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This creamy dump-and-bake lemon chicken orzo is an easy dinner with just 10 minutes of prep. You don’t even have to boil the pasta before the casserole goes into the oven!
Table of Contents
If you’re looking for more lemon chicken recipes, be sure to try this lemon chicken orzo soup, these easy lemon garlic chicken skewers, a pan of roasted lemon chicken breast, and this lemon chicken piccata, too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- One Dish. Nobody wants to wash a sink full of dishes at the end of a meal! Fortunately, you can stir everything together in a single baking dish, minimizing the pots and pans to clean later.
- Minimal Prep. You don’t even have to cook pasta or prep any ingredients, and the noodles come out tender and perfect every time! It might not be fancy, but you’re going to appreciate the dump-and-bake method of cooking on busy weeknights!
- Quick. Since orzo is a small pasta, it cooks faster than other shapes. This means less time in the oven, and dinner on the table sooner.
- Versatile. Omit the chicken and make it vegetarian, use pre-cooked (or frozen) meatballs, or try sliced fully-cooked Italian sausage. You can also play around with different vegetables, taking advantage of the ingredients that you have on hand.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of creamy lemon chicken orzo. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken broth: adds flavor to the pasta and sauce as the ingredients cook together in the pan. Chicken stock also works well.
- Alfredo sauce: I keep it simple with a jar of store-bought sauce, but you can certainly use your own homemade Alfredo with heavy cream if you prefer. You’ll need a total of about 2 ½ cups, which is approximately one very large 22-ounce jar, or 1 ½ 15-ounce jars.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning: for savory flavor.
- Chicken: you’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe. Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, or see my notes below for other options.
- Orzo: a type of pasta that is shaped like rice. Do not substitute with rice in this recipe.
- Fresh baby spinach: adds great color, texture, and nutrition to the dish.
- Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice: an acidic note to brighten up the casserole and add fresh citrus flavor.
- Shredded Italian cheese blend: we like the flavor variety that you get with a blend of shredded Italian cheeses, but you can sub with shredded mozzarella cheese if you like.
The Best Chicken to Use
You’ll need cooked chicken for this recipe, and a variety of options will work. Pick the most convenient method for you:
- Boiled and Pulled Chicken: Boil about 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs until cooked through (about 15 minutes). When cool enough to handle, chop or pull the chicken and use in the recipe.
- Rotisserie Chicken: This is a great shortcut! Purchase a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, shred the meat, and use in the recipe as instructed.
- Purchase Cooked Chicken: Instead of a rotisserie chicken, you can purchase cooked pulled chicken or cooked diced chicken at the grocery store.
- Leftover Chicken: If you have leftover grilled or baked chicken, put those extras to good use in this casserole.
- Canned Chicken: Yep, you can even use canned chicken in this casserole!
The Best Casserole Dish to Use
We rounded up the best casserole dishes you can buy, including 2 that I personally own and love! While I use different-sized casserole dishes for different dump-and-bake meals, the Staub Ceramic Rectangular Baking Dish earned the top spot. You can buy it on Amazon for $78.95 or at Target for $79.95. That said, I also love the beautiful, Scandinavian style of the Dansk Kobenstyle Baker shown here, available for $135.
The total baking time for this recipe will vary depending on your individual oven, and on the type of dish that you choose. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The orzo should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven, because there’s very little prep work necessary for this lemon chicken orzo bake! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the broth, Aflredo, and seasoning in a greased casserole dish. Stir in the chicken and uncooked orzo.
- Cover tightly and bake for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice, top with cheese, and bake for 5 more minutes. For a golden brown finish, place the pan under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh dill, parsley, basil, or chives, and grated Parmesan cheese, and serve!
Serving Suggestions
Since this casserole includes pasta, a creamy sauce, and veggies, you’ve basically got an entire meal in one pan. If you’d like to round out the lemon orzo chicken with a side salad or other dish, here are some easy options:
- Garlic Bread or Breadsticks
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Cream Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, or Drop Biscuits
- No-Knead Cast Iron Focaccia, Crusty French Baguette, Focaccia Bread, No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, Pumpkin Muffins, or Pumpkin Bread
- Kale Apple Salad, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fennel Salad with Apples and Creamy Cider Dressing
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower or Garlic Roasted Broccoli
- Tomato Salad with Basil and Balsamic
- Crock Pot Mushrooms
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the fridge overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The pasta will dry out a bit as it sits, so you may need to stir in some additional Alfredo sauce, cream, or broth when you reheat the dish. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because pasta has a tendency to get gummy and mushy when thawed.
