Creamy Lemon Orzo Modern Honey

August 2024 · 4 minute read

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.

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.

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.

Creamy Lemon Orzo Ingredients:

For extra creaminess and flavor, add a few tablespoons of salted butter after the creamy orzo is done cooking.

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.

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.

    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.

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    Pin this now to find it later

    Pin ItAdd more lemon juice and lemon zest to taste. If you need to reheat the creamy orzo, add some chicken broth and heavy cream since the orzo pasta will soak up all of the liquids. 

    Calories: 244kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 605mg, Potassium: 164mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 366IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 127mg, Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

    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.

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