One-Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo

30 minute meal! Serve up this one-pot lemon pepper chicken as a complete meal or add a side salad. Easy and healthy! 350 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

One-Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo Recipe

My Facebook feed is filled with back to school pictures, but my brain won't let me out of summertime mode quite yet! In the Pacific Northwest, most schools don't start up again until after Labor Day, so we're soaking up every last day of summer until then. That being said, my mind can't help but turn to healthy school night recipes, knowing that the need for meal prepping and weeknight efficiency is just around the corner.

And that's where this one-pot lemon pepper chicken recipe comes in. When it comes to busy weeknights, who wants to clean up a pile of dishes at the end of the day?!

A well stocked spice cupboard is key to adding flavor to recipes with few ingredients. Lemon pepper is one of those spice mixtures that I always have on hand and it's available in the spice section of most grocery stores. Alternatively, you can always order it on Amazon (affiliate link). Bring out the lemon flavor with a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving.

Tips for making this lemon pepper chicken recipe:

• I like to use chicken thighs in one-pot recipes because they retain more moisture than chicken breasts. That being said, if chicken thighs aren't your thing, feel free to substitute chicken breasts. Cut each one in half crosswise for easy cooking.
• Toss the chicken thighs with lemon pepper and salt, then sear them in a little olive oil. Searing them until there's a little brown on the outside of the chicken helps to seal in moisture and add flavor.
• Next, sauté some garlic, then pour in some chicken broth with more lemon pepper and salt.
• Add the whole wheat orzo (yep, regular orzo will work, too), then nestle the chicken thighs into the pan.
• Once the orzo and chicken is cooked though, stir in the peas. Serve it up!

Other healthy one-pot recipes:

One-Pot Italian Chicken & Quinoa {Cookin' Canuck}
One-Pot Chicken Sausage & Bean Ragout {Cookin' Canuck}
Healthy One Pot Mexican Quinoa Casserole {Joyful Healthy Eats}
One-Pot Creamy Peanut Spinach Lentils {Food Faith Fitness}

One-Pot Lemon Pepper Chicken with Orzo

350 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: One Pot

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 350.5kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper divided
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 3 ½ teaspoons olive oil divided
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ cup whole wheat orzo
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• Salt to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon lemon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to evenly coat the chicken.
• Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon in a small section of the skillet and add the garlic to the oil. Saute for 1 minute.
• Pour in the chicken broth and stir in 1 tablespoon lemon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then stir in the orzo.
• Nestle the chicken thighs into the orzo mixture and reduce the heat so that the mixture is simmering lively.
• Cover and cook until the orzo is tender and chicken thighs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• In the last minute of cooking, stir in the peas, pushing them down into the mixture to cook, and squeeze in the lemon juice.
• Garnish with parsley and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 6 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 9 (Points+)

Nutrition

Serving: 1Chicken Thigh + ⅔ Cups Orzo Mixture | Calories: 350.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.5g | Protein: 27.8g | Fat: 10.9g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 452.1mg | Fiber: 5.6g | Sugar: 2.7g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.