When you’re having one of those days when you think you don’t have time to cook anything, try this easy, buttery, and super tasty Creamy Chicken and Orzo Skillet! It’s hearty, rich, comforting, and a perfect dinner for when you want to do anything but spend time in the kitchen. Bonus: it cooks in one pan! Can you ask for anything more?
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What is Orzo?
Orzo is a tiny football-shaped pasta that looks like rice but cooks much faster. Like rice, it soaks up all the water it’s cooked in, so you don’t have to worry about draining. That makes it an excellent choice for a speedy one-pan meal.
What You’ll Need
You are just a few spices and a handful of ingredients away from an incredible dinner! Here’s what you’ll need to make this Creamy Chicken And Orzo Skillet.
- Seasoning Blend– We’re making our own with paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. In a pinch, you can also use a heaping tablespoon of your favorite seasoning blend, though you should steer clear of anything super salty.
- Boneless Chicken Thighs– These cook much faster than bone-in chicken thighs and their juices help flavor the orzo.
- Yellow Onion– Adds depth and a subtle sweetness to the dish.
- Garlic– Also adds depth and lends a slight nuttiness when cooked.
- Orzo– This pasta cooks quickly and adds bulk. If you don’t have access to orzo, substitute it with a quick-cooking pasta like ditalini or pearl couscous. You can also use rice, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking time so it has enough time to cook.
- Vegetable Broth– You need a liquid to cook the orzo and this broth does the trick without overpowering the dish. You can substitute it with water or chicken broth.
- Cream– Creates a velvety, creamy sauce.
- Butter– Helps pull the sauce together.
- Parmesan– Adds depth and a touch of saltiness to the sauce. It also helps give it texture.
What Can You Serve With Creamy Chicken And Orzo?
This creamy Chicken and Orzo Skillet pairs well with a fresh side salad or roasted veggies. Some great options include:
How To Store Leftovers
The orzo will absorb much of the creamy sauce it’s cooked in, but the leftovers are still tasty. Store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. However, do this within two hours of cooking the dish. Chicken left at room temperature any longer than that can contain enough harmful bacteria to give you food poisoning. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on a stovetop or in the microwave until the chicken is steaming.
Creamy Chicken And Orzo Skillet
Servings 4 servingsIngredients
- 1 tsp paprika ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp pepper ($0.02)
- 1.25 lbs boneless chicken thighs (4-5 thighs) ($4.23)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 1 yellow onion, diced ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.11)
- 1 1/2 cups orzo ($1.13)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth* ($0.23)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.71)
- 2 Tbsp salted butter ($0.30)
- 1/4 cup parmesan ($0.44)
Instructions
- Add the paprika, dried oregano, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to a small bowl. Mix until combined.
- Blot the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season both sides liberally with the seasoning blend.
- Heat a large deep skillet over medium and add the cooking oil. Add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook undisturbed until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Turn the heat down to low, and add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the orzo and vegetable broth to the skillet and stir well to help dissolve the crispy browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and nestle it down into the orzo.
- Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and let the broth come to a full boil. Then turn the heat down to low. Let the skillet simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the broth is absorbed.
- After about 15 minutes, the orzo should be tender and most of the broth absorbed, but there will still be a little sauce in the skillet. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
- Add the cream and the butter to the skillet. Stir and heat over low until the butter melts and the cream is hot.
- Add the Parmesan and stir to combine.
- Finally, return the chicken to the skillet. If desired, garnish with parsley.
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Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Creamy Chicken And Orzo Skillet – Step by Step Photos
Add 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to a small bowl. Mix until combined.
Blot the 1.25 pounds of chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, then season both sides liberally with the seasoning blend.
Heat a large deep skillet over medium. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook undisturbed until well browned, about 5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a clean plate. The chicken will finish cooking when simmered with the orzo.
Turn the heat down to low and add the diced onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic to the skillet. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the 1 1/2 cups orzo and the 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth to the skillet. If you prefer a looser sauce, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth. Stir well to help dissolve the crispy browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then return the chicken to the pan and nestle it down into the orzo.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and let the broth come to a full boil. Then turn the heat down to low. Let the skillet simmer for about 15 minutes or until most of the broth is absorbed. If at any point it stops simmering, increase the heat slightly until it starts to simmer again.
