Creamy Orzo With Chicken
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!
Servings: 6
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 c orzo uncooked
- 1 c heavy cream
- 2/3 c parmesan cheese grated
- 3 T tomato paste
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
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. 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 and add the garlic cloves and stir for about 1 minute allowing it to become fragrant.
- Pour the white wine into the skillet and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping off any brown bits. Once skillet is deglazed, add the broth, Italian seasoning, and orzo to the skillet and stir.
- Bring the orzo to a light boil. When the orzo comes to a 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.
- Once chicken and orzo is ready, shift to low heat. 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!
Notes
- Serving size for this recipe is approximately 4 ounces chicken breast and roughly one cup of orzo.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
Nutrition
Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 422mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 837IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 2mg