Description
Pistachio Chicken with Lemon Orzo is a flavorful 30-minute meal featuring juicy chicken cutlets crusted with crunchy pistachios, served over creamy lemon-infused orzo. It’s easy, elegant, and perfect for weeknights.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 large chicken fillets – cut into cutlets
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cup pistachios – pre-shelled, chopped
- Cooking spray or olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves – minced
- 1 yellow onion – diced
- 1 1/2 cup orzo
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 lemon – juiced
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place pistachios in a food processor and pulse until coarse, or finely chop by hand. Transfer to a bowl.
- Slice chicken fillets in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Dredge each cutlet in chopped pistachios, pressing gently to adhere. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle remaining pistachios on top.
- Lightly spray with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until crispy and cooked through (internal temp 165°F/75°C).
- Cover chicken with foil and set aside.
- To make the orzo, heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, sauté for 3 minutes.
- Stir in orzo and cook for 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often, until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed. Add more broth if needed.
- Stir in lemon juice, Parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with pistachio chicken.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, broil the chicken for 1–2 minutes at the end of baking.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the brightest flavor in the orzo.
- You can substitute chicken fillets with boneless, skinless chicken thighs if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 700
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 23g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 110mg