Name: Creamy Orzo With Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1½ lb thin chicken breasts; ½ tsp sea salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder and paprika (more or less to preference); 1½ T olive oil; 3-4 garlic cloves (minced); ⅓ c white wine (use broth in place of wine if desired); 3 c low sodium chicken broth; 2 tsp Italian seasoning; ¼ tsp crushed red pepper (optional); 1 1/2 orzo (uncooked); 1 c heavy cream; 2/3 c parmesan cheese (grated); 3 T tomato paste; 2 handfuls baby spinach

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This delicious cozy Creamy Chicken and Orzo is a simple, one pan dish that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. No veggies to chop, simple ingredients and minimal prep time make this 30 minute meal one foe the busiest weeknights!

Chicken breast in a creamy tomato orzo in skillet with spoons and topped with chopped parsley.

Why You Will Love This Creamy Chicken Orzo Recipe:
Recipe Ingredients:
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Recipe Tips
Storage:
Ways to Vary This Recipe:
Time Saving Method
Other Skillet Dinner Recipes:
Creamy Orzo With Chicken Recipe
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This is the most delicious one-pot meal I think I have ever made! And I make a lot of meals.

This creamy chicken orzo skillet has so much flavor, tender juicy seared chicken, a creamy parmesan sauce, baby spinach, all the garlic goodness–it has it all! I had rave reviews from the family on this one and they are tough critics so you know this one is a winner!

Love one pot meals? Try these as well: Creamy One Pot Pasta, One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese, Simple Chicken and Biscuits Skillet,

Why You Will Love This Creamy Chicken Orzo Recipe:

The entire meal is made in one pan. I am always game for a skillet dinner where everything is made in the single pot. This creamy tomato chicken orzo is a full meal–protein, carbs and come veggies, all of it in one meal!
Minimal prep. When I developed this recipe, I wanted there to be as little prep as possible. Aside from grabbing all of the ingredients, there is not much else to do. No chopping onions or vegetables necessary! And bonus, you can sip on wine and cook with it!
Creamy, cozy and delicious! As the cooler months are ahead, comforting food will be the craving. This recipe hits the spot and will warm you up in no time

Overhead view of skillet with creamy tomato pasta and chicken topped with parsley.

Recipe Ingredients:

chicken: thin skinless boneless chicken breasts are ideal in this creamy chicken orzo recipe. They will cook up in just the right amount of time. If you have thick chicken breasts, slice them in half length wise so they are about 1/2 inch thick.
seasoning: salt, pepper, paprika ad garlic powder–keeping it classic and simple with the chicken seasoning as there is lots of seasoning and garlic to add flavor in the creamy orzo.
olive oil: I prefer extra virgin olive oil, but if you have another cooking oil you love, you can use that, just know it can shift the flavor slightly.
garlic: fresh minced garlic cloves is ideal.
white wine: use a dry white cooking wine, I use pinot Grigio as it is what we have on hand often. If you don’t prefer to use wine in this recipe, just use the same amount of chicken broth in place of it.
Italian seasoning: I personally can’t get enough of it. The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons, but feel free to add a bit more!
crushed red pepper: just a touch of red pepper flakes to add a subtle kick, but you can certainly go extra spicy if preferred!
chicken broth: we like to use a low sodium chicken broth to have more control over the saltiness of the overall recipe. You can use whatever you prefer. Chicken stock will work in this chicken orzo recipe as well.
orzo: to date, I have only tested this recipe with a traditional orzo. I have not used a gluten free variation or any other kind. If you need to make this gluten free, so long as you cook the orzo al dente, keeping an eye on it, then you should be just dine!
heavy cream: I don’t suggest using anything but classic heavy cream for the most rich and creamy orzo pasta dish. Half and half may work, but the sauce will be thinner and more watery for sure. For dairy free, you could use coconut cream, but that will alter the flavor overall–you would need to find a parmesan substitute as well.
parmesan: for the creamiest sauce in this recipe, grate your own parmesan cheese. It will make a difference in the way the parmesan melts into the sauce.
tomato paste: when testing this recipe, I originally was not going to add tomato to it, but after testing with a bit of tomato paste, I fell in love. It just adds a hint of flavor that really balances the whole dish.
spinach: fresh spinach is so easy to just toss in and allow to wilt. You can use frozen spinach, but half the amount as it is already wilted.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Prepare the chicken breast. Either pound the chicken down to about 1/2 inch thickness, or cut the breasts in half lengthwise so they are much thinner. Pat dry with a paper towel. Season generously with sea salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. I give amounts in the recipe card below, but vary to meet your desired taste.
Heat a large deep skillet to medium-high heat. Allow it to get nice and HOT. When the skillet has heated up add about a tablespoon of olive oil and allow it to heat up. When it is glistening, add the chicken to the skillet in an even layer.
Sear chicken about 1-2 minutes per side, just enough to get a nice golden brown, crispy outside. Remove the chicken and set aside briefly.
Shift the heat to medium. Add another light drizzle of olive oil to the pan, or you can use butter if desired. Add the garlic cloves and stir for about 1 minute allowing it to become fragrant.
Then pour the white wine (or broth of the same amount) to the skillet and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping off any brown bits.

