Description
An easy One Pot Chicken Orzo recipe that’s creamy, rich, and healthy—made in under an hour with chicken, asparagus, spinach, and orzo in a light parmesan sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cubed into 1” pieces
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 a medium onion)
- 2 cups chopped fresh asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 garlic cloves)
- 8 ounces dry orzo
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ⅓ cup half and half (or substitute milk)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- Chopped fresh parsley and extra Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, combine chicken chunks with garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat.
2. In a large high-sided pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for 10-12 minutes, until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes until tender-crisp. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
4. Add the onion to the pan and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add orzo and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes, toasting slightly.
5. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for 7 minutes, stirring halfway, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
6. Stir in the cooked chicken, asparagus, half and half, parmesan, spinach, and thyme. Heat for 1–2 minutes until warmed through and spinach is wilted.
7. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and extra parmesan.
Notes
This dish is best fresh. Leftovers can dry out, so store in an airtight container for up to 5 days and reheat with added broth to loosen.
Use orzo that cooks in 7–9 minutes (like Barilla brand). Cooking time may vary depending on pasta size.
You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs, adjusting cooking time as needed.
To save time, skip cooking the chicken and use pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken added at the end.
Other vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, or mushrooms can be used.
Vegetable broth can be used in place of chicken broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 546
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 516
- Fat: 17
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Trans Fat: 0.02
- Carbohydrates: 48
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 48
- Cholesterol: 123