One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo
This One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo delivers 18g protein and 484 calories per serving across 4 portions. Quick prep and single-pot stovetop cooking keeps this option low-friction when you're working with limited time or kitchen space. Use this recipe as a side or lighter option to pair with higher-protein mains that same day.
Ingredients
- •Chicken Thigh, Bone-In, Skin-On
Boneless skinless thighs. Fattier than breast but more forgiving to cook.
- •Lemon pepper seasoning blend(30g)
- •Vegetable oil(15g)
- •Garlic(120g)
- •Low Sodium Chicken Broth(480g)
- •Parsley, Fresh(60g)
- •Pasta, Orzo, White, Dry(360g)
- •Cheese, Feta, Crumbled(57g)
Instructions
- 1Blot the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season both sides liberally with lemon pepper seasoning (about 2 Tbsp lemon pepper total).
- 2Heat a large deep skillet over medium. Once hot, add the cooking oil. Add the seasoned chicken thighs, skin side down, and let them cook undisturbed until browned (about 6-8 minutes for bone-in skin-on thighs). Flip the chicken thighs and cook until browned on the second side. The chicken will be cooked most of the way through at this point but will finish cooking when simmered with the orzo. Remove the chicken to a clean plate.
- 3While the chicken is browning, roughly chop about 1/4 bunch of parsley and mince two cloves of garlic. After removing the chicken from the skillet, turn the heat down to low, add the minced garlic, and sauté the garlic in the residual fat for about a minute.
- 4Add 2 cups of chicken broth to the skillet and stir to dissolve the crispy browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 5Add the orzo and half of the chopped parsley. Stir to combine. Finally, return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up.
- 6Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to high, and let the broth come to a full boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low. Let the skillet simmer on low for about 15 minutes, or until most of the broth has been absorbed. Make sure it’s simmering the whole time. If it stops simmering, increase the heat slightly until it just starts to simmer again.
- 7After about 15 minutes the orzo should be tender and most of the broth absorbed but there will still be a little sauce in the skillet.
- 8Fluff the orzo around the chicken a bit with a fork, then top with the remaining parsley and the crumbled feta. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition — Per Serving
484
calories
18g
protein
9g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 84g
- Saturated fat
- 3.0g
- Sodium
- 339 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 4.8g
4 servings per batch · ~281g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo have per serving?
Each serving provides 18g of protein and 484 calories with 9g fat and 84g carbs. The protein content is lower than other recipes in this collection, so this works best as a side meal rather than a primary dinner option.
How long does One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo take to prep?
Quick prep on the stovetop produces 4 servings, though you may want to add a secondary protein source if using this as your main dinner to reach daily protein targets.
Is One Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo good for fat loss?
At 484 calories with minimal fat (9g), this fits a fat-loss calorie window, but the 18g protein per serving is insufficient as a standalone dinner for most lifters tracking macros. Pair it with an additional protein source like Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
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