After about 15 minutes, the orzo should be tender and most of the broth absorbed, but there will still be a little sauce in the skillet. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Then add the 1/2 cup of cream and the 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Stir and heat over low until the butter melts and the cream is hot.
Next, add the 1/4 cup parmesan and stir to combine.
Finally, return the chicken to the skillet. If you’d like, garnish with chopped Italian parsley and serve. Pair with a side salad or roasted veggies for an incredibly filling meal! Wasn’t that easy?
So easy and delicious! Kid friendly as well.
I’m gonna try this for our Sunday dinner looks really yummyyy!
Big hit with our friends and family! I use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth usually.
It’s also great for meal prep, you can freeze in portions + defrost overnight in the fridge + reheat in a pan for an even easier weekday dinner.
Wowza, this is really good! Super easy and fast. We used chicken breasts instead of thighs and it was great. Husband and I were both pleasantly surprised and we will be making this again for sure!
This was excellent! Will definitely be adding to our regular dinner rotation. I roasted some broccoli to serve as a side, and our family ate it up!
We loved it, my granddaughter doesn’t like chicken so I didn’t put it in the pan with the like it said , I added spinach and cherry tomatoes and had the chicken on the side.
Easy and delicious, creamy with lots of flavor! Love it added to my regular meals. *I did need to add a bit extra broth to get the orzo cooked all the way through*
For tracking, how much is 1 serving? 1 piece of chicken plus 1 cup orzo?
Should be roughly one thigh and 3/4 cup finished orzo
My 9 year loved this!!!! You have no idea that relief I feel when my fussy eater likes a new food. I didn’t have enough chicken so I added a can of butter beans and he had two bowls. I am so grateful.
Loved this recipe but was wondering if I could add some spinach or something green? I’d like to keep it a one pot meal. Do you think it would taste good? Should I use fresh or frozen?
Thanks for the great recipe!
You absolutely can! Fresh or frozen would both work!
Could I replace the thighs for thinly sliced chicken breasts?
I’m worried that they might dry out…
Drying out if definitely a concern! (which is why we use thighs so much 😆) But yes, you totally can, it sounds like you’re already mindful of that issue so just keep an eye on them so they don’t over cook!
Pretty good. Texture was a little simple. Next time I’ll add some celery and maybe carrots.
This was delicious! It was easy, creamy, fast and delicious with ingredients I had on hand. I did double the sauce and add an extra half cup of orzo. I also added spinach and fresh mushrooms and served with a side of asparagus. Will definitely make again!
this has become a staple in our household, it’s soooo good!
This was so good and easy. It only took me 30 minutes including the prep. I paired it with the Mediterranean white bean and tomato salad suggested. Overall a very good and easy dinner.
Just wasn’t a fan of the flavor and texture of this dish, even served fresh
Delicious. This recipe is a keeper.
I’ve made this one several times. It’s a Sunday meal because, if there are any, it makes great left overs for work. I would also suggest maybe a little bit of white cooking wine when you add in the onions and garlic. It gave a nice little depth of flavor when I did that this time around.
Can rice be used in place of orzo for a GF option?
You could, but orzo cooks faster and absorbs less water than rice so that would effect the end result if you’re still looking to make it in one pan. Since we haven’t tested it to give you correct liquid proportions, etc, I’d probably suggest cooking the rice separately using vegetable broth as your liquid. You would also need to cook the chicken all the way through during it’s first sear since you wont be finishing it with the orzo. Then you can make the cream sauce as directed, stir in the cooked rice and a glug of vegetable broth and add the cooked chicken back in. I hope that makes sense! Good luck!
My husband said he could eat this every night for dinner it is that good! If you are new to cooking this is a good dish to impress someone with very easy to make and simple directions to follow thank you. Not a lot of ingredients either which is good. I had everything in my pantry so I could throw everything together very quickly last minute. This was a new recipie for us and will now go into the rotation.
This is delicious. I didn’t even have heavy cream and used whole milk and it’s still sublime. I can’t wait make it properly. I have no doubt it will be even more decadent.
