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?
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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
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?
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!