A one-pot dinner is a must-make meal for any new mom and dad. And with a lemony twist on the classic chicken and rice soup—this time with orzo pasta that helps thicken this flavor-filled cooking bonanza—my Lemon Chicken Stew, is a spunked up contribution to a virtual baby shower for my fellow food blogger Liz at The Lemon Bowl.
Every mom needs to catch a break, especially in the kitchen. While I’m a lover of the cookin’, I’m not much of a fan of the washin’.
That’s why this lemon chicken stew is the perfect one-pot dinner—with leftovers for the next day—for any new mom and dad ready to pucker up and kiss those newborn baby toes.
One pot, that’s all. Dinner is served.
I met Liz of The Lemon Bowl when we were visiting the farmers who put Dole Salads onto dinner tables across America, and I was immediately drawn to her wit and punchy personality. This girl has charisma to spare.
So when a group of food bloggers invited me to join in her virtual baby shower party I was more than happy to join the party.
In my opinion, baby butt wipe warmers and all of the other needless baby junk can easily be bypassed at the typical baby registry. What really counts as a present is keeping mom and dad out of the kitchen so they can grab some zzz’s and spend their time where they should and shouldn’t be: away from the dish soap, and instead, snuggling with their baby love.
Liz already has a toddler to keep her busy, so with a new babe on the way, I had a feeling a dish that is a minimizer in the kitchen but is full of comfort is a sure winner in these new parentals’ cookbook.
Did I mention it’s her birthday this week too? This is a serious double header.
What’s in This Lemon Chicken Stew?
In addition to making this lemon chicken recipe simple to prep, I wanted to keep the ingredients list as short as possible. Fewer ingredients means less prep work, which is always a good idea in my book. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy chicken stew:
- Canola oil
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and pepper
- Chicken thighs
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Leek
- Garlic
- Chicken stock
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Orzo pasta
- Fresh tarragon
How to Make Lemon Chicken Stew
To make this lemon chicken stew recipe, you’ll first need to dredge the cubed chicken in a seasoned flour mixture. Then, brown the chicken on both sides in a large stockpot and transfer to a plate before sautéing the veggies in the same pot.
Add the chicken back into the pot, along with the stock and water. Let the stew simmer for roughly 20 minutes, then stir in the orzo pasta and continue simmering until it’s cooked through.
Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle fresh tarragon over top before serving.
Can I Use Chicken Breasts Instead of Thighs?
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts if desired. You could probably get away with ground chicken as well if you’re in a pinch.
Is There an Orzo Substitute I Can Use?
Readers have reported success using different types of rice in place of the orzo. Rice will likely need more time to cook though, so keep that in mind if using it.
Tips for Making Lemon Chicken Stew
For the best flavor, I prefer using my homemade chicken stock in this lemon chicken stew (which incidentally is another great gift to give new parents!). I know new parents don’t have the time to make homemade stock, so if you go the store-bought route you may want to buy a low-sodium version to prevent your chicken stew from being too salty.
Also, freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must for this recipe. The bottled stuff doesn’t hold a candle to the real deal.
This stew makes great leftovers. You can reheat this stew on the stove or in the microwave, whichever is easiest for you.
More One-Pot Meals for When You’re Short on Time
- One-Pan Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce
- One-Pot Creamy Chicken and Rice
- One-Pot Skinny Pasta Primavera
- One-Pot Mexican Shrimp with Orzo and Zucchini
- Homemade One-Pot Sloppy Joes
If you try this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrush!
Lemon Chicken Stew
My Lemon Chicken Stew is a lemony twist on the classic chicken and rice soup. It's made with orzo pasta, which helps thicken this flavorful stew!
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound skinless and boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 carrots sliced
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 onion diced
- 1 leek thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon chopped
Instructions
In an 8-quart casserole stockpot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium high heat. Add the flour to a shallow bowl and season with about 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shake off the excess.
Place half of the chicken in the stockpot but do not overcrowd. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side then transfer the chicken to a bowl. Brown the remaining chicken in 2 more tablespoons of the oil.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the carrots, celery and onion to the stockpot and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the sliced leek and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes.
- Add the orzo and chicken to the stockpot and cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until orzo is tender.
Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with tarragon. Serve immediately.
Following are a list of other food bloggers who’ve cooked up something special for Liz. Do you sense a theme? Yep, it’s all lemon, all day, every meal.