All three of my kids loved this, something that almost never happens! This will *for sure* be a new staple in our dinner rotation!
This is a real hit in our house! Warm, creamy, cheesy, filling, this is the kind of meal that sticks to your bones. Perfect winter dinner.
Simple and tasty! I did use chicken broth instead of veggie since that is what I had—the family loved it and got seconds! No issue with the liquid amounts, followed the recipe as is aside from the broth substitution. I did watch it and stirred it every few minutes to prevent any sticking or burning on the bottom.
This was really fabulous. I cooked this in my cast iron pan – and didn’t have a lid, so I cooked the orzo/chicken in the oven at 375 for 15 mins and it was perfect. I will be making this again for sure. Thank you for sharing!
Delicious! I added lemon zest to the orzo and added some diced (fresh) tomatoes and spinach at the end. Didn’t have Parmesan cheese o hand, so I left it out and didn’t miss it. I’m not anti cheese, and I’m sure it would’ve added some nice nuttiness and saltiness. Really solid recipe that I’ll make again for sure!
This is delicious! At the step where you add the onions, I added two large diced carrots and a handful of halved cherry tomatoes. To accommodate the larger volume, I upped the broth to 2.25 cups. At the end when you mix in the cheese, I added some spinach as well. Not a ton of veggies but just a few. Will make again!
Very easy and kids love it.
This is going in my monthly rotation!
2 picky 8 year old boys loved it and it was a hit all around.
Great recipe. Due to personal preference, I used 1.5 cups of arborio rice instead of the orzo and adjusted the amount of liquid. Came out great, whole family said to keep the recipe. Thanks!
Super yum! Will be a fall/winter staple in my home. Thought I had orzo, but I didn’t, so used pearled cous cous instead and was still delicious! And easy.
Delicious! This dish will be in full rotation at our house.
Recipes look delis
family devoured.
This was incredibly satisfying.
Delicious! My whole family ate every bite!
I forgot to add- make sure you cover the pan while the orzo is simmering. That may be why some people were having all of the liquid cook off too quickly.
One of our favorites! This goes really well with parmesan crusted brussel sprouts.
I just made this for dinner and it was so good, my family loved it! I was hesitant to make it since others had trouble getting amount of liquid right or the orzo burning, but it came out perfect. I started with 1 1/2 cups of broth and ended up adding a little more. I also didn’t use the full amount of cream (I used half and half instead).
This is delicious!!
this didn’t work for me. the liquid completely boiled out and i ended up with a solid layer of orzo on the bottom and sides of my pan. and the heat was not too high as it was at the lowest possible heat setting and i set a 13 minute timer.
i may try it again with a different cooking method.
Unfortunately, the same thing happened for me. It tasted fine once I removed the hard burnt pasta.
Would stirring have stopped this from happening?
It actually sounds like the heat was just too high. Try lowering it a bit next time, so it’s just simmering, not boiling.
Thoughts about substituting pearl couscous for the orzo? I find myself with no orzo and an embarrassment of pearl couscous….
Hi Cee! You should be able to substitute it, but couscous might require a different amount of liquid than orzo and without testing I can’t say for sure if the liquid would need to be adjusted.
I made this and my husband was in LOVE with it! I didn’t make any changes to it. It is perfect as is. This is definitely going into our rotation! Thank you!
Thanks Suzie!
Hello!
This looks amazing and what is even better, most of the ingredients are pantry staples. I’ve never made it but plan to. I do have a question though.. is the skillet supposed to be covered when simmering (after covering and bringing everything to a boil?)
Thanks!
Hi Marlee! Yes, cover the skillet while simmering. Hope you get a chance to make it. I’m literally making it today for the kiddo.
Thanks for the reply! Planning on mail for today :)
I didn’t have heavy cream so I substituted greek yogurt and milk. Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again.
The recipe has errors. It stills says “vegetable broth” in the ingredients list, but “chicken broth” in the directions. Something is also off with the liquid amount, as lots of people in the reviews (including myself) had all the liquid boil out and the orzo burned to the bottom of the pan. I even increased the broth amount because it didn’t seem like enough! If I make this again, I’ll add a full cup of extra broth.
