If you love classic restaurant chicken piccata, you’ll love this easy one-pot chicken piccata orzo that features lots of fresh lemon, flavorful white wine, and tangy capers in a fluffy orzo base.
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Lord knows I love a twist on chicken piccata, I mean have you seen my archives? This orzo version made entirely in one pot is only further cementing that love.
Leave it to a trusty one pot dinner to work this kind of magic. We’ve got white wine, lemon, capers, juicy chicken, fluffy orzo, the WORKS, friends!
And yes, all this in under an hour to boot! This orzo has been living on my dinner rotation lately and it’s really not too hard to see why…
Just pass me a spoon and let me at it, no bowl required.
This Orzo Features…
- Fluffy orzo cooked in white wine and chicken broth
- Golden seared chicken cubes
- Fresh lemon, parsley, and capers
Making the Orzo
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Chicken breasts
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Orzo
- Garlic
- White wine
- Chicken broth
- Lemon
- Capers
- Parsley
Choosing Your Chicken
I recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. This cut of chicken can be pounded thin so it cooks up quickly on the stovetop.
To prepare the chicken breasts for cooking, cut each breast in half width-wise, place between two sheets of wax paper, and pound until about 1/2-inch thick using a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Tips for Perfect One Pot Orzo
- Sear chicken breasts – lightly coat the chicken cutlets in flour, salt, and pepper and sear until golden-brown and cooked through. The flour coating will help form a golden crust and seal in the moisture.
- Toast orzo and onion – this builds the flavor base for the orzo.
- Deglaze pan with white wine – this will help release any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of pan.
- Simmer orzo in broth 8-10 minutes – simmer the orzo uncovered, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is evaporated and orzo is tender.
- Add chicken cubes, lemon, capers, and parsley after orzo is cooked – the chicken will retain it’s juicy texture and the lemon, capers, and parsley add a ton of flavor to the cooked orzo.
- Use fresh lemon, garlic, and parsley – you can’t beat the flavor using these ingredients fresh gives the orzo.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this orzo.
- Make it non-alcoholic – replace the white wine with additional chicken broth + 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar.
- Use another fresh herb – try dill, basil, or tarragon in place of the parsley.
- Add veggies – try adding a diced sweet pepper, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or baby spinach.
Serving Suggestions
This orzo is hearty enough all on its own but also pairs great alongside a big green salad, roasted veggies, or crusty bread for serving.
Leftovers also store very well so feel free to meal prep this one ahead of time!
Next time you’re craving chicken piccata but want it a little more on the easy side, this recipe is going to be the one you should turn to!
And yes, you absolutely should pair a crisp glass of white wine from the rest of the bottle alongside it.
More one pot orzo dinners you’ll love!
Save this recipe for later using the ‘save to recipe box’ button. If you make it, please let me know by leaving a comment + star rating below the recipe card. This only takes moments and helps support my website so much!
One Pot Chicken Piccata Orzo
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Ingredients
- 1 lb (2 medium) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup finely-diced yellow onion
- 1-1/2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups chicken broth
- Juice and zest from 1 medium lemon
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cut each breast in half horizontally so you have 4 chicken cutlets. Use a meat mallet to pound each cutlet out to about 1/2-inch thickness. Season chicken cutlets well on both sides with salt and pepper then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- Heat a large high-walled stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add chicken cutlets in a single layer, sear 3-4 minutes on first side, then flip to opposite side and add remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes on opposite side until chicken is golden brown and registers 165F.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board, allow to cool slightly, then cut into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Set same pan to heat over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add onion and orzo and cook 3-4 minutes until orzo is a light golden brown and onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour white wine into pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Allow wine to simmer 2-3 minutes at medium heat, stirring occasionally, until wine is reduced in half.
- Pour chicken broth into pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer orzo uncovered for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally until orzo is tender and most of liquid is evaporated.
- Toss cubed chicken, lemon juice, zest, capers, and parsley into orzo. Season orzo with salt and pepper to taste as needed and serve warm. Enjoy!
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