One Pot Chicken Orzo
Craving a cozy, flavorful dinner with minimal cleanup? Try this One Pot Chicken Orzo—creamy, comforting, and ready in under an hour, it’s the perfect solution for busy weeknights!
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 ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅓ cup half and half or milk
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- Chopped fresh parsley and extra Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix chicken chunks with garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes until coated.
- 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 the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Sauté asparagus for 2 minutes until tender but still crisp. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
- Add onion to the pan and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add orzo and garlic, cooking until the orzo slightly toasts, about 3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 7 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring halfway.
- Stir in the cooked chicken, asparagus, half and half, parmesan, spinach, and thyme. Heat for 1-2 minutes until heated through and spinach is wilted.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley and extra grated parmesan.
Notes
Notes:
For a twist, try adding sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red peppers for extra flavor.