Creamy pasta is my go-to comfort food at the best of times, but when it’s as easy as this recipe and made in one pan, it takes on a new level of amazing. This Creamy Lemon Chicken Risoni (Orzo) requires very little preparation but is incredibly delicious to eat. It cooks quickly and easily in the one pan making it the perfect family dinner for busy weeknights when you don’t feel like spending too much time in the kitchen! Risoni (or orzo) are small, oval-shaped pasta that take on a risotto-like texture and taste in this recipe. The dish is loaded with delicious lemon-garlic flavours and then finished with lashings of Parmesan cheese. I add spinach in the last few minutes of cooking because it requires no chopping, but don’t feel limited by this. Any vegetables of choice can be added directly to the pan just after the butter. Think asparagus, peas, broccoli or green beans. Once prepared, the dish can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated ready for when you need it!
Note 1 – To make a one-pan pasta dish (where the pasta is cooked in the pan), it’s important that you use a heavy-based piece of cookware such as a heavy-based casserole dish (cast iron) or a thick-based, deep frying pan. Thin cookware will not heat evenly and may leave you with too much or too little liquid. The liquid needs to be simmering the entire time (gently with small bubbles) so that the pasta cooks through. If it isn’t, modify the heat by turning it up or down slightly to maintain that simmer.
Note 2 – If you feel the risoni is too stiff (it’s not saucy and is clumping together more than what you would like), simply add 1-2 tablespoons at a time of boiling water from the kettle, stirring the sauce rapidly. This will loosen the mixture.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Not suitable to freeze.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Not suitable to freeze.
Source – Recipe inspired by One Skillet Lemon Butter Chicken and Orzo from Half Baked Harvest which you can view here.
Keywords: lemon chicken risoni, lemon chicken orzo, creamy lemon chicken orzo
To make a one-pan pasta dish (where the pasta is cooked in the pan), it’s important that you use a heavy-based piece of cookware such as a heavy-based casserole dish (cast iron) or a thick-based, deep frying pan. Thin cookware will not heat evenly and may leave you with too much or too little liquid. The liquid needs to be simmering the entire time (gently with small bubbles). If it isn’t, modify the heat by turning it up or down slightly to maintain that simmer.
Yes! I often prefer to make Creamy Lemon Chicken Risoni (Orzo) with chicken thigh fillets as I find them more juicy. Modify the chicken cooking time to 10-12 minutes, as chicken thighs can take a little longer to cook.
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emilleecole says:
Insanely delicious & SUPER simple! That is an absolute win for my household & this will definitely be in weeknight meal rotations from now on!
★★★★★
meldimauro says:
Firstly, your website is 10/10!! One of the very little websites to come across now, where it is simple, easy to navigate not filtered with adds and just has everything you need (LOVE the toggle feat. to prevent screensaver coming on!!) And of course beautiful meals with incredibly detailed notes!
whittle94 says:
★★★★★
catleeman says:
This was delightful Nicole! 🙌♥️ whole family loved it even my 19 month old 🤌 wonderful flavours and quick and easy dish
★★★★★
iolimacridi says:
loved this!!!
★★★★★
KATE says:
Looks amazing. Any suggestions for a GF option? Can you use rice instead of risoni by chance?
★★★★★
marisajane13 says:
Easy to make. Loved it.
★★★★★
danielleduyvestyn says:
❤️ Delicious ❤️
Simple, quick & delicious. Another winner for us.
★★★★★
renaechapman says:
My family loved this dish. My husband gave it 10 out of 10! Not too difficult either.
★★★★★
anirosebarry says:
This was a tasty recipe. If I were to make it again, I would probably use less salt. 2 tsps is a lot for me, especially when you have broth and parmesan that adds to the saltiness! The orzo took longer on a medium low heat as well. About 7 minutes longer but at the end I just upped the heat a bit. Wasn’t sure if the recipe called for 2 tbsp of butter divided or 4 as the instructions say to add the butter twice. I went with 2 and it turned out fine. Thank you for your recipes!
Nicole says:
Thank you so much for the fantastic feedback! I have modified the recipe so that it is “salt to taste” because you are absolutely right, it depends on the saltiness of the stock powder and parmesan cheese being used. And thank you for pointing out the butter – That has now been modified. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! Nic x