One-Pan Pesto Chicken and Orzo
When you’re too tired to think, this one pan gets dinner on the table fast.
This is the dinner to make when you’re tired, hungry, and not in the mood to juggle pots. It’s a true one-pan chicken and orzo dinner with pesto stirred in at the end for big flavor without extra effort. You get tender chicken, creamy orzo, and a little freshness from lemon and spinach, all in about 20 minutes. It’s not fancy, and that’s the point: it tastes like you tried harder than you did. Perfect for a weeknight when you want something comforting, fast, and low-drama, especially if you have a jar of pesto in the fridge and need a reliable plan tonight.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast — cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup orzo
- 2.5 cup chicken broth
- 0.5 cup pesto
- 2 cup baby spinach
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 unit lemon — zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp water — only if needed to loosen the sauce
Method
- 1 Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- 2 Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- 3 Stir in the orzo and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- 4 Stir in the pesto, spinach, Parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute, just until the spinach wilts and the sauce looks creamy. Add a splash of water if it seems too thick.
- 5 Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon, then serve right away.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Replace the chicken with 1 can drained chickpeas and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Faster swap — Use rotisserie chicken: simmer the orzo in broth first, then stir in shredded chicken, pesto, spinach, and Parmesan at the end.
- Substitutions — Swap baby spinach for chopped kale, Parmesan for pecorino, or orzo for small pasta shapes like ditalini if that’s what you have.
Notes
If your skillet runs dry before the orzo is tender, add a few tbsp of hot water or broth. Use a pesto you already like, since it carries most of the flavor here. For the best texture, serve as soon as the orzo is done; it thickens as it sits.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet with lid — A wide pan helps the orzo cook evenly and leaves room to stir without spilling.
- Wooden spoon or spatula — Useful for scraping up the chicken bits and keeping the orzo from sticking while it simmers.
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