Pucker up baby, you’ve got some serious kisses coming your way. Congratulations Liz, and here’s to a safe and very welcoming delivery.
Appetizers
Whipped Feta Spread with Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary by Miss in the Kitchen
Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” in a Lemon Cup with Smoked Paprika by Climbing Grier Mountain
Lemon Basil Bruschetta by Dine & Dish
Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries w/ Lemon Basil Aioli by What’s Gaby Cooking
Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Olives by Sarah’s Cucina Bella
Kalamata Olive and Feta Dip with Baked Lemon Pepper Pita Chips by Aggie’s Kitchen
Creamy Asparagus Guacamole by The Healthy Apple
Beverages
Sparkling Honey Rosemary Lemonade by Nutmeg Nanny
Basil Hibiscus Lemonade by Fabtastic Eats
Jam Mocktails: Lemon & Pineapple by Cooking with Books
Lemon Jalapeno Spritzers by Bev Cooks
Sparkling Blackberry Lemonade by Crumbs and Chaos
Limonana (Middle Eastern Frozen Mint Lemonade) by An Edible Mosaic
Salads
Lemon Quinoa Salad with Pistachios & Sun-Dried Tomatoes by Cookin’ Canuck
Pear Quinoa Salad by Reluctant Entertainer
Lemon Avocado Salad Dressing by The Lean Green Bean
Lemony Spinach & Tomato Quinoa Salad by MomAdvice
Herbed Calamari Salad with Preserved Lemons by Everyday Maven
Main Dish
Italian Lemon Roast Chicken Pot by Eat2Gather
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Tostada by A Zesty Bite
Lemon Pepper Shrimp Linguine by Taste and Tell
Desserts
Honey Lemon Shortbread Cookies by Rachel Cooks
Wish I was there in person to make each and every one of these dishes for dear Liz. Instead, I’ll give a few a go for me and the fam and teleport them telegraphically. That’ll work, right?
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
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ashley - baker by nature says
This looks amazing!!! It’s so chilly here this morning, and I’m totally dreaming of this on the stove ;)
Caroline @ chocolate & carrots says
What a beautiful dish Heidi! I’m betting this would be a good cure for the common cold this time of year. :D It was a pleasure bringing goodies with you to Liz’s shower! :D
Tieghan says
Oh man, this looks so good and perfect for this time of year! I am craving soup and warm foods like crazy! I love this fresh and healthy spin too. Plus, I bet Liz with love it!
shaye says
change it up some!! Canola oil is NOT good to use!! Use avocado oil or coconut oil.. or real olive oil!!
Rachel Cooks says
“Charisma to spare.” Describes Liz perfectly and this stew is beyond perfect. It looks amazing! I’m putting it on my menu this week.
Amanda says
I could not agree with you more. When our fifth baby came this past May, some wonderful friends from church had stocked our freezer. It’s been such a blessing! So I think I will be adding this recipe to my “food for friends” list. I love the idea of it being so easy yet so beautiful and delicious!!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes says
It looks delicious. I love the way lemon brightens up soups.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
You know I can’t resist anything lemon and chicken soup!! Thank you so much for bringing this beautiful dish to my virtual shower, Heidi! So lucky to have met you this year and to call you a friend. THANK YOU! xoxo
Denise says
I’m totally craving this stew now. The weather here in the Netherlands is terrible – grey and rainy – so I bet this stew will cheer me up and provide me with a bowl of comfort. Love it!
Hope all is well with you, Heidi. It’s great to see all the things you’re working on. You’re doing so great with foodiecrush! Really excited for you.
Liz says
Nice recipe. Thank you.
claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
I lOVE this!!!
Sandy Coughlin says
This stew is perfect for fall! Love it! Thanks for participating. : )
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
What a great one pot recipe for Liz’s shower. I wouldn’t mind face planting in this pot myself!
The Healthy Apple says
Gurrrrrrrrrrrrl; I miss you and I need this stew asap. OMG love it Heidi. xoxoxx Have a great week!!!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Wonderful one pot meal!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
Mm mm mm mm mmmmmm! Love me a refreshing, simple soup, yessir yes ma’am.
Lauren Grier @ (Climbing Grier Mountain) says
Um, yes and yes!! I’ll be over in 5!
Erie says
Can this be made with boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Thanks!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
A one-pot dinner? You’re totally speaking my language, Heidi! I got hit with a cold from Iowa so I could definitely get cozy with this pot!
