This simple chicken stew comes together in just one pot, swaps rice for orzo, and is brightened up with lemon juice for a lemony twist on the classic chicken and rice soup.
There’s something so comforting about a bowl of chicken stew or soup simmering away as the savory aromas permeate your home and please the senses. While my homemade chicken noodle soup and creamy chicken and wild rice soup are favorite winter slurpers, the magic of this brightened-up chicken stew with orzo is how it shifts easily from a winter comfort classic to light and springy spoonfuls of stewed delight.
This recipe is an oldie but a goodie, and one I come back to every year. A lot of you readers do too. Chunky chicken breast or skinless chicken thighs (your choice) are dredged in flour and then browned to add more flavor to the chicken-based broth. Lemon juice brings the zing, and compliments the earthiness of sautéed leek, carrots, and celery. Finally, dimples of orzo pasta share their starchy powers, thickening the stock with sprigs of tarragon adding an herbal anise accent.
What’s in This Lemon Chicken Stew?
In addition to making this lemon chicken recipe simple to prep, I keep the ingredients list as short as possible. Fewer ingredients mean 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
- Skinless, boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, your choice
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onion
- Leek
- Garlic
- Chicken stock (I prefer homemade, but storebought low-sodium chicken stock is fine)
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Orzo pasta (delightful pasta bites that when cooked in the broth help thicken the stew)
- Fresh tarragon—or try dill or parsley
How to Make Lemony Orzo Chicken Stew
This simple chicken stew comes together in one pot and in no time (unlike other stews that require long simmer times).
Here’s how to make it:
Brown the chicken. Dredge the cubed chicken in a simply seasoned flour mixture. Then, brown the chicken on all sides in a large stockpot and transfer it to a bowl or plate.
Sauté the veggies. You’ll do this in the same pot and the veggies will take on all of that delicious, flavorful fond from cooking the chicken. Cook the carrots, celery, and onion for a few minutes before adding the leek and garlic. This way the garlic doesn’t brown too much and become bitter.
Add the chicken back into the pot, along with the orzo, stock, water, and tarragon. Over the years I’ve condensed the cooking time of this recipe by adding all of the ingredients back to the pot with the stock and water. The orzo will absorb the broth’s flavor and thicken it as it cooks. If you prefer a soupier stew, add more chicken broth or cook the orzo separately, then stir it into the soup near the end.
Season the stew. Stir in the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with more fresh tarragon before serving.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Breasts?
Yes, you can use diced boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. Chicken thighs have less tendency to overcook, but since this is a pretty quick recipe, I’ve found chicken breasts work just as fine.
Is There an Orzo Substitute I Can Use?
If you’re having a hard time finding orzo, try a small-shaped pasta such as orecchiette, acini de pepe, ditalini, or elbow pasta. Readers have reported success using different types of rice in place of the orzo. Depending on the style (long, short, or medium grain), rice will likely need more time to cook and possibly more broth, 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. If you do go the store-bought route, buy a good quality chicken broth or stock (the stock will be more robust, whereas the broth less so.)
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is a must for this recipe. The bottled stuff doesn’t hold a candle to the real deal. I like using Meyer lemons for their slightly sweeter flavor. Adjust the amount to taste.
- This stew makes great leftovers but the orzo will absorb most of the broth as it sits. Add more chicken broth with a squeeze of lemon if it becomes too thick for you.
- 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
- Homemade One-Pot Sloppy Joes
- One-Pot Skinny Pasta Primavera
- One-Pot Mexican Shrimp with Orzo and Zucchini
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Lemony Chicken Stew with Orzo
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons canola oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt , divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper , divided
- 1 pound skinless and boneless chicken breasts , cut into ½-inch pieces
- 4 carrots , peeled and sliced
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 leek , thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice , or more to taste
- 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 ½ teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour.
- Place half of the chicken in the stockpot but do not overcrowd. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes on all sides then transfer the chicken to a bowl. Add 2 more tablespoons oil to the pot and brown the remaining chicken then transfer it to the bowl with the chicken and cover to keep warm.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot with the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the leek and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with the rest of the salt and pepper.
- Add the chicken back to the stockpot along with the orzo, chicken stock, water, and half of the tarragon. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is tender and the broth has thickened slightly. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the lemon juice, and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining tarragon and serve.
Nutrition
More Lemony Chicken Dishes You’ll Love
- The BEST Chicken Piccata
- Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers
- Lemon Chicken Thighs with Artichokes
- Sautéed Chicken with Olives, Capers, and Lemons
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts and Mushrooms
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This is my FAVORITE soup! It is always a hit with friends and family and the recipe is always requested. It is best made exactly per these directions with one hint: add a heaping tablespoon of chicken flavored Better Than Bouillon.
Happy to hear you all enjoy!
It looks so delicious, , my hubby gonna love this one, thanks for sharing recipe and instructions , will try for sure.
This is THE chicken stew my kids request. We have been making it for years. Tarragon, lemon and leeks all make it standout! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I made this Lemon Chicken Stew last night and it was delicious. You must make it with chicken thighs, they have so much more flavor…And the lemon juice adds the perfect touch. I also used Orzo pasta which if cooked too long makes it thick, but I liked it anyway. Would definitely make again..
Thanks fo rth etip!
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.
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!
Great ideas! Thank you Jean1
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!
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!
Reading all these glowing reviews, I’ve got to try it.
This looks delicious! Do you think it would throw off the taste if I used a half of fennel instead of the leek?
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.
Hi Tina, so glad to hear you made it with new delicious ingredients. I bet it was terrific! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Made it for family tonight. It was very good. Thank you for sharing.
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!
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!
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.
This looks outstandingly delicious….am wondering, however….IF at the end of the recipe you meant to type “serve immediately” rather than “season immediately”
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!
Lovely!
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!
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
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!!!
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!