Lemon Rooster and Orzo – The Keep At House Chef

With contemporary, brilliant lemon and herbs, this one-pot meal is our favourite technique to efficiently pull off a home-cooked meal throughout the busy workweek. This straightforward recipe covers your whole bases—prepared in simply 45 minutes and tremendous flavorful whereas nonetheless being a lighter choice that doesn’t go away you feeling weighed down.

Love Orzo previous as a lot as we do? Strive our straightforward and scrumptious One Pot Italian Chicken Orzo.

Orzo pasta elevates this easy dish and pairs properly with the lemon hen, retaining issues fascinating so that you don’t must fall again on boring, boiled pasta. If you want a fast and simple dinner with minimal cleanup, this Lemon Rooster and Orzo is the proper resolution.

Ingredient Notes

• Rooster Breasts: It’s also possible to use boneless thighs for those who favor darker meat. Simply be sure that to chop them into bite-size items and trim off any fats.
• Olive Oil: Substitute with any impartial cooking oil, resembling vegetable or canola oil.
• Rooster Broth: Utilizing a low-sodium choice permits you to greatest management the flavour. It’s a fantastic chef tip.
• Lemon Juice: Bottled lemon juice works properly and retains prep to a minimal, however freshly squeezed all the time has the very best taste.
• Orzo: This short-cut pasta resembles rice and is discovered within the pasta aisle in a field or plastic container. Verify the cooking time in your package deal for the very best outcomes.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly shredded or grated Parmesan all the time melts the very best.

Rooster Choices

Rotisserie Rooster: When you’re in a rush, rotisserie hen is a implausible time-saver. Since rotisserie chickens are often a loss chief for grocery shops, it’s a money-saver too! Merely shred about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pre-cooked hen and stir it in throughout the previous few minutes of cooking.

Leftover Rooster: Acquired leftover hen from a earlier meal? Whether or not it’s grilled, baked, or roasted, you possibly can simply shred it and add it to your soup. It is a nice technique to reduce waste and provides new life to leftovers.

Rooster Thighs: When you favor darkish meat, boneless hen thighs are a tasty various to hen breasts. They add a richer taste to the soup and have a tendency to remain extra tender and juicy. Sear and cook dinner them simply as you’ll hen breasts.

Add Veggies

Simply add some colour to this one-pot dish by incorporating contemporary greens. Asparagus, broccoli, and inexperienced beans are all nice choices that pair properly with lemon, basil, and parmesan.

For asparagus, add chopped asparagus over the last 3–4 minutes of cooking so it stays tender-crisp.

For broccoli, stir in small broccoli florets about 5 minutes earlier than the orzo is completed to make sure they soften with out turning into mushy.

For inexperienced beans, reduce into bite-sized items and add them over the last 5 minutes of cooking for the very best texture.

If utilizing softer veggies like spinach or cherry tomatoes, stir them in after turning off the warmth and allow them to wilt from the residual heat.

The Proper Pan

Dimension Issues: Go for a big, deep skillet (12 inches or larger). It provides the hen and orzo loads of room to cook dinner evenly and retains all the pieces from spilling out whenever you stir.

Lid Required: You’ll want a lid to cowl the pan whereas the orzo cooks. In case your skillet doesn’t have one, no worries—simply cowl it tightly with foil.

No skillet? No downside! A large, shallow Dutch oven or braiser works like a attraction.