Laurie {Simply Scratch} says
This is my comfort food… I just wanna curl up with a blanket and big-o-bowl of this stew and cuddle it. Gorgeous!
Des says
Love this stew! It looks perfect for these crisp fall days we’ve been having.
Deborah says
You are so smart to make a one pot meal! I’m totally digging this stew.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
YES! I’m not a mother but when friends have babies, they get cookie dough they can freeze, a lasagna they can cool or something like that. Why buy them something they probably have and don’t need? Nope. They’re getting food!
And this looks awesome! Too bad we don’t live near Liz so we could drop off goodies. ;)
Angie | Big Bear's Wife says
This Chicken stew looks amazing! Love the photos!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
Lemon, thyme, and chicken is one of my favorite combos!!! I need some new soups to try this winter!
Jackie Anderson says
Just made this for my family and it was DELISH!! (Although, not so carb-friendly as far as soups go – we have a Type 1 kiddo in the clan) However, so nice to have a fresh take on the classic chicken noodle – thanks so much for the recipe; hope the new mamma LOVED it!
heidi says
So glad you liked it, and it can definitely be adapted to fit any diet. Thanks for sharing!
Patti says
This was amazing, the way the lemon and tarragon brightened and finished off the oniony chicken made my taste buds so happy.
Thank you for sharing this recipe,
Patti
Pattie says
Cooked this tonight & it’s delicious! I wonder how a splash of white wine would taste in it.
Jessica says
This recipe looks sooo deliciou. Can it be made in a slow cooker you think? How would i add the rice to it? xx
joanni says
loved your lemon chicken, will definitely be doing it again . .
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Jennifer U says
Made this last night. I had a whole chicken to use so I roasted that first, then made homemade stock. Increased the lemon a touch and added some zest. Otherwise the same and I have to say it was DELICIOUS. Will definitely be a regular soup for us. My normally picky 12 year old couldn’t get enough of this goodness and kept thanking me for dinner. That’s almost unheard of :) Thanks for this recipe.
Nicole says
I made this tonight with a few substitutions: basmati brown rice instead of orzo (we were out and I used half a cup more), shallots instead of onions (I prefer the flavor), and oregano instead of tarragon. I’m Greek so I added a lot of extra lemon and twice the amount of chicken broth (since the rice is very absorbent) and the family and I were very pleased with this stew! I will definitely make again =)
Gretchen Steffes says
I have the same question as ‘Jessica’: can this stew be done in a slow cooker, and, at what point does one add the orzo/rice.
Elaine says
Just made this tonight. It was VERY tasty but instead of adding the lemon juice at the end, I just cooked half of a lemon in the stew and it turned out great. And I added oregano ’cause I love it with all of the lemon flavor. Thanks!
Chantal says
This was delicious. Very simple, classic flavours and the lemon and tarragon gives it an extra dimension. Loved the Orso pasta (or Rissoni as we call it in Australia). I added the zest of one whole lemon and the juice of one whole lemon for extra kick. I added the zest when I added the garlic. I also added extra garlic, but that’s a personal taste thing :) Mixed through extra tarragon and lemon juice at the end. Delicious! Thanks for sharing :
Amy says
2 tbs of tarragon WAY over powering! Made it tonight & family gave it
Katlyn says
Does anyone know if you can freeze the leftovers? I wasn’t sure if the lemon would freeze badly. Thanks!
Lauren says
Love this…I just added the whole box of the Orso..but I wish I put LESS in. I also added a lot more lemon!! And Yes you can freeze it!!
Lauren Massarella says
This recipe looks delicious!!! Would it be ok to use olive oil instead of canola? Thank you!
Colleen says
Can this be made in a crockpot?
heidi says
I don’t see why you couldn’t make it in the crockpot. I bet it would still be delicious.
Genie says
I made this in the crockpot overnight last night. I used herbes de provence because I love that seasoning with chicken, and after reading the comments, also added a little white wine. I thought 3 tbsp. lemon would be too strong, so I used 2, but next time I think I will do 3. I put the orzo in this morning for about 20 minutes and it was cooked perfectly. I didn’t use the tarragon because I didn’t have any, but I did stir in a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach this morning also, which wilted very quickly. I may also add some chopped mushrooms next time. As another commenter did, I used boneless chicken breasts (whole) and shredded them this morning after cooking.