Skillet with broth and orzo before cooking.

Chicken added to skillet with broth and orzo simmering.

From here, add the broth, Italian seasoning, and orzo to the skillet and stir. Bring the orzo to a light boil.
When the orzo begins to light boil, add the chicken back into the skillet and cover. Heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken has reached 165°F internal temperature and the orzo is al dente and a lot of the liquid has been absorbed. During this step, stir every few minutes just to make sure the pasta isn’t boiling too much or sticking to the bottom of the pan. If it feels like it’s a rolling boil, lower the heat slightly.

Baby spinach, cream and parmesan added to pot with wooden spoon.

Skillet with creamy orz and chicken topped with chopped parsley.

Once chicken and orzo is ready, shift the heat to low. Add the heavy cream, tomato paste, and parmesan. (You can remove the chicken from the pan to make stirring this a bit easier, but I just sort of shift things around.) Once creamy, add the spinach and stir into allow it to wilt.
Remove from heat and serve!

Recipe Tips

Make this a bit saucier with extra broth if desired. You can thin out and make a bit more sauce when adding the cream and parmesan if desired by adding a bit more broth into the mix. A splash more of cream is great too, but you may want to add broth along with it.
The chicken needs to be very thin, approximately 1/2 inch for everything to cook at the same time. If you use chicken breast that is super thick, it will take much longer to cook and then the orzo will be way overcooked. Pound the chicken or slice it into thin pieces if needed.
Keep an eye on the pan once you cover it to cook the orzo. You don’t want it to cook too fast or come to a strong boil. Just a light bubbling is what will cook the chicken and pasta the best. Adjust the heat as needed!

Storage:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or you can bake until heated if desired.

To freeze, allow the chicken and orzo to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. If planning to freeze, it is very important to make sure the orzo is not overcooked otherwise the texture can be very mushy when thawed and reheated.

Sliced chicken breast laying on a bed of pasta with chopped parsley.

Ways to Vary This Recipe:

When I was working on developing this recipe, I was going to add sun-dried tomatoes, but in the end, skipped them. They are still certainly on the table if you want to stir some in!
Add some other vegetables. Stir in some sautéed mushrooms, red bell pepper, or even some diced onion. The prep in this recipe is meant to be very minimal so spinach seemed like the easiest option!
Add some fresh herbs. Stir in chopped basil, rosemary or your favorite Italian herbs fresh from the garden.

Time Saving Method

Short on time? Shred some rotisserie chicken, or cut it into cubes. Prepare the orzo as noted in the recipe and then stir in the chicken with the cream and spinach, etc.