Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo — EASY, ready in 25 minutes, and feeds a crowd!! Juicy lemon chicken with orzo, fresh spinach, cucumbers, and tomatoes make this a dinnertime WINNER! Great for parties, picnics, and potlucks!!
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This easy Greek lemon chicken is so flavorful and juicy. Combined with al dente orzo, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh spinach, you’ve got yourself a perfect summery meal that’s ready in 25 minutes.
It also feeds a crowd so it’s perfect for picnics, potlucks, and parties. Put it on your Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and graduation party menu and you will have happy friends and family members.
The orzo is perfectly al dente, the chicken is lemony and juicy, and the dish has so much flavor thanks to the lemon juice, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic, and onions.
The fresh spinach, cucumbers, and tomatoes are a welcome addition that perfectly contrast the cooked pasta and chicken.
Recipe Ingredients
To make the lemon chicken with orzo, you’ll need:
- Orzo pasta
- Olive oil
- Sweet Vidalia onion
- Chicken breasts
- Italian seasoning
- Dried oregano
- Garlic
- Fresh spinach
- Cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Lemon juice and zest
- Feta cheese
- Salt and pepper
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo
Don’t be afraid to add sufficient salt and pepper to the chicken and orzo since this dish is a zillion times better when properly seasoned! Remember that you’re using over a pound of chicken, a pound of orzo, and tons of veggies — all of which are unseasoned.
Here’s how the recipe is made:
- First, boil the orzo.
- While that’s going, sauté an onion with the chicken and seasoning it generously with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, oregano, and garlic. (Don’t be afraid if the chicken looks almost over-seasoned in the pan.)
- After the chicken is done, and the orzo is done and drained, combine them. All the seasoning from the chicken mingles with the pound of orzo and all is well.
- Add fresh spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
- Add crumbled feta for a classic Greek touch. Finally, drizzle in additional olive oil, to taste. This enhances the flavor and it prevents the orzo from sticking as it cools.
FAQs
There are no rules in my book about what substitutions or additions you can make. Fresh basil, green onions, red bell peppers, zucchini, marinated artichokes, and olives are just a few additions that would be lovely. I used English cucumbers and grape tomatoes, but if you have a garden full of regular cucumber (or zucchini) and regular tomatoes, go for it.
You’re welcome to omit the chicken. However, if you’ll be enjoying this as a main dish I recommend adding in the chicken to bulk up the dish.
If you’re a real lemon fanatic, feel free to add extra lemon juice and zest to this recipe. Taste the lemon orzo chicken and tweak it as you see fit.
I almost called this ‘Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Salad‘ since orzo is short-grain pasta after all, and since there are plenty of fresh vegetables. But since you can eat it warm or chilled, I kept ‘salad’ off the title. But in my mind, it could also serve it cold as a pasta salad of sorts.
Storage Instructions
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I actually froze some of the leftovers; you can freeze this recipe, but note that the texture of the vegetables does change upon thawing.
What to Serve with Chicken and Orzo
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Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 pound orzo, cooked according to package directions and drained
- 3 tablespoons olive oil for pan + more for finished dish, as desired
- 1 medium sweet Vidalia onion, diced small
- 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 to 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 5 ounces fresh spinach, about 4 giant handfuls
- ½ English cucumber, diced small
- 1 ½ cups sliced cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, or to taste
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
- 1 + teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- To a large pot, add the orzo and cook according to package directions. Drain and return to pot; set aside.
- While orzo is cooking, to a large skillet add 3 tablespoons olive oil, onions, and cook for about 3 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the chicken, season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, oregano, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through; flip and stir frequently to ensure even cooking.
- Add the garlic, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Transfer the chicken, onions, and any cooking juices to the large pot with the drained orzo.
- Add the spinach (looks like a lot but it will wilt) and stir to incorporate. Stir for about 2 minutes, or until it begins to wilt.
- Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and stir well to incorporate.
- Add the feta and stir to combine. Tip – If you want the feta to remain more intact, don’t add it until the chicken and orzo have cooled down a bit, or it will melt, which is totally fine, you just won’t see the white crumbles.
