Chicken and Orzo
This delicious one-pot Chicken and Orzo is a cozy and satisfying easy dinner recipe that combines orzo pasta, chicken, carrots, celery and onions in a thick chicken broth infused with herbs and spices.
It is kinda like a thick and chunky version of chicken noodle soup, where the flavors and concentrated and the sauce is thick and creamy (although there’s no dairy in it).
Love a tasty one-pot meal? Don’t forget to also check out some of my other easy one-pot/ one-pan favorites such as Chili Mac and Cheese, Creamy Mushroom Chicken, Lemon Chicken and Rice Soup and Creamy Spinach Chicken.
Easy One Pot Chicken and Orzo
What you can expect from this chicken and orzo recipe:
- Cook everything in one pot! A.k.a. easy to serve and even easier to clean!
- Pantry-friendly ingredients. No complicated ingredients, and a fairly short list of items to bring it all together.
- Ready under 35 minutes. And only 15 minutes of active time.
- Comfort food central! It’s so cozy and satisfying.
- Delicious! Don’t be fooled by its simplicity, one-pot chicken and orzo is packed with incredible flavors and is loved by adults and kids alike.
- Lots of yummy leftovers! This recipe makes about 8 servings and reheats well the next day for a quick meal!
When I have a busy week ahead, this one-pot creamy chicken and orzo is one of my favorite meals to turn to.
It tastes kinda like chicken noodle soup, but with more concentrated flavors and less liquid. Because of that it always brings a sense of warmth and coziness.
When you bite into chicken and orzo, you’ll get chunks of celery, carrots and onions along with the chewy orzo pasta and juicy bites of chicken.
And best of all, everything is soaked in this chicken based saucy thick gravy that is actually flavorful (there’s a secret ingredient to make this happen…so keep reading!)…YUM! You know I love my sauces!
Ingredient Notes
Here are all the ingredients you need to make this one-pot chicken and orzo dream come true!
- chicken breast – you can use chicken tenderloins, chicken thigh etc. I prefer boneless and skinless chicken for this recipe so that it’s quicker to cook and easier to eat, but feel free to use bone-in and skin-on chicken if you prefer. Cut them into bite size pieces.
- orzo – a form of pasta shaped like grain of rice. Whole grain orzo makes for a healthier, low carb substitute.
- onions – sweet, yellow or white onions work great. Diced into small cubes
- celery – diced into small pieces so that it cooks quickly and releases flavors easily
- carrots – also diced into smaller pieces for similar reasons
- garlic cloves – minced. Highly recommend not substituting for garlic powder for best flavor
- chicken broth – l love using free range chicken broth for best taste. Good quality chicken broth will make a difference!
- chicken bouillon – this is the secret ingredient that will really elevate the flavors in this chicken and orzo dish. I like to use Better than Bouillon Chicken Bouillon but feel free to use other bouillon if you can’t find it.
- parsley – this is the only herb used but feel free to add in other herbs such as thyme and/or rosemary as well.
How to Make It
Let me show you how easy it is to make Chicken and Orzo!
You’ll need a large pot or Dutch oven. I am using a 7-qt Dutch Oven in the photographs below.
Add vegetable oil to Dutch oven and heat over medium heat, then saute seasoned chicken pieces.
Once chicken is no longer pinkish on the outside, add minced garlic, diced onions, carrots and celery to Dutch oven.
Stir to combine.
Add chicken broth, chicken bouillon and orzo. Increase heat to high and bring everything to a boil.
Once Chicken and Orzo comes to a boil, lower heat to medium low.
Stir and cover Dutch oven.
Let it cook covered for 20 minutes.
When Chicken and Orzo is done, pasta would have soaked up most of the chicken broth. Chicken, vegetables along with pasta will be coated in a thick and flavorful sauce that is not heavily creamy but also no longer broth-like consistency.
It’s a marvelous consistency where it’ll be saucy and packed with amazing flavors.
Top off this One-pot Chicken and Orzo with chopped fresh parsley and voila, it’s ready to be enjoyed!
Tips and Tricks
- Chicken and orzo will thicken as it sits (whether in warm Dutch oven or even in room temperature). So if it looks like it’s more liquid-y than you wanted when it gets done cooking, let it sit for a few minutes to soak up additional moisture.
- Taste Chicken and Orzo when done and add salt to taste if needed. Salt will help open up the flavors, in addition to adding saltiness to the dish.
- If you want to reduce the saltiness in the dish, feel free to use half of the bouillon the recipe calls for when cooking, and only add more to taste at the end. Note that different bouillon has different levels of saltiness so you may have to adjust accordingly. This recipe is written with the use of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Bouillon.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
To store chicken and orzo, simple store in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, drizzle a few drops of water to chicken and orzo and microwave until warm. Orzo pasta tends to soak up moisture and become dryer after sitting for a while (whether in room temperature or refrigerator), that’s why it’s a good idea to reheat with some additional moisture.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are various factor involved that will affect cook time (heat/pot/temperature etc). I would say as long as pasta is is chewy, it should be done. Know that as you let the dish sit in the Dutch oven for a few minutes, it will dry up. My advice is to check at the 20-minute mark, once pasta is chewy and no longer hard, switch off heat. Stir and let pasta sit and absorb the moisture for a few minutes if you prefer it thicker.
Technically you can freeze it, but I do think it tastes best fresh. If freezing, bring to a complete defrost before reheating. And make sure to follow reheating instructions above to reheat.
Yes! They all vary in saltiness so adjust accordingly.
DID YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE? Please comment below and give us a 5-star rating! This will help others find this recipe on Google and Pinterest. We very much appreciate your help! 🤍
More Easy Dinners
- Chili Cheese Dog
- Cajun Sausage Alfredo Pasta
- Garlic Rosemary Chicken
- Mongolian Beef Noodles
- Pork Milanese
One-Pot Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 lbs chicken breast diced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup onions diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon chicken bouillon or to taste
- 16 oz orzo
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt optional, or to taste
Instructions
- Season diced chicken breast with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
- Heat Dutch oven (6 qt or larger) or large pot under medium heat. Add vegetable oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken pieces and saute until they are no longer pinkish on the outside.
- Add minced garlic, along with diced onions, celery, carrots to the Dutch oven/pot. Stir to combine and saute for 1-2 minutes, or until onions are soft.
- Add chicken broth, chicken bouillon and orzo pasta. Bring heat to high until broth comes to a boil, then immediately lower heat to medium low and cover Dutch oven or pot.
- Cook covered for 20 minutes, or until orzo is chewy and no longer hard.
- Uncover and stir chicken and orzo. Optional: add more salt to taste. Top with parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
We loved this recipe! We are having unseasonably cool weather for summer here and this just felt right. I love that I could do it all in one pot!
I’m so glad to hear that, Lynn! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious! This is a new favorite. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I’ve never made orzo, but I loved the texture. The flavor of the chicken and orzo reminded me of the Ramen noodles I ate in college. It was tasty and filling. I used rotisserie chicken. My husband and three boys also loved this meal. Thanks, MinShien!
Thanks Allie!! So glad you to hear you all enjoyed it! 🙂