This One Pot Chicken Orzo is an easy weeknight dinner option. Chicken, rice shaped orzo pasta, flavorful sun-dried tomatoes and fresh kale. All ready in 30-minutes.
We all need an easy family-friendly recipe that we can put together quickly on those hectic weeknights. This recipe is always a big hit whenever it is served. Your family is going to love it!
How could this be easier? Everything is cooked in the same pot, including the uncooked orzo pasta. No extra pot to cook the pasta or a colander to drain the pasta water. No extra skillet to cook the meat.
Can I Use Another Pasta to Make this Chicken Orzo?
You sure can! This is a versatile dish, if you do not have orzo in your pantry swap it out with any short pasta shape such as:
- Rigatoni
- Orecchiette
- Cavatelli
- Fusilli
- Elbow macaroni
- Tortellini
Ingredients for our chicken orzo:
Don’t let the list of ingredients intimidate you. Several of these ingredients are pantry staples.
- Olive oil: You can substitute for any cooking oil.
- Chicken: We are using boneless chicken breasts but you can substitute any meat.
- Salt and pepper: To season the chicken.
- Onion and garlic: A flavor base.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Dried tomatoes have a ton of flavor!
- Orzo pasta: Puts the “orzo” in chicken orzo. ?
- Wine and chicken broth: This recipe only takes half a cup of wine so choose a wine that you will want to enjoy with dinner. If you don’t drink wine then you can freeze the rest for another recipe.
- Cream, Asiago cheese, Parmesan cheese: This is definitely a rich and flavorful dinner. We can’t promise it is low in calories.
- Pinenuts: Pinenuts are optional but they add a lovely flavor and texture.
How to make our One Pot Chicken Orzo:
We are using chicken breasts but this dish is so versatile that you can use any meat.
Try it with chicken thighs or sausage slices. You can also go meatless for a vegetarian dinner. Scroll down to the bottom of our post for the printable recipe card and to see more options and suggestions.
- Saute the chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet and season the chicken. Sauté in the chicken in batches and transfer each batch to a plate and reserve.
- Add the onion and garlic: Saute the onion until soft, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Toss in the remaining ingredients: Add the sun-dried tomatoes, pasta, wine, broth, cream and the reserved cooked chicken then give it a good stir.
- Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Add the Asiago cheese and the kale and toss until the kale is wilted.
- Divide the pasta into dishes or plates, sprinkle grated Parmesan on each serving along with a spoon full of pine nuts.
This is a large one pot dinner that is enough for four to six servings. A simple tossed green salad or our romaine bacon and blue cheese salad with a store-bought dressing complete your dinner.
SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:
- French Onion Soup Casserole: This savory French Onion Soup Casserole has all the goodness and flavors of your favorite French onion soup. Sweet caramelized onions, Gruyère cheese, fresh thyme leaves and sourdough French bread. All layered together in a casserole, then soaked with a rich flavor broth.
- Spanish Chorizo and Shrimp Pasta: This is another quick, 30-minute weeknight dinner. Thick fettuccine topped with spicy sausage, plump shrimp and salty olives in a lightly spicy flavorful sauce.
- Lemon Chicken Piccata: A classic Italian dish of lemon chicken piccata chicken that is perfectly cooked, tender, delicious and coated in a tangy lemon-caper sauce. All this deliciousness in just 30-minutes!
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One Pot Chicken Orzo
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts cut in 1/4-inch strips
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves grated or minced
- 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes dry-packed
- 8 oz. orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces Asiago cheese grated
- 2 cups baby kale
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 4 tablespoons pine nuts optional
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.
- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper then working in batches, sauté until lightly browned transferring each batch to a plate and reserve.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the onion and cook until soft, then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not let the garlic brown.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, pasta, wine, broth, cream and the reserved chicken.
- Stir to combine, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Add the Asiago cheese and the kale and toss until the kale is wilted.
- Divide the pasta into dishes or plates, sprinkle grated Parmesan on each serving along with a tablespoon of pine nuts. Serve hot.
Notes
- Other pasta options are Rigatoni, Orecchiette, Cavatelli, Fusilli and Tortellini.
- Sun-dried, oil-packed tomatoes can be substituted. To remove excess oil from the dried tomatoes, place them in a fine-mesh strainer, with the back of a spoon press as much oil out as possible, then rinse with warm tap water and blot well with paper towels.
- Baby kale can be swapped with spinach or arugula
You can substitute the chicken breasts with:
- Pork
- Sausage
- Turkey
- Chicken thighs
Janet Bradley
Saturday 13th of March 2021
Could I use baby spinach instead of kale?
Thanks, Janet
Dahn Boquist
Saturday 13th of March 2021
Yes, that works fine, thanks for the question