- Taste, and as desired, add additional salt. I added an additional approximately 2 teaspoons because it’s a very large quantity of orzo, chicken, and vegetables.
- If desired, drizzle in additional olive oil. I recommend another approximately 2 tablespoons for both flavor and so that the orzo doesn’t stick as it cools. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Recipe can be served warm or chilled.
- Extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days and I froze the leftovers, noting that the texture of the vegetables does change upon thawing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Recipes Using Orzo:
ALL OF MY PASTA SALAD RECIPES!
Chicken Orzo Salad — Juicy chicken tossed with orzo, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, and a super flavorful lemon vinaigrette!! Easy, healthy, ready in 30 minutes, and a perfect way to use your garden fresh veggies!!
Basil Lemon Orzo and Vegetables — An EASY recipe ready in 30 minutes that makes it easy to eat your veggies while enjoying the comforts of pasta, too!! The lemon and basil make the dish taste fresh and light!!
Lemon Basil Greek Orzo Salad — EASY, ready in 25 minutes, and lemon and basil give it such a FRESH taste!! Feeds a crowd, great for parties, picnics, and potlucks! Or perfect for meal prep weekday lunches and HEALTHY dinners!!
Lemon Chicken Soup – Learn to make this EASY Greek lemon chicken soup (avgolemono) at home! Made in one bowl and ready in just about 30 minutes, this creamy and comforting soup can be made with either orzo or rice. It’s rich and luscious without being thick or heavy thanks to the burst of lovely fresh lemon flavor!
Made this today. I loved it!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you loved it!
great
Love this, recipe, Averie, as I do MANY of your other recipes! I refer to them quite often in my repertoire of go to dishes. What would help a lot is if you had a link at the top for jumping directly to the recipe card so I don’t have to continuously scroll down to get to the recipe. Thanks again and keep up the great cooking!
Love this, recipe, Averie, as I do MANY of your other recipes! I refer to them quite often in my repertoire of go to dishes. What would help a lot is if you had a link at the top for jumping directly to the recipe card so I don’t have to continuously scroll down to get to the recipe. Thanks again and keep up the great cooking!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this and have a repertoire of my recipes going!
great
My fiancé and I loved this recipe! Definitely a keeper. This is our first recipe we tried of yours and will definitely be coming back for more! Thanks for such an awesome dish!
My fiancé and I loved this recipe! Definitely a keeper. This is our first recipe we tried of yours and will definitely be coming back for more! Thanks for such an awesome dish!
Glad to hear you loved it and it’s a keeper for you both!
Found this recipe on Pinterest and it looked so good I decided to make it. Had to cut back to feed 4 (I live alone) and was absolutely stunned by the ease or preparation and how so very delicious it was. Am making it again today. When I want a snack I grab a small bowl and serve myself some of this instead of something less healthy. Thanks for a great recipe!
When my teenaged boy says he likes a healthy meal, that is saying something. This dinner comes together quickly, and is a gorgeous, thanks to the pops of color from the veggies. This will be a regular in our dinner rotation.
I made this dish for dinner tonight, and it went over well! Next time — and there will be a next time — I’m going to double the lemon juice and zest added at the end. That burst of citrus was our favorite part, and we wanted a bit more. Overall, it’s a delicious dish that will be feeding us for days! You really weren’t kidding about how much this recipe yields, but that’s fine because I’ll happily eat these leftovers. :)
I made this dish for dinner tonight, and it went over well! Next time — and there will be a next time — I’m going to double the lemon juice and zest added at the end. That burst of citrus was our favorite part, and we wanted a bit more. Overall, it’s a delicious dish that will be feeding us for days! You really weren’t kidding about how much this recipe yields, but that’s fine because I’ll happily eat these leftovers. :)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you will make it again! Yes just add more lemon juice/zest to taste. It’s always easy too add more than subtract it if you add too much. You can still add it now to your leftovers I would think. And enjoy those leftovers :)