Description
A delightful blend of tender chicken, zesty lemon, fluffy orzo, and crunchy broccoli, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, season chicken pieces with black pepper, half the lemon zest, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss until evenly coated.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes until light brown. Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, sauté diced onion for 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the orzo and cook for 1 minute to toast.
- Pour in chicken broth and the remaining salt. Return chicken to skillet, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Stir in broccoli, cover, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes until broccoli is crisp-tender and orzo is al dente.
- Fold in butter, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, and remaining lemon zest, stirring until melted into a creamy mixture. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with fresh parsley.
Notes
Can be made ahead; store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg