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This easy Creamy Lemon Orzo is a rich, creamy dish with bright lemon and fresh basil. This one-pan creamy lemon orzo is made in only 20 minutes! It is the perfect side dish or served alongside grilled chicken or steak.
It is lemon season in Arizona and so bring on all of the delicious lemon recipes!
I am always looking for innovative side dishes that aren’t your typical norm. I am loving orzo pasta these days and wanted to create the perfect creamy lemon basil orzo. It has it all — rich creaminess, tender texture, and freshness from the lemon zest and basil.
Since my Creamy Lemon Orzo Soup has been so popular on Modern Honey, I wanted to share a perfect creamy side dish that shares similar flavors. This is like a creamy risotto but made with orzo pasta.
Creamy Lemon Orzo Ingredients:
- Orzo Pasta — this popular Italian pasta is so tender and creamy. Use dried orzo found in the grocery store. There are varying sizes of orzo pasta.
- Fresh Lemon (Juice + Zest) — use fresh lemon zest and juice to add vibrant flavors to this creamy orzo pasta.
- Onion — the sauteed sweet onion gives the orzo the base of flavor.
- Butter — saute the onion in butter until the onion is tender and translucent.
- Chicken Broth — adds that salty and savory flavor and is perfect to cook the orzo in to infuse the flavor into the orzo pasta.
- Heavy Cream — adds the perfect amount of rich, creaminess to the orzo and makes it taste like a delicious risotto.
- Parmesan Cheese — adds a nutty, salty flavor and when melted, it becomes perfectly creamy.
- Fresh Basil — the fresh lemon and fresh basil add freshness and vibrancy to the dish and compliments the rich creaminess.
- Garlic — to add more depth of flavor, add a touch of garlic.
For extra creaminess and flavor, add a few tablespoons of salted butter after the creamy orzo is done cooking.
How to make Creamy Orzo:
- Start by sauteeing onion in butter until tender and translucent. This helps to build flavor in the creamy orzo pasta. Add the orzo pasta and garlic and toast it for two minutes.
- Add chicken broth and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and tender and until the liquid is almost all absorbed. Remove from heat.
- Stir in parmesan cheese, heavy cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh basil. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
- For extra creaminess, add a few tablespoons of butter before serving. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Storage:
Refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container. When ready to reheat, add a splash of chicken broth and heavy cream since the orzo pasta will have soaked up a lot of the chicken broth and cream.
Popular Lemon Recipes:
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe
- Creamy Lemon Pasta
- Creamy Chicken Lemon Pasta
- Skillet Lemon Butter Chicken
- Best Chicken Marinade Recipe
If you are looking for some delicious side dish recipes, here are the recipes for you!
Side Dish Recipes:
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Creamy Lemon Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Salted Butter
- 1 cup Onion (diced)
- 1 1/3 cups Orzo
- 2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (good-quality)
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Zest
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice (add more for more lemon flavor)
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil (chopped)
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and add butter. Add onions and cook for about 5-6 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent.
- Add the orzo and toast for 2 minutes. Add garlic. Add in chicken broth and reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the orzo is tender (this may take longer depending on the size of the orzo) and most of the chicken broth has been absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and add parmesan cheese until it is melted. Stir in heavy cream, fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, and basil. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed.
- For extra creaminess, stir in some salted butter right before serving and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the orzo. For extra lemon flavor, garnish with lemon zest.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious and easy to make! My entire family LOVES this. I usually serve it with sauteed chicken and steamed broccoli
Thank you so much for your comment Veronica! I am so glad you loved this recipe.
Amazing! Didn’t change a thing! It’s perfect!
Thank you for making this recipe, Brenda!
Two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice? What am I supposed to do with the rest of the lemon (no, I do not put lemon in tea). I made this recipe and put all 1/4 cup of lemon juice into the orzo mixture. It worked out fine.
Best recipe I’ve made in a while and I cook a lot . This is just SO good.
This is a go to recipe in our house!
I’m teaching my 17 yo son to cook so he won’t starve when he goes off into the real world. We made this tonight since it seemed pretty easy. He did everything himself, and when it was finished we all DEVOURED it. This is so easy and quick to make, and is DELICIOUS. No modifications needed. We will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation.
Wow. Thanks so much for the recipe. It was over the top delicious! Followed recipe exactly and we will be making this again and again. My 10 yr old son loved it! We topped with shrimp and salmon and had a side of asparagus. It’s a keeper!
One of my new favorite recipes! My whole family loved it and there was no leftovers. Amazing recipe.
This one is SO GOOD! Topped it with grilled chicken and it was a new favorite!