Creamy Chicken Orzo Recipe
Creamy Parmesan Chicken Orzo is a perfect one-pot weeknight meal. With tender pieces of chicken breast, Italian herbs, sun dried tomatoes and pasta in a cheesy sauce, this is a simple dinner with BIG flavor.
Servings: 6
Calories: 508kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast diced into bite sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small sweet onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups dried orzo pasta (one 1 pound box)
- 10 sundried tomato halves
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 handfuls baby spinach (about 2-3 ounces)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Dice the onion and sundried tomatoes. Mince the garlic.
- Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Sauté the chicken for about 5-6 minutes, until it is opaque on all sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onion to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the onion has softened. If the pan is starting to get dry, add a little more olive oil. Add the orzo to the pan and toast it, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan with the minced garlic and diced sundried tomatoes. Add the chicken stock. Turn the heat down to medium, and bring the stock to a simmer. Allow the orzo to simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, until almost all the stock is absorbed. Stir frequently so that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the chicken stock is almost fully absorbed, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the half and half. Simmer for about 4-5 more minutes.
- Once the half and half is almost fully absorbed, remove the orzo from the heat. Add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and stir to incorporate it throughout the pasta. When the Parmesan is melted, add the baby spinach and stir again for 1-2 minutes. The residual heat in the pasta will wilt the spinach.
- Taste the orzo, and add the remaining salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 508kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 975mg | Potassium: 793mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 2mg