SO TASTY and made the best lunch ever. Thanks for the recipe! I can easily see this becoming a regular in the rotation. :)
Angela says
I absolutely LOVE this stew!!! What an amazing flavor, yet simple to make. I’ve made it 4 times in the last 2 months :) My only tweak was that I add now the lemon zest from the lemon too…a bit more tang!
Emi says
I found this recipe on Pinterest. I just made it using leftover turkey from Christmas and it is absolutely amazing. I will definitely be adding this to my regular lineup. Thank you!!!
Sas says
I wish I listened to my gut and not put in an entire onion. WAY to much. ANd wish I left out the tarragon. Not a fan of this spice. Other than that soup was good
Rachelle says
I found you via Karista’s Kitchen. This dish looks wonderful as well as your site. I’ll be trying this recipe over the weekend. Thank you for the dinner idea.
cheers!
Cassie says
Lovely!
Jennifer says
Last night was my second time making this…and I doubled it because I know it’s that good!
I never have fresh tarragon so I skip that particular ingredient. And last night I only had mini shell pasta in the pantry so that went in instead. That’s what I like about this recipe…it’s pretty adaptable as long as you keep the core flavor profile intact!
Faleen says
This looks outstandingly delicious….am wondering, however….IF at the end of the recipe you meant to type “serve immediately” rather than “season immediately”
Anna B says
made this for dinner last night – HUGE hit. I used 3 chicken thighs (bone in) and 3 chicken breasts… We all loved It, 5 year olds and 8 year old has extra helpings.
Karen Manasco says
As I type, I am also about to get a second helping of this wonderful stew. Like many of the others, I added a bit of white wine after cooking the chicken, to deglaze the Dutch oven.
Though I otherwise made the recipe verbatim, I typically do not have orzo pasta on hand, so by all means, small shell pasta would be perfect, as others have mentioned. Other than that, even a nice Basmati rice would be great.
Cilantro lovers, we used a bit instead of tarragon. Maybe next time, I’ll use the herb specified.
Loved this soup. It will be a good recipe to keep on hand. Now if only Meyer lemons were available year round.
Thank you for sharing, we truly enjoyed this stew!
heidi says
Thanks for pulling yourself away from the table to leave a comment :) I know it wasn’t easy since this is one of my faves too. I like all of your suggestions and thank you for sharing them. I know what you mean about Meyer lemons, but I’ve substituted regular lemons too, just used more zest. Glad you enjoyed!
May says
Made it for family tonight. It was very good. Thank you for sharing.
PandoraFlora says
I love chicken but I haven’t tried out lemon chicken yet, this recipe looks totally amazing! will definitely try it out in some family night!
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Tina says
I made this tonight using turkey stock. I Replaced the pasta with leftover Spanish rice and quinoa. Also substituted cilantro and lime for tarragon and lemon. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely being making this again. Thanks for the inspiration and it was a great way to use up some leftovers.
heidi says
Hi Tina, so glad to hear you made it with new delicious ingredients. I bet it was terrific! Thanks for sharing your tips.
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andrea says
This looks delicious! Do you think it would throw off the taste if I used a half of fennel instead of the leek?
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Victor says
Reading all these glowing reviews, I’ve got to try it.
Mary says
it is great. thank foк your work.
Mare says
This is my favorite stew. Hands down. I don’t often come back to a recipe repeatedly the way I do with this one. In fact, I usually double the recipe, cook the chicken in the stew, but don’t add the orzo, lemon, or tarragon until I split the stew in half. I freeze half, then add the orzo, lemon, and tarragon to the other half. Then, when I need a comforting stew, I have a good start and can just ask my husband to pick up some lemons, tarragon, and orzo on his way home. My kids are super picky about everything and most of them aren’t crazy about it, but that’s fine. More for me!
Heidi says
I’m so glad you like it Mary, and even better that it keeps you coming back! Love your tip on doubling and saving half for later. Thanks for sharing!
Jean says
This is a go to recipe for me especially in the colder months. I generally use cut up chicken tenders and all leeks instead of the onion. I’ve also swapped in dill for the tarragon and think that I like it best that way. It’s a recipe that easily adapts to substitutions. It makes a great gift for anyone who isn’t feeling well. Hits all the right buttons!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Great ideas! Thank you Jean1
Joan says
This stew is so pretty to look at and very tasty with the combination of lemon and tarragon. When I make it again, however, I will use chicken breasts rather than thighs. While I love grilled chicken thighs, they are too meaty and rich for this somewhat delicate soup/stew. I definitely will make it again, though.