Lemon Cream Sauce Smothered Chicken and Orzo.

Lemon Cream Sauce Smothered Chicken and Orzo: Lightly seasoned chicken seared until golden with nutty browned butter, garlic, thyme, and fresh basil. The chicken is finished in a yummy lemon pan sauce with orzo pasta and fresh parmesan. This cozy skillet dinner is delicious and simple to make!

I set out to create a warming, but light dish—something comforting for the colder days most of us are still experiencing but a little lighter and fresher for the longer spring days ahead.

For the sauce, I used a mix of chicken bone broth, dry white wine, and, of course, fresh lemon juice! Whole milk and parmesan cheese make this sauce deliciously creamy.

The idea here is you want the orzo to sit in the lemon cream sauce, and you want the sauce to thicken up just enough so that the chicken can really be “smothered” in it. It’s so delicious this way!

This dish feels cozy yet light. Perfect for upcoming spring days!

These are all the Details

Ingredients 

• thinly sliced chicken breasts or small chicken thighs
• all purpose flour
• paprika
• dried thyme
• salted butter
• garlic
• Chili flakes
• chicken broth
• white wine – or you can use additional broth
• chopped kale or baby spinach
• dry orzo pasta
• whole milk – or use canned  coconut milk
• parmesan cheese

Special Tools 

If you have one, I highly recommend a cast iron oven-safe skillet!

Steps

Step 1: season the chicken

Before you begin cooking, season and flour the chicken. Start by seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, dredge the chicken through a mix of paprika, half of the dried thyme, and a scoop of flour. Press the flour mix onto the cutlets to fully coat.

If you need to be gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free flour or an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.

The flour creates a coating that allows the sauce to thicken and become crisp.

Step 2: sear the chicken

Find a big skillet. I always use cast iron. Cook the chicken with a sliver of butter. Pan-sear the chicken until the crust is golden and the butter browns around it.

Add more butter, garlic, dried thyme, and chili flakes. Cook until you can really smell that garlic.

Step 3: make the lemon pan gravy

Next, add the wine. Cook for a few minutes, then add the broth. Next, add the kale or spinach and season with salt and pepper. 

Let the broth simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 4: add the orzo

Add the orzo and milk to the pan. Cook for 5 or 10 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and parmesan. Top the dish with basil.

Step 5: bake and finish

Take the skillet off the burner and put it in the oven to finish cooking and melt the cheese even more. When the cheese has melted, remove the dish from the oven.

You should hopefully have some sauce surrounding the chicken and the orzo. Add lots of fresh basil. It’s going to look delish and smell even better.

All will enjoy the simple skillet chicken and orzo – it’s such a crowd-pleaser!

Looking for other simple dinners? Here are my favorites: 

Crockpot Thai Short Ribs with Coconut Rice

Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder

One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo

Herby Buttered Balsamic Mushroom Ravioli

Spicy Pesto Pasta Alla Vodka

Smothered Chicken in Mushroom Wine Pan Sauce

Lastly, if you make this Lemon Cream Sauce Smothered Chicken and Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!