Creamy Lemon Chicken And Capers With Buttery Orzo

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As we approach Spring, this Creamy Lemon Chicken and Capers with Buttery Orzo is quite the treat.  I love lemons in pretty much everything, drinks, desserts, and dinners. They add such a brightness to whatever you are making, so as the days just start to get a little longer, the lemons in this dish and that burst of sunshine. The chicken is cooked using a piccata style where you slice the breasts, coat them, sautee and then serve in a sauce.  The sauce is light and creamy, flavored with fresh lemon and capers that pair perfectly with the broccoli and orzo. 

How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken And Capers With Buttery Orzo

Let’s start with the broccoli, trim the crowns off fresh stalks and toss them into the frying pan with a ½ cup of water and salt and pepper.  Over medium-low heat with a lid, simmer until tender for about 8-10 minutes.  Remove the broccoli.

While your broccoli is steaming, slice your chicken breasts in half, pounding out any higher sections with a mallet to ensure even cooking. 

Mix ¼ cup of flour and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese onto a plate.  Remove about 1 tablespoon of the flour/parmesan mixture and reserve for later. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your frying pan and sautee your chicken breasts for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Remove your golden chicken from the pan and set it aside.  Make a simple roux using 1 tablespoon of butter and add your reserved tablespoon of flour/parmesan mixture to the pan.  As the butter and flour mixture cook together, use your spoon to loosen any brown bits from the chicken sauteeing.  The brown bits will add flavor to your sauce.  Slowly add 2 cups of your liquid, one cup water, and one cup Better Than Boullion broth to the roux letting the sauce thicken in between additions.  There is so much flavor between the Better Than Boullion, lemon and capers, that the 1 cup of broth and the 1 cup of water is a perfect balance. Add your milk the same way, slowly as the sauce thickens. Remember, this sauce is supposed to reduce just slightly.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Add in lemon slices and 1 tablespoon of capers and simmer with a lid covering, allowing some steam to escape.

After a couple of minutes, add the chicken and broccoli back to the pan and let all the flavors mingle.

Buttery Orzo

In a saucepan, melt your final teaspoon of butter and add 1 cup of uncooked orzo.  Cooking over medium heat, stir until all the melted butter coats the orzo. 

Let the orzo get just a little golden brown, about 5 minutes, and then add 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil.  Stir well, then reduce heat to low, put the lid on and simmer until the orzo has absorbed all the broth, about 15-20 minutes. You can enjoy this Creamy Lemon Chicken and Capers with the Buttery Orzo mixed in or on the side. Top with chopped fresh parsley.