Chicken and Orzo is a one-pot dinner ready in 30 minutes and packed with BIG Italian-inspired flavor. Burst cherry tomatoes, tender chicken, wilted spinach, fresh basil, and LOTS of garlic and Parmesan make it a guaranteed hit!
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A one-pan orzo recipe streamlined for busy weeknights!
Orzo is having a moment, isn’t it? You might even say that the foodie world is in its orzo era, and I am here for it—and so are my Orzo Pasta Salad, Shrimp Orzo, and Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup. And this chicken and orzo skillet too!
- The beauty of this recipe is that it’s a one-pan skillet dinner. The chicken is browned, then the orzo and sauce are cooked together, so there’s no need to boil the orzo separately (and there’s also fewer pots and pans to cleanup afterwards).
- Lest you think that convenience comes at the expense of flavor, oh no, this recipe’s jam-packed with deliciousness thanks to a generous amount of garlic, saucy cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, fresh basil, and so much more.
And, of course, there’s the orzo, which eats like rice and tastes like pasta.
What is it about orzo that makes it so irresistible? I’ll ponder that while eating my second helping of this chicken and orzo.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes on the key players.
- Basil. For a bright, Italian-inspired finish. Don’t try to use dried basil—the flavor pales in comparison to fresh!
- Chicken. You can use either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
- Seasonings. Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Shallot and Garlic. These form a savory base of flavor for the chicken and orzo. (Garlic lovers, you’ll be happy to know there are SIX garlic cloves in this recipe!)
- Orzo. I recommend regular flour based orzo for this recipe, not pasta made with chickpea or legume flour. While I love those protein-packed pastas, they cook at different rates and absorb water differently, so they’re not ideal for one-pan recipes like this one.
- Cherry Tomatoes. Or grape tomatoes. These burst and combine with the broth to create a sauce for the chicken and orzo.
- Chicken Broth. Because the water in the broth evaporates, it’s important to use low-sodium broth, otherwise this dish will be overly salty.
- Baby Spinach. Wilts quickly into the pan without increasing the cooking time.
- Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated is a must! It melts smoothly into the dish, creating a cheesy, creamy sauce.
How to Make Chicken and Orzo
Cook the Chicken. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add the chicken, 1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning and paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through and transfer to a plate.
Sauté the Aromatics. In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and shallot and reduce the heat to low. Once the shallot is softened, stir in the garlic, black pepper, and remaining Italian seasoning, paprika, and salt. Cook until the garlic is fragrant.
Toast the Orzo. Stir in the orzo and tomatoes and cook until the orzo is toasted. This adds fantastic flavor to the chicken and orzo recipe!
Simmer. Stir in the broth and increase the heat. When the liquid reaches a gentle boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Stir occasionally and cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Near the end of the cooking time, stir more often to keep the orzo from sticking to the pan.
Finish. Stir in the Parmesan, followed by the spinach, red pepper flakes, half of the basil, and the cooked chicken. Season to taste and serve your chicken and orzo with the remaining basil and additional Parmesan. ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Make It Creamier. Add a splash of heavy cream before stirring in the Parmesan for a richer, creamier sauce.
- Give It Marry Me Vibes. If you love marry me chicken (or my Marry Me Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups), try adding sliced sun-dried tomatoes when you stir in the spinach. (And maybe that splash of heavy cream too.)
- Make It Meatless. Simply skip the chicken or stir in a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or white beans.
What to Serve with Chicken and Orzo
This chicken and orzo skillet is a one-pan dinner on its own, but if you want to stretch it a little further, serve it with Homemade Garlic Bread, Air Fryer Green Beans, or Sauteed Zucchini. This Arugula Salad would be excellent too if you want to keep it simple.
Chicken and Orzo
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- 2 teaspoons paprika divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 shallot diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced, about 2 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces orzo pasta about 1 ¼ cups
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 3 to 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 ounces baby spinach coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves thinly sliced, divided
Instructions
- Heat a deep skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is golden on all sides and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the shallot. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook and stir for 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in the orzo and tomato. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, to coating the orzo with the oil and spices and toast it slightly.
- Stir in the broth. Increase the heat to bring it to a gentle boil, stirring very frequently with a wooden spoon and scraping the spoon along the bottom of the pot to prevent the orzo from sticking. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the orzo, lifting the lid occasionally to stir and run the spoon along the bottom to prevent sticking, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. During the last several minutes, scrape along the bottom very frequently. When the lid is on, you should hear the water boiling steadily underneath it (but you don’t want it boiling so hard, you start to wonder if the lid is going to lift off). If the orzo looks dry at any point, add several splashes of broth as needed to loosen it.
- Stir in the Parmesan, then the spinach, red pepper flakes, half of the basil, and the reserved chicken. Continue stirring until the spinach has just wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as desired (I add another pinch or two of salt; the amount you need will vary based on your chicken broth). Serve hot, sprinkled with remaining basil and additional Parmesan.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in the microwave or in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, with a splash of broth to loosen up the pasta..
- TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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As soon as I got the email for this one I knew I had to try it! So delicious and so easy! Full of flavor, and my 5 year old even liked it!
Yay! So glad you did, Claire! Thank you!
This was a delicious recipe! Leftovers were great too. I didn’t have spinach so I sautéed some zucchini along with the chicken and it was a yummy alternative. Thanks for another great recipe!
So glad to hear the zucchini worked, thank you Lisa!
This one checks all the boxes, simple, delicious, filling, and healthy! We made it last week and we’ll for sure have it again soon!
So glad you enjoyed the dish, Sarah!
I also made this recipe as soon as I saw it in the email last week. It was super easy to make and really tasty. It reminded me of middle Eastern flavors because of all the paprika. I also had lots of the ingredients fresh from the garden. It made 4 really big helpings. The only thing extra I added was a chopped up red pepper which I sauteed along with the shallot since red peppers are great in anything and it added even more color. I’ve never had a bad experience with any of your recipes.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Cindy! Thank you!
We absolutely loved it! I saw it in a previous email and had to try it! We wiped the pan clean. It was delish and a winner!
So glad to hear, Sarah! Thank you!
This was so very tasty! We all loved it. I used breasts and smoked paprika. Definitely adding this to rotation. Thank you
Great to hear! Thank you MJ!
Tried it and loved it!! Will be making this recipe again. It came together quickly and tasted so good! I didn’t realize when I made it that I was out of red pepper flakes, but even without them, it was delicious. But can’t wait to make it again and include those.
So glad to hear, Sydney! Thank you!
This was tasty but more like a gumbo, which I wasn’t expecting. I did use sun dried tomatoes (recommended by a previous reviewer) instead of fresh, but we added 1/2 cup extra broth to compensate for the lack of tomato juices. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Colleen! Thank you!
Had to update my review! The reheated leftovers with chopped fresh tomatoes from our NJ garden elevated this dish exponentially! I believe the flavor fusion from overnight in the fridge really really benefited this dish! Cannot wait to have remaining leftovers today! Thanks again!
Yay! Thank you!
I made this after receiving a “New Recipe Alert” email. I used a Dutch Oven and the only change to the recipe was I used green onions instead of shallots. This was simple to make and absolutely delicious! My husband loved it. Next time I’ll cut the basil garnish back to half because it was a little overpowering.
So glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie! Thank you!
I made this exactly as it’s written. A family hit! Really delicious!
Would also be great with shrimp!
Wonderful to hear! Thank you ADP!
Loved it. Used Arborio rice instead of Orzo to make it Gluten Free.
LOVE that idea! Thank you Michael!
We had this tonight, and it was pretty good. Nothing too fancy, but the kind of meal everyone actually eats without fuss. I liked the spinach in it, even if my son tried to pick it out.
So happy to hear, Avianna! Thank you!
I made it just like the receipe but did not use red pepper flakes because I dont like them so it was a tasty but a little bland. Next time I think I will add my cajun spice mix that I like to give it a little kick which should make it perfect for us. I really liked the tomatoes in it which gave it a fresh taste. Aloha
Great to hear! Thank you Becky!
Made this tonight and it was a hit! Very easy to make and so delicious. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
So glad to hear, Christine! Thank you!
Honestly, I wasn’t sure how the kids would feel about the spinach in this, but they ate around it and still enjoyed the rest. The orzo was their favorite part, it’s softer and easier than rice. I’d definitely make it again, maybe with less spinach for them.
So glad to hear, Erika! Thank you!
My kids who are 5, 3, and 2 and my husband and I all loved this recipe. Its the perfect weeknight dinner. Thank you
So glad to hear, Lindsay! Thank you!
This was such a nice change from our usual rice or pasta. The kids thought the orzo was fun since it’s like tiny pasta, and I loved that it all cooked in one pan. I threw on a bit more cheese too because, well, we really love our cheese.
Great to hear, Abigail! Thank you!
Delicious! Made it for a friend post surgery. Thought there might be too much broth left after I cooked the orzo. Served with crunchy bread to mop up all the good juice and that was the best!
So glad to hear, Laura! Thank you!
This was so easy to make, but it did take a bit longer than 30 minutes to have it plated. The fish also came out almost like a soup but it was still delicious. It made a great sauce for dipping some bread.
Loved how simple the ingredients are. I used kale instead of spinach because that’s what still growing in the garden.
My husband and kids (9 and 7) gobbled it up.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it, Emilia! Thank you for sharing!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
It was delicious and will be making this again. Easy no mess
Thank you Sher!
Another winner!! It had so much flavor, the presentation looked so vibrant, and it didn’t take a lot of prep! Definitely on our dinner rotation!
So glad to hear, Megan! Thank you!