Lemon Chicken with Spinach and Orzo
With just enough lemon flavor to be bright and delicious, this Lemon Chicken with Spinach and Orzo is fantastic! It tastes like a gourmet meal, but is made in the slow cooker. The trick is boiling the orzo in some of the broth from the chicken.
I wanted lemon chicken. I know the hubs isn’t a huge fan of citrus that doesn’t involve lemonade or margaritas, so I was treading in some pretty shallow water. Walking a really thin line. And all those glorious clichés.
I had to be careful.
I planned on adding some lemon juice to the broth, but didn’t. I’m glad I didn’t. I think that would have made it TOO lemon-y for S. As it was, the whole lemon with the rind offered up a good amount that wasn’t too over powering and wasn’t too much lemon flavor. Or so I thought.
I said, “That’s the right amount of lemon! I just wanted a hint.”
S, “That’s not really a “hint” of lemon.”
Me, “No, I mean that’s the perfect amount. Any more would be too much.”
S, “Still, that’s not really a hint of lemon.”
So, yeah. Had to tread lightly where the lemon is concerned. Personally, I LOVE lemon. I love lemon desserts, cookies, cakes, pies, lemon chicken, etc.
I mean, just look at that dish!! You know it’s going to be flavorful with all those colors, textures, and a delicious sauce bringing it all together. Grab a fork, and maybe a spoon, because you’re not going to want to miss one little piece of orzo or spoonful of sauce in this dish.
Okay. I know the professional say you should put flavor in the water when you’re cooking pasta, rice, or potatoes. And, honestly, we used to do that when I was growing up. We would have a roast and use that broth to cook noodles. And they were the.best.noodles.ever! I’m not sure why I stopped doing that. Well, I sort of do. We use the broth for gravy. It’s been decades since I’ve had noodles cooked in roast beef broth. I should change that.
Especially after this recipe. I would have cooked the orzo in the pot with the chicken if I was home, but since this is a slow cooker recipe, I ladled some of the broth into the pot leaving about 2 cups left in the slow cooker. Then I filled the pot with enough water to cook the orzo, about another 2 cups or so, and then cooked the pasta in that flavor filled mixture. I could have licked the bowl. The orzo was that tasty.
You like how I tried to fancy it up with the plate? That’s actually a salad plate. And it happened to be the only large plate I had at the office. And if I didn’t photograph my lunch there would be no recipe because we ATE ALL THE THINGS! ate it all. Wouldn’t you?
What are your thoughts on lemons in dishes or desserts?
Lemon Chicken with Spinach and Orzo
With just enough lemon flavor to be bright and delicious, this Lemon Chicken with Spinach and Orzo is fantastic! It tastes like a gourmet meal, but is made in the slow cooker. The trick is boiling the orzo in some of the broth from the chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cups fat free chicken stock
- 1 whole lemon, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 8 ounces orzo, uncooked
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray. Arrange the lemon slices and sprigs of rosemary and thyme over the chicken.
- Sprinkle the chicken with the garlic salt and pepper then pour the chicken broth over top.
- Cook on low 5 to 7 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in the spinach and let it cook while you cook the orzo and finish the sauce.
- Place 1 1/2 cups of the chicken juice in a medium saucepan. Add enough cold water to boil and orzo. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the orzo according to package directions omitting the salt and oil.
- Pour the remaining juices in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine the water and the cornstarch. Add to the boiling broth and then simmer until thickened.
- Place 1/2 cup of orzo on each of four plates. Top with 1/2 cup of spinach, and two chicken thighs. Ladle the sauce over the chicken thighs and serve.
I am not sure if I am missing a page, or it’s not here, but what about the spinach? My view omits how it’s cooked or any mention of it. Also, the ingredients don’t have any mention of water and cornstarch, while the directions refer to to them as “the” cornstarch like I should have an amount. I’ll do my best to make it tonight, but would love too see the entire recipe! The spinach is the mystery. It looks like it might be cooked in the juices before thickening with cornstarch?
Thank you for bringing this to my attention! This was one of the older recipes from my blog before I really knew what I was doing. Now, I take better notes, for the most part. I hope you were able to make the dish. It’s one I like to have every now and then.
Spectacular Dish! It rang my chimes! With the left hand side bar arrangement, it causes me not to be able to read all the way to the edge of the page. So I am still not totally sure if your husband liked it. Man, I don't see how he could resist.