Lemon Chicken Orzo with Tomatoes and Asparagus
I am so excited about this Lemon Chicken Orzo with Tomatoes and Asparagus. I know I’m always excited about food, but I seriously want to start making this weekly. This pasta dish is an easy, one-pot recipe that tastes bright, fresh and perfect for Spring or Summer (or those of us looking out at the snow and wishing it was). With pasta, chicken and vegetables I found this dish very filling and the lemon and garlic flavors had me swooning. You can also bulk it up further by adding extra veggies (e.g. stirring in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach at the end) if you have some on hand.
A satisfying serving of this Lemon Chicken Orzo with Tomatoes and Asparagus is just 368 calories or 6 WW Points. To view your current WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here! It’s perfect for a weeknight meal or to make ahead and eat for lunches throughout the week. Even better still, you can warm up your leftovers or eat them cold like a pasta salad – it’s delicious both ways!
Looking for more tasty, lightened up one-pot meals? Check out my recipes for Beefy American Goulash, Rustic Sausage and Potato Skillet, One-Pot Cincinnati Chili Bake, Sausage and Tortellini Tomato Soup, Chicken Pesto Parmesan Pasta Skillet, Beef Stroganoff, Pumpkin Alfredo Tortellini Skillet, Beef Taco Soup, Cheesy Chicken Veggie Pasta Skillet, Spicy Taco Gnocchi Skillet, Chicken and Chorizo Salsa Skillet, Best Turkey Chili, Sausage Tortellini Skillet, Spaghetti and Meatball Soup, Spicy Sausage Pasta, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Bacon, Cheddar and Beer Risotto, Barley Beef Skillet and more in the One-Pot category of my recipe index.
Lemon Chicken Orzo with Tomatoes and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon light butter, I used Land O’Lakes
- 6 oz uncooked wheat orzo pasta
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups reduced sodium fat free chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh asparagus spears cut into 1” pieces
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Additional salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine the flour, garlic powder, pepper and salt in a small dish and stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces in a gallon zip-top bag and add the flour mixture. Seal the bag and shake/massage it around until the chicken pieces are coated.
- In a large saute pan, bring the oil over medium heat and then add the chicken. Stir to coat with the oil and then cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken pieces are cooked through and begin to brown. Transfer the cooked chicken to a side plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. Wipe out the inside of the skillet.
- Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the orzo to the pan and stir to coat. Spread the orzo across the surface of the pan and allow it to cook for 2 minutes until a few of the orzo pieces begin to brown. Add the garlic to the pan and stir. Allow to cook for another minute.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low to simmer and cover the pan. Simmer covered for 4-5 minutes and then add the asparagus. Stir and re-cover. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir. Add the lemon juice, tomatoes and basil along with salt to taste. Stir together and then add the reserved chicken to the pan. Stir to combine and serve.
Notes
9 per (1 ½ cup) serving (PP calculated using a WW PointsPlus calculator and the nutrition info below) adapted from Taste of Home