Hi BL, yes, there was one typo where it said chicken broth, but I’ve fixed that now. We did use vegetable broth, but chicken broth would also be quite nice in this recipe. If your orzo burned on the bottom of the pan and you ran out of liquid, it’s likely that the heat was too high while simmering. The One-pot cooking method can be a little tricky so you may need to adjust the heat slightly depending on your cookware and the heat settings on your particular stove top.
I use All-Clad pans, and they do hold a lot of heat, so I’ll try tweaking that next time! :)
Definitely a staple recipe in my weekly meal planning kit for my family of four! We’ve made this multiple times and I will continue to do so, absolutely delicious.
My only note for my fellow grocery shoppers is to plan to purchase chicken broth, not vegetable broth as the ingredients lists. The instructions states chicken broth clearly, but on crazy nights when I’m trying to corral everyone and cook, it helps to have the details settled ahead of time hah!
Thanks for catching that Carolyn! It’s been updated. As the notes say, you can use chicken or veggie broth. But if you ever have the chance to get your hands on it, mushroom broth works amazingly well!
Added a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce and it was great!
ooooooh!!! Great call! xoxo
Yummy! I made it with thin cut chicken breasts and added mushrooms with the onions and kale a little later to up the veggies and add some color. The whole family loved it!
Erin that sounds BOMB!
This is so good oh my gawd. We used a little tiny bit of cayenne to the spice mix and accidentally cooked down the onions and garlic before adding the chicken. The chicken didn’t brown as much but I added a little bit of broth and it ended up caramelizing the onion and the chicken was super moist. So. Good. New favorite.
Thanks Kate!
Fantastic. Will definitely make again. As another stated the broth was cooking off a bit too fast so I just added more to get the orzo perfectly cooked. That’s the only thing I did differently. It was delicious
This is so freaking delicious! My 19-year old foodie son texted me tonight after eating leftovers to say good it was…
I cheated and used grilled chicken leftovers. It was fantastic! My husband and I had to stop ourselves from eating it all!
Holy ish Virginia! I bet grilled chicken added a whole new level of yum! Great call. xoxo Monti
One of the best things I’ve ever cooked. The chicken broth and fried crunchy bits incorporated into a cream sauce makes for such a rich savory taste that goes perfectly with orzo’s particular mouthfeel. The chicken ends up delightfully seared but also pull-apart tender.
I did seem to boil off the broth a little bit sooner that expected and ended up with some crispy orzo burnt to the bottom of my pan (and a thicker final sauce), I think because my electric stove took awhile to cool down to simmering temperature – but luckily I used a cast iron skillet so I could just scrape it off and fold it into the sauce (the extra crunch was a pleasant addition). I might also up the seasoning on the chicken thighs next time, especially if I’m on the bigger end of 5 thighs.
So delicious and easy!
Would using bone-in thighs make a big change? Probably needs to cook for longer – maybe braise for 20 minutes then add the orzo?
This recipe is amazing! Definitely a new family favorite that will be on rotation. My 21 month old has had multiple helpings each time we eat it. So much flavor!
I really enjoyed this! Very easy and tasty. However, I did end up adding a lot more broth than was listed in the recipe, perhaps a cup to a cup and a half more. My orzo kept sticking to the bottom of the pan under the chicken, and there just wasn’t enough to cook the orzo. I used bone broth because that’s what I had, don’t know if that had an effect. I think next time I will cook the chicken and leave it out till the end rather than putting it back in while the orzo is cooking so the pasta can cook properly. I also subbed whole milk for the cream which worked great, and did half a tsp smoked paprika and half a tsp reg paprika for a little more flavor!
The recipe calls for 4-5 bonless chicken thighs and is supposed to serve 4. Do you really mean that? It would seem one chicken thigh per serving is rather small. Perhaps I’m not understanding correctly.
It’s one chicken thigh and a bunch of orzo. If you pair that with a side dish or two then you’ve got a substantial meal. But everyone has different appetites, so there’s never going to be a one size fits all serving suggestion. :)
Is there any chance this might be good substituting quinoa with a little more broth for the orzo? I’m cooking for a person with a wheat allergy.
Hmmm, honestly I think orzo is going to change the texture and flavor quite a bit and I’m just not sure it would be a good fit. But everyone has different tastes, so maybe your friend will like it!
