ingredients together.
Ashleigh Smith says
Love this recipe! So yummy, so fresh and light from the lemon and so creamy and delicious from the heavy cream and cheese. Delicious!!
Megan says
So easy and delicious! Love how quick I could prep it before dinner. Will be adding to the dinner rotation!
Lindsay says
Wow so easy and yummy!!! The red pepper flakes do give it a slight kick so maybe do less if you have a toddler eating it like me. We’ll be adding this to our regular dinner options!
Beverly Brown says
Wow, this was so good! My family absolutely loved it. It was so easy to make and not a ton of dishes to clean. Would love to see more of these types of recipes! So yummy!
Meghankay says
So happy you're family enjoyed it! lots more delicious recipes like this coming soon 🙂 I also have a marry me chicken orzo recipe that is similar to this one if you want to try that!
Beverly Brown says
Oh I’m excited to try that one!! Thanks!!
Breanna says
Wow! So so good! Thank you for the fantastic and easy recipe! Both my kids loved it, including my one-year-old and three-year-old, who neverrr eats vegetables!!!!
Meghankay says
you're welcome!! so happy you all enjoyed it! love it so much! 🙂
Paxton says
Which kinders? Buttery garlic salt or lemon butter garlic?
Meghankay says
hi! I used Kinder's garlic butter seasoning, but you can also use the buttery garlic and herb.
Madison says
I did 4 raw chicken breasts and almond milk+some sour cream instead of the heavy cream and it was soooooooo good! Love this recipe!!!
Meghankay says
so happy you enjoyed it! thank you for sharing!
Serena says
This was delicious! The entire family loved it including my one year old and three year old!
Meghankay says
so happy your family enjoyed it!! thank you for sharing!
Kelli says
This was excellent. Very easy to make. Everyone in my family went back for seconds. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Meghankay says
you're welcome! so happy your family enjoyed it!
Kimberly says
Delicious!! And so easy to prepare! Next time I’ll use half the crushed red pepper as a little spicy for my kids but overall yummy!
Meghankay says
So happy you enjoyed it! thank you for sharing!
Megan says
Delicious and SO easy to make!