Recipe Variations
- Don’t have orzo? You can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne, ziti, rotini, elbows, or medium shells. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as orzo (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package for al dente) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- Cooking for a Smaller Family: Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. Check the pasta after 25 minutes, as it may be done slightly sooner than the larger pan.
- Add extra vegetables. You can stir frozen peas into the dish at the end (along with the spinach), or include broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, grated carrots, halved grape tomatoes, or a can of drained diced tomatoes at the start. If using frozen broccoli, just thaw it and stir it right into the dish. If using fresh broccoli florets, you might need to par-boil or steam them first so that they’re a little bit tender when you add them to the casserole.
- Use homemade Alfredo sauce instead of a jar of store-bought sauce.
- Add extra herbs for even more flavor. Good options include fresh or dried parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, and rosemary.
- Give it a Mediterranean spin by adding feta cheese, roasted red bell peppers, and kalamata olives.
Expert Tips
- When zesting the lemon, make sure that you only scrape off the very outer layer of the peel (this is where you’ll find all of the flavorful essential oils). Do not scrape off any of the white pith, which has a bitter taste.
- Pick a high-quality, flavorful Alfredo sauce (or make your own). With so few ingredients in the casserole, each individual ingredient is very important! A delicious sauce will yield a delicious meal. I like Rao’s brand if you can find it, but any similar variety (like a 22-ounce jar of Prego) will work.
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the orzo. The pasta should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Gently stir the orzo by fluffing with a fork. A larger spoon may compress the individual pieces, causing it to clump together.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the orzo will become mushy.
- Make it spicy by stirring in some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Garnish the casserole with fresh herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley for a bright, colorful touch. Fresh lemon wedges and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese is also delicious!
More Dump-and-Bake Chicken Pasta Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parm Casserole
50 minutes mins
Dump and Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole
48 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Sesame Chicken Noodles
55 minutes mins
Lemon Chicken Orzo
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
An easy, one-pan, dump-and-bake dinner with just 10 minutes of prep!
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 (22 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (about 1 very large 22-ounce jar or 1 ½ 15-ounce jars) (approximately 2 ½ cups total)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cups cooked shredded or diced chicken (such as meat from a rotisserie chicken)
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
- Zest from 1 lemon (about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups Italian blend cheese (or sub with shredded mozzarella cheese)
- Optional garnish: grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped herbs such as basil, oregano, and parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, whisk together the broth, Alfredo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Stir in the chicken and uncooked orzo. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover; stir the orzo gently with a fork. At this point you should check the orzo to make sure that it is al dente (still quite firm but with a tender bite). There will still be a good amount of liquid in the pan, and that’s fine – the pasta will absorb most of the remaining liquid as it finishes in the oven. If the orzo is still too hard after 30 minutes, just cover the dish again and return it to the oven until the orzo is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Stir in the spinach, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Sprinkle the cheese over top.
- Bake uncovered for about 5 more minutes (or until the cheese melts and the pasta is tender). If you want the top crispy and brown, place it under the broiler for a minute or two (keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn). Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
- When zesting the lemon, make sure that you only scrape off the very outer layer of the peel (this is where you’ll find all of the flavorful essential oils). Do not scrape off any of the white pith, which has a bitter taste.
- Pick a high-quality, flavorful Alfredo sauce (or make your own). With so few ingredients in the casserole, each individual ingredient is very important! A delicious sauce will yield a delicious meal. I like Rao’s brand if you can find it, but any similar variety (like a 22-ounce jar of Prego) will work.
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the orzo. The pasta should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Gently stir the orzo by fluffing with a fork. A larger spoon may compress the individual pieces, causing it to clump together.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the orzo will become mushy.
- Make it spicy by stirring in some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Garnish the casserole with fresh herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley for a bright, colorful touch. Fresh lemon wedges and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese is also delicious!
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of the recipeCalories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 27gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 926mgPotassium: 281mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 715IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 1mg
This was a delicious, easy recipe to prepare. I needed to half the recipe based on my family size and it was superb. I used rotisserie chicken which was a real time saver and tasty too! The cooking directions were accurate. I also steamed some broccoli, had hot Itaian bread and made a big green salad. Perfecto!
That sounds like a delicious meal, Rita! Thank you for trying out the recipe and taking the time to leave a review. We’re so glad it turned out well for you!