Can you use pork? not a fan of chicken.
Pork tends to get overcooked really quickly, so you’d need to adjust the method to compensate.
Easy and delicious. Used 1/2&1/2 bc that’s what I had and added spinach. Delicious.
Loved this! Super flavorful and very easy to make. I did end up with an off consistency with liquid and orzo from trying the recipe from before it was edited (along with fiddling some measurements on my own – accidentally added a bit too much broth so added a bit more orzo then halfed the cream), but I felt like that didn’t impact the flavor at all – we just ate it in bowls! I can’t wait to make this again! 😋
If I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, would that change the cooking time?
Not by much! Just make sure to sear them well and if they are really thick, pound them out to a thinner consistency. The orzo will take 15 minutes to cook no matter what. xoxo -Monti
Super flavorful & easy to make, with readily available ingredients.
Do you think I could put some broccoli on top of the chicken/orzo/broth for the 15 minute cook time? Would it steam well or would it mess with the orzo cooking process? Trying to add a green veg without adding another dish to wash!
I don’t think there would be quite enough steam coming through the thick sauce to steam it completely. You’ll have more control if you do it in a separate pot. :)
Thank you!!
I have added frozen peas successfully, using the steam.
Fantastic dish! So flavorful and filling! I subbed out boneless thighs for bone-in since I had it on hand, and that helped the chicken stay juicy. I also used half-and-half to cut on calories and it didn’t lose out on the creaminess
hi heather! do you remember how much longer it took for bone-in vs boneless thighs? thanks!
Looks great, but recipe says 1 1/2 c orzo, but the picture version says 1/2 c?
Fixed! Thank you. xoxo -Monti
Tasty, easy meal. I used skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs and it still turned out well. If you have some roasted red peppers or sun dried tomatoes that can be stirred in at the end, it’s a great add.
Should it actually be 1.5 cups orzo? I used 1/2 cup orzo today and it turned out extremely soupy…
Harley, I am so sorry. You are correct, it is 1 1/2 cups of orzo. I second-guessed myself on an earlier comment and changed it. But then retested the whole thing again. With 1 1/2 cups of orzo and 1 1/2 cup broth, plus the 1/2 cup of cream and the chicken juices you get a nice creamy sauce. For a sauce that is a little looser and makes more of a risotto-style orzo, add an additional 1/2 cup of broth to the mix.
My package of chicken thighs was a little bigger (~1.9 lbs), so I added a little extra orzo and veggie broth. I also added cooked broccoli after the cream/butter/Parmesan, which was a perfect addition. The spices give it such good flavor and I love anything with orzo! This is definitely going in the rotation.
This was one of those afternoons where I arrived at the grocery store without a plan other than checking out the latest on Budget Bytes. I read the description and bought the orzo, chicken and cream (everything else I had on hand) and about an hour or so later dinner was on the table… and it was wonderful! The only remarkable things did were to use a tomato-based veggie stock block (Knor) and I also just dumped the butter, cream and parm on top of the finished pasta, covered for a few minutes (no heat) and stirred to combine. It’s not that I didn’t care my chicken didn’t stand out against the orzo.. I simply didn’t care to read the last couple directions. And it was fine.
Delicious flavor, but something is off with the liquid to orzo ratio. 1/2 cup orzo didn’t look like nearly as much as it does in the photos, and didn’t feel like enough for 4 servings when we ate it. Orzo is generally a 1:2 ratio, and this recipe is 1:3, which left the final dish very soupy. I’ll make it again but with a full cup of orzo!
Jess, thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I second-guessed myself and changed the original recipe from 1 1/2 cups orzo to 1/2 cup when I read someone else’s comment. I read your comment and retested the whole recipe, and 1 1/2 cups of orzo is the right measurement. Orzo is usually a 1 to 2 ratio, but with the 1/2 cup of cream and the juices of the chicken, 1 1/2 cups orzo and 1 1/2 cups broth works. You can add 1/2 cup more of broth if you prefer a looser sauce. I did that and it was extra creamy. A million apologies. Thank you!
Thank you! I’ll make it again, because the flavor was definitely there! :)
Appreciate it! xoxo -Monti