One Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Orzo – juicy golden brown lemon garlic chicken thighs with flavor-packed orzo and baby spinach.
One Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Orzo
A complete dinner in one pan! Golden brown chicken thighs drizzled with garlic butter and topped with sautéed lemon slices, cooked alongside lemony parmesan orzo and fresh baby spinach. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or even 4 days of meal prep. I love this recipe served as leftovers! For some of my favorite one pot chicken thigh variations, check out Skillet Chicken Thighs with Broccoli Cheddar Orzo and One Pot Chicken and Rice Pilaf.
Ingredients for One Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Orzo
- Chicken Thighs – bone in, skin-on chicken thighs. I really like the chicken thighs in this recipe, they are budget friendly and satisfying. Chicken breasts or skinless chicken thighs can be substituted as well. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of breast.
- Olive Oil – for searing the chicken.
- Butter – for sautéing the garlic and adding flavor to the orzo. If you prefer, you can use any chicken fat released from the thighs when searing.
- Garlic – freshly minced for best flavor.
- Orzo Pasta – uncooked orzo.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth – you can also substitute the chicken broth for water and chicken bullion, but be sure to reduce salt as needed if the bullion is full sodium.
- Baby Spinach – fresh baby spinach or kale if you prefer.
- Lemons – 2 for juicing and 1 for slicing.
- Parmesan Cheese – freshly shredded for best melting.
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
How to Make One Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Orzo
Prep the Chicken: Pat dry your chicken thighs and season them generously with salt and pepper.
Crisp the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the chicken thighs skin-down and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until crispy and golden. Don’t worry about fully cooking them yet. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
Flavor the Broth: Add lemon slices to the pan and brown them lightly on both sides. Remove the lemons and discard any excess fat. Lower the heat, add butter, and saute minced garlic for 1-2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Bring the broth to a boil.
Simmer the Orzo and Chicken: Stir in the orzo, return the chicken thighs to the pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer everything covered for 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Make the Garlic Butter: While the chicken simmers, melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir in minced garlic and parsley.
Finish the Dish: Once cooked, remove the chicken thighs. Season the orzo with salt, pepper, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and baby spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts. Taste and adjust seasonings. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the garlic butter on top, and garnish with lemon slices.
RECIPE TIPS
- If using a stainless steel pan, the chicken may seem like it’s sticking to the pan initially but will release once it is well browned.
- Cooking time will vary depending on size of chicken thighs. If the thighs are very small, more can be used if they fit in the pan. See notes below for doubling recipe.
- Use an instant read thermometer to ensure chicken thighs are cooked through.
HOW TO DOUBLE THE RECIPE
- Double all ingredients.
- Use a 6 quart dutch oven.
- Brown the chicken thighs in two batches.
- Cooking times will stay the same.
HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT LEFTOVERS
As I mentioned, these make some of my favorite leftovers! There are two options for storing and reheating leftovers. My preferred method with this particular recipe is to store the chicken thighs and orzo in separate tightly covered containers in the refrigerator. For crispy chicken thighs, reheat chicken thighs in an air fryer, then microwave or warm orzo on the stove top. It’s absolutely delicious! Alternatively, you can simply refrigerate the chicken and orzo together and reheat on the stove over low heat or microwave until hot. Refrigerate all leftovers promptly and consume within three days.
MORE One Pot CHICKEN RECIPES TO TRY
One Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Orzo
Equipment
- 3 quart Skillet or Sauté Pan with Lid
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken thighs 4 large chicken thighs about 1/2 pound each
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon sliced into rounds
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 clove reserved
- 8 oz dried orzo (1/2 of a 16 oz package of orzo)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed from about 2 lemons depending on size
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese freshly shredded
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Carefully place chicken thighs skin side down in hot oil and brown 4-5 minutes on each side. Skin side should be crispy and golden. Chicken thighs do not need to be cooked through at this point. Remove thighs from skillet and set aside. Add lemon slices to pan and lightly brown on each side. Remove lemon slices and set aside. Drain any excess chicken fat from pan.
- Lower heat to medium low and add 1 tablespoon of butter to pan. Sauté 3 cloves of minced garlic 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth to pan and use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to deglaze and scrape skillet. Bring broth to a boil. Stir in orzo. Return chicken thighs to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer covered for 20 minutes or until chicken thighs reach a minimum temperature of 165℉.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in small microwave safe bowl. Stir in 1 minced garlic clove and 1 teaspoon of freshly minced parsley.
- When chicken is done cooking, remove thighs from skillet. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, fresh lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and baby spinach. Stir until spinach is wilted. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Return chicken thighs to pan. Spoon melted garlic butter over chicken and top with lemon slices.
Nutrition
5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!
- Quick to make
- Light on your budget
- Easy to clean-up
- and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS
This recipe is just as delicious as it looks! The chicken and orzo were perfect, and I loved how easy it was to get dinner on the table. Great recipe. Thank you!
Very good. I only had half a lemon and it added just enough flavor and brightness.
This is one of the best one pan meals I’ve ever had! So fresh and flavorful! Can’t wait to make it again especially when I need a quick and easy meal!
Your One Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs with Orzo was a delicious and easy weeknight meal! The chicken was juicy and flavorful, and the orzo soaked up all the wonderful lemon and garlic flavors. It was a hit with my whole family.
We had this for dinner last night and it was amazing! Very flavorful and filling!
Oh my gosh this was soooooo good! Thanks for the recipe!
This was delicious! Loved that lemon flavor! Even better that it’s all done in one pot!
I can never leave well enough alone! This sounds so good that I was thinking I would make it when my daughter and family come for dinner; however, my son-in-law can’t eat pasta. Could the orzo be replaced with white rice?