One Pot Chicken Orzo (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cubed into 1" pieces
02 -
1 teaspoon garlic powder
03 -
1/4 teaspoon salt
04 -
½ teaspoon black pepper
05 -
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
06 -
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
07 -
½ cup yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 a medium onion)
08 -
2 cups fresh asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
09 -
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 garlic cloves)
10 -
8 ounces dry orzo
11 -
2 ½ cups chicken broth, low or no salt
12 -
2 sprigs fresh thyme (can sub 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme)
13 -
⅓ cup half and half (can sub milk)
14 -
⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan
15 -
2 cups fresh spinach
16 -
Chopped fresh parsley and extra Parmesan for garnish
# Instructions:
01 -
In a small bowl, combine chicken chunks, garlic powder, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, toss to coat.
02 -
In a large high sided pan over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the chicken. Cook for 10-12 minutes, until brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
03 -
In the same pan, (no need to clean it!) add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the asparagus and sauté for 2 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside to the plate with the cooked chicken.
04 -
Add the onion to the pan and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the orzo and garlic and cook until the orzo starts to toast slightly, another 3 minutes.
05 -
Add in the broth and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. (Tip: You can microwave your broth before adding to the pan to speed up cook time) Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring halfway.
06 -
Stir in the cooked chicken, asparagus, half and half, parmesan, spinach and thyme. Heat for one to two minutes more until heated through and spinach is wilted.
07 -
Serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley and extra grated parmesan.
# Notes:
01 -
This dish is best when fresh. Leftovers tend to be drier, less creamy, and can clump together. For best quality, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat in a covered pot on the stove, over low heat, adding some extra broth to loosen it back up.
02 -
There are different sizes of orzo pasta, and they may have different cooking times. The size most commonly found in the supermarkets cook in about 8 minutes. This recipe was made using Barilla orzo. Check the packaging of orzo for cook times and choose one with an 7-9 minute cook time.
03 -
This orzo can be made with chunks of boneless skinless thighs, but you may need to adjust the cooking time for the chicken. To make this an even faster dish, you can skip the first 2 steps and use pulled or chopped cooked chicken folded in at the end.
04 -
Other vegetables that would be good in this would be zucchini, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms.
05 -
Chicken broth can be substituted with vegetable broth.