Creamy Chicken Orzo

This creamy chicken orzo is a cheesy, velvety one-pot dish that’s comfort food at its best. It has tender chicken and orzo smothered in a creamy Parmesan sauce and you can have it on the table in 30 minutes!

Creamy chicken orzo is a homey and comforting one-pot recipe that’s super easy to make and tastes like a real treat.
It’s the perfect dish to make on those days when you don’t feel like cooking something complicated but still want to tuck into a bowl of deliciousness.
Orzo (or risoni as it’s also called) may look like rice but it’s actually pasta. This means that even though this chicken and orzo dish looks a bit like risotto, it’s much quicker to make.

I personally love it with just a bit of half-and-half (single cream) and lots of freshly grated Parmesan.

For a thicker sauce, you can use heavy cream (double cream). Keep in mind, however, that the chicken orzo thickens naturally as it cools down.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon (20 g) butter
1 lb (450 g) chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium shallot, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
10.5 oz (300 g) orzo
4 cups (1 litre) chicken stock
Juice of half a lemon
2 cups (75 g) baby spinach
½ cup (100 ml) half and half (single cream)
⅓ cup (30 g) Parmesan, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and melt the butter in it.
Add the chicken breast and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat until slightly golden. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
To the same pan, add the shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme and oregano and continue to cook for another minute.
Add the orzo, toast it for a minute, and then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the orzo is al dente.
Stir in the baby spinach and lemon juice and simmer for 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Add the half and half and stir to combine. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens, then add the cooked chicken and grated Parmesan.
Season to taste and serve immediately, with some extra grated Parmesan on top if you like.