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+ servings
5 from 8 votes
Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner with spinach and orzo in a cast iron skillet on a counter with a towel wrapped around the handle.
Lemon Chicken, Spinach and Orzo Skillet Dinner
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
When you really want dinner in a hurry without a lot of pots and pans to clean up at the end of the meal, look to this recipe. Make this lemon chicken skillet dinner with spinach and orzo and all you'll need is a little side salad.
Course: Entrées
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken, One Pot Meal, Quick and Easy
Servings: 4
Calories: 602 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 4- to 5-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • olive oil
  • 1 small lemon sliced
  • ½ onion chopped
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • cups dried orzo pasta
  • ½ cup white wine
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Combine the flour and dried thyme and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour.
  2. Pre-heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and brown the dredged chicken on both sides. Transfer the browned chicken to a side plate. Add the lemon slices to the skillet and sear them quickly, until slightly browned. Set them aside on the plate with the chicken.
  3. Add the onions to skillet and sauté for a few minutes until they start to brown. Add the minced garlic and orzo and sauté for another 2 minutes, just to toast the orzo. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the lemon juice and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 12 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking process.
  4. Stir in the baby spinach, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Return the browned chicken and lemon slices to the pan and sprinkle the lemon zest on top. Simmer over low heat for a few more minutes until the chicken is warmed through and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Chicken, Spinach and Orzo Skillet Dinner
Amount Per Serving
Calories 602 Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Cholesterol 126mg42%
Sodium 561mg23%
Potassium 1042mg30%
Carbohydrates 59g20%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 42g84%
Vitamin A 3865IU77%
Vitamin C 27.2mg33%
Calcium 183mg18%
Iron 3.1mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.