This Chicken Orzo Pasta is rich, cozy, and feels a little fancy, but it comes together in one pot. It's creamy, full of Parmesan flavor, and ready fast enough for a weeknight or is fancy enough for hosting a dinner party.
Quick Look: Chicken Orzo Pasta
- ⏱ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 4
- ❤️ Why you'll love this recipe: It's rich, creamy, and comes together in 30 minutes.
- 🧑🍳 Main Ingredients: orzo, stock, parmesan, chicken, and optional vegetables.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
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This is one of those low-effort, high-reward recipes I love having in my back pocket.
You may also love my Chicken and Rice Casserole, Creamy Parmesan Chicken, Penne Pasta Bake (No Boil Meatball Pasta Bake).
❤️ Why You'll Love This Chicken Orzo Pasta Recipe
- It's impressive yet easy and quick
- If desired, it's a great way to use up leftover protein or vegetables as add-ins.
- Creamy and cheesy.
🧑🍳 Key Ingredients
✅ Onion- yellow onion is preferred, but white onion or even shallots will work!
✅ Garlic cloves - Pro tip: if your garlic has a green sprout, it's still good! Just cut that part out and cut any brown spots off and you are good to go.
✅ Orzo a pasta shaped like a grain of rice
✅ Pro tip: Chicken stock or broth:
- Stock: soups, risotto, gravy, sauces, anything where you want richer flavor.
- Broth: lighter soups, sipping, quick weeknight recipes.
✅ Parmesan cheese - not all Parmesan is the same. Look for Parmigiano Reggiano and grate it yourself. It has a lot more flavor than the pre-grated cheese.
✅ Chicken: I use rotisserie chicken, but you can use leftover chicken or chicken you cook and shred yourself.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Orzo: Swap the orzo for any small soup pasta
- Cheese swap: Try Pecorino Romano for a sharper bite or a touch of goat cheese for tanginess. It's less expensive than Parmigiano Reggiano
- Chicken: Swap the chicken for cooked shrimp or sausage
- Make it vegetarian To make it vegetarian, use vegetable stock and omit the chicken.
- Veggies: Add extra vegetables like spinach, frozen peas (add frozen peas when adding parmesan at the end), cooked asparagus, cherry tomatoes, or sauteed mushrooms to this creamy chicken orzo.
- Spicy twist: Add red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Lemon: Add a little lemon for a bright flavor
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Use freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano - Pre-shredded cheese doesn't have the flavor and won't melt as well, and you'll want that smooth texture.
- Stir occasionally - You don't need to babysit the pot, but giving it a good mix every few minutes prevents sticking.
- Adjust the consistency - If it gets too thick, add a little extra water, broth or milk.
- Season at the end - Parmesan adds plenty of salt, so taste before adding more.
🗒 Best served with
- Simple Mixed Greens Salad.
- Crusty bread
- Crisp white wine
👝 How to Store Chicken Orzo Pasta Leftovers
Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The orzo will continue to absorb liquid, so add a little extra when reheating.
🤔 Chicken Orzo Pasta FAQ
Orzo works best, but if you need a substitute, try small pasta shapes like acini di pepe or ditalini.
Use full-fat coconut milk instead of milk and swap out the Parmesan for a dairy-free cheese alternative.
Orzo is a small, quick-cooking rice-shaped pasta with a creamy yet chewy texture.
This creamy chicken orzo recipe is easy, adaptable, and packed with flavor. Make it once, and it might just become a regular in your dinner lineup!
Chicken Orzo Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Dutch Oven Or heavy bottom pan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 ¾ cups orzo pasta about 11 ounces
- 2 cups chicken stock plus more as needed
- 1 ⅓ cups milk not nonfat
- ⅓ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 4 oz. roughly chopped baby spinach optional
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley optional
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven and cook for about 30 seconds until the butter melts. Stir in the onion and let it cook until it softens. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Add the orzo to the skillet and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes just in the oil so that it starts to toast lightly; this will give it a nutty flavor.
- Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the chicken broth and milk. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a medium-low, cover with a lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and test for doneness. If orzo is tender, stir in the chicken, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and fresh parsley, if using. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Notes
- Half or double this recipe as needed.
- Add extra vegetables if desired. Frozen peas (add frozen peas when adding parmesan at the end), cooked asparagus, cherry tomatoes, or cooked mushrooms to this dish.
- Swap cooked chicken for sausage or shrimp as an option.
- Add red pepper flakes if you like your pasta with a kick of heat.
- Add another layer of flavor with a splash of lemon juice.
- Store this pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Lauren Lane says
This is a favorite 30-minute meal. I hope you love it!