Lemon Chicken Orzo Bake is a lemony one-dish dinner: tender cubes of chicken and orzo baked together in garlicky broth, then finished with Parmesan and a handful of baby spinach. Make it on a weeknight or set it out for company; it serves 4.
How to make lemon chicken orzo bake: Stir raw cubed chicken, dry orzo, broth, lemon and seasonings together in a 9×13-inch dish, cover it tightly with foil and bake at 400°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F. Stir in the Parmesan and spinach and serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- Short shopping list: chicken breasts, orzo, broth, lemons, Parmesan, baby spinach, garlic and three pantry spices.
- One dish to wash: you mix, bake and serve from the same casserole dish.
- Mostly hands-off: 15 minutes of prep, then the oven takes over while you set the table.
- Lemon three ways: zest, fresh juice and lemon pepper, with no cream needed.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: You need one and a half pounds of boneless, skinless breasts. Cut them into 1-inch cubes.
Orzo: Two cups of dry orzo pasta, straight from the box.
Chicken broth: Four cups. Regular broth works, and so does low-sodium or no-sodium broth.
Lemon: The zest of 1 lemon plus 1/3 cup of fresh squeezed juice.
Garlic and seasonings: A tablespoon of minced garlic, plus 2 teaspoons each of lemon pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. That’s the whole spice list.
Parmesan: One cup, freshly shredded. Shred it while the dish bakes so it’s ready when the foil comes off.
Baby spinach: One cup, chopped. It only needs to wilt slightly, so it goes in at the very end.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cups chicken broth, low-sodium or no-sodium works
- 2 cups orzo pasta, dry, uncooked
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
How to Make Lemon Chicken Orzo Bake
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Fill the dish. In the casserole dish, combine the cubed chicken, chicken broth, dry orzo, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, lemon pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Make sure the orzo is submerged in the liquid.
3. Cover. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
4. Bake. Bake on the middle oven rack for about 40 to 45 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
5. Stir in the Parmesan and spinach. Stir in the Parmesan and chopped spinach until the spinach has slightly wilted. Serve warm.
How Uncooked Orzo Cooks in the Oven
The question behind every orzo bake is whether dry pasta really cooks in a covered dish with raw chicken. It does, as long as there’s enough liquid, the orzo sits under it and the foil is on tight.
It goes in dry. Skip the pot of boiling water. The orzo goes into the dish uncooked, right alongside the raw chicken, and softens in the broth as everything bakes.
The liquid ratio. This recipe uses 4 cups of broth plus 1/3 cup of lemon juice for 2 cups of dry orzo, a little more than 2 cups of liquid for every cup of orzo.
Keep it under the broth. After you stir everything together, look at the surface. Any orzo resting on top of the chicken should be pressed down with a spoon until it is submerged.
Seal it tightly. Crimp the foil around the edges of the dish so it fits snugly, and bake on the middle rack.
Check the chicken first, then the orzo. At 40 minutes, lift one corner of the foil and push a food thermometer into the thickest cube of chicken. Once it reads 165°F, taste a little orzo; it should be tender all the way through. If the chicken is under 165°F or the orzo is still firm, cover the dish again and keep baking, checking every 5 minutes.
Tips for Success
What if it looks loose when the foil comes off?
Let it stand for about 5 minutes before you serve it, while the orzo absorbs more of the liquid.
What if it tastes flat?
There’s no salt in the ingredient list, so taste after the Parmesan and spinach go in. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Variations
- Herbs and heat: add the leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, a little Italian seasoning or 2 tablespoons of dried parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- More greens: use 2 to 3 cups of baby spinach instead of 1 and stir until it wilts.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator. Reheat covered until the center reaches 165°F; in the microwave, cover the dish, rotate it and add a splash of broth if needed. If you stirred cream into your batch, FSIS lists cream sauce among the foods that don’t freeze well. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Finish each plate with thin lemon slices, chopped Italian parsley and extra Parmesan. For another lemon-and-chicken dinner, try slow cooker lemon chicken and rice soup or chicken piccata meatballs with garlic and Parmesan. If you like chicken and spinach together, make the chicken, spinach and mushroom skillet next, and Marry Me chicken brings a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. For more oven dinners, there’s a chicken broccoli Alfredo pasta bake and a Ritz cracker chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use cooked chicken in a lemon chicken orzo bake?
Yes. Use 12 ounces of cooked or grilled chicken, chopped into small pieces, in place of the raw cubes. Cover the dish and bake it at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
How do I make lemon chicken orzo bake creamy?
Stir heavy cream in with the Parmesan and spinach after baking. On the stovetop, 1 cup of orzo takes 3/4 cup of cream, plus more to taste, or 1 cup of cream warmed to room temperature with 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard stirred in with it. This bake has twice the orzo, so add cream until it’s as creamy as you like.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes, bone-in, skin-on thighs work, cooked a little differently in an ovenproof skillet at 375°F. Pat 1 1/2 pounds of thighs (about 4) dry, season them and brown them skin side down in a little olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip them for 2 minutes, take them out and drain off the grease. In the same pan, stir 1 cup of orzo into 2 cups of broth, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme, and bring it to a low boil. Set the thighs on top and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until they reach 165°F on a food thermometer. Lift them out, stir in 1 cup of chopped spinach, put them back and let the pan stand 5 minutes. It makes three servings.
Can I make lemon chicken orzo on the stovetop?
Yes. Season 2 medium chicken breasts, pounded to an even 1/2 inch thick, and cook them in a little olive oil for about 6 minutes per side, until a food thermometer reads 165°F. Let them rest 10 minutes, then slice. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, soften 1 small diced onion, add 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then stir in 1 cup of orzo for about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of broth, bring it to a low boil and simmer it covered for 12 minutes. Stir in 2 packed cups of baby spinach, 3/4 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup of Parmesan, then finish with the zest and juice of 1 medium lemon and serve the chicken on top.
Final Notes
Keep an extra lemon on the table, so anyone who wants it brighter can add a little fresh zest and juice to taste. If you make this, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Bake
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cups chicken broth low-sodium or no-sodium works
- 2 cups orzo pasta dry, uncooked
- 1 lemon zest only
- 1/3 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- 1 cup baby spinach chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- In the casserole dish, combine the cubed chicken, chicken broth, dry orzo, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, lemon pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Make sure the orzo is submerged in the liquid.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for about 40 to 45 minutes, until the orzo is tender and the chicken reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Stir in the Parmesan and chopped spinach until the spinach has slightly wilted. Serve warm.
