chicken and orzo

One Pot Chicken and Orzo - a delicious creamy orzo one pot dish with chicken thighs, orzo and sun dried tomatoes. All in one pot, easy, quick and prefect for a weeknight dinner!

One Pot Chicken and Orzo

olive oil

chicken thighs (with skin and bone in)

seasoning salt (or

unsalted butter

onion (chopped)

garlic (minced)

sun dried tomatoes (chopped)

red pepper flakes

orzo

heavy cream

chicken broth (low sodium)

Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

basil (chopped)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with seasoning salt on both sides. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet and fry on both sides until no longer pink inside, about 5 min per side, but each cooktop is different so you'll have to watch it.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Dump the leftover oil from the skillet but do not scrape the brown bits, leave those for the sauce.

Add 2 tbsp of butter and melt over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes and cook for about 5 minutes, just until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the orzo, heavy cream, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese to the skillet and stir everything together. Bring to a boil, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.

Add the chicken back to the skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and most of the sauce has been evaporated or absorbed by the orzo.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Chicken thighs are flavored with fresh sage and cooked with a delicious sage butter orzo to create this One Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo recipe.

One-Pan Sage Butter Chicken and Orzo

1.25 lb pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs

sage leaves

lemon (sliced)

Salt & black pepper (to taste)

garlic powder

poultry seasoning

smoked paprika

olive oil (extra virgin)

butter (unsalted)

½ large shallot (chopped)

garlic

orzo pasta

chicken broth

Place chicken thighs in a large bowl and add enough water to cover the chicken by about one inch. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, lemon slices, and sage leaves to the water and gently stir everything with a large spoon. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to an hour.

Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and remove each piece of chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brining liquid but be sure to reserve the sage leaves.

Season chicken thighs on each side with salt &amp; pepper, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, and smoked paprika. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and place chicken thighs in skillet, smooth side down.

Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes, until a golden crust forms, then flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side. Use tongs to transfer chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Add butter to the same skillet that you cooked the chicken in. Once the butter has melted, add shallot, sage leaves, and garlic and cook for about a minute.

Add orzo to the skillet and cook for another minute or two, stirring constantly, to lightly toast orzo. Be careful not to scorch the sage leaves. Add chicken stock to the skillet and give everything a good stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Bring orzo to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken thighs back to the skillet with the orzo, smooth side facing up. Simmer orzo and chicken, uncovered for 10-12 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and orzo is al dente.

Remove pan from heat and allow the dish to cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and herbs. Enjoy!

This Chicken and Orzo recipe is a complete dinner in a single skillet, with savory orzo smothered in a creamy cheese sauce with juicy chicken and delicious bites of broccoli.

Chicken and Orzo

half and half

hot sauce

mustard powder

EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, parsley

paprika

chicken breast

Salt/Pepper

Italian seasoning

broccoli florets

dry white wine (see notes)

butter

flour

cheddar cheese

Note: You may choose to make 1 lb. of orzo for this recipe, but I only use ¾ lb. as the orzo absorbs a lot of sauce once it’s added to it. The pictures shown here are what ¾ lb. ends up looking like.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.

Cover the chicken with saran wrap and use a meat mallet to tenderize each side. Cut it into strips and pat it dry. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.

As you continue with the following steps, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once a boil is reached, stir in some salt. (I use ½ tablespoon Kosher salt.)

Meanwhile, add the wine to the same skillet used to cook the chicken and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce. Simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

Add the sauce mixture (from step 1) in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover partially while you cook the pasta.

Cook the orzo 1 minute less then what&#39;s noted on the package instructions. Add the broccoli to the boiling pasta water during the last 3 minutes. Drain once cooked.

Gradually sprinkle in the cheddar and Parmesan cheese into the sauce until combined.

Add the broccoli and the cooked orzo. (It will seem like a LOT of sauce, fear not!) Stir to combine and heat through for 1-2 minutes. The orzo will continue to absorb more and more sauce. Slide a silicone spatula along the bottom of the skillet to lift any that may settle at the bottom.

Continue to cook until the sauce is reduced and the orzo is cooked through. Add the chicken and cover to heat through, then serve!

My family loved this!  Picky husband commented twice on how good it was, and my also picky son declared it to be awesome.  And it is! Now on the list of regulars to make for dinner. I'm glad I followed your directions and used the 12 oz. of orzo, because by the time I served it, the delicious sauce was completely absorbed.  Next to make......the one pot sausage and rice dish!

I love this recipe! One of my favorite texture pleasing recipes. Everything was creamy and flavorful! The broccoli bigots in my family didn’t care for the boiled broccoli so I may roast it next time, but I loved everything! Thank you!

I made this last night and we are really pleased with the results. The sauce is the star of this recipe. It is delicious!  I am already considering some variations—substituting sautéed portabella mushroom strips for the chicken, or  a shrimp and linguine version. As always, you’ve hit it out of the park!

I am soooo happy I found your website!! Great recipes!!! NomNomNom !!!

This was delicious. I added the broccoli to the orzo a little sooner and followed your tip about 3/4 lb. It was delicious and addictive!

This was delicious! And once everything is prepped it's a simple recipe. We are looking forward to the leftovers!  Thank you for sharing your recipes, I've yet to make one we didn't enjoy.

Outstanding recipe!  I already have requests to make it again ASAP. My husband and kids LOVED it and ate it all. It was an easy dishes night for me and everyone went to bed full and happy. I wish I had some leftovers for today because I'm craving it already. But...I'll make it again this weekend I think. Thank you so much.

Tried this recipe last night!  It was a hit with my family and the directions made it easy to make a delicious sauce and dish!  I have loved every recipe I’ve ever made from the cozy cook!  👩🏻‍🍳 👍🏻 💜 

In this One-Pot Chicken and Orzo recipe, crispy chicken thighs cooks right on top of the orzo in a garlicky tomato sauce with basil. It’s simple to make, and you can serve it straight from the oven with your favorite side salad.

One-Pot Chicken Orzo Recipe

chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)

tsp kosher salt (divided)

extra virgin olive oil

onion (diced)

tomato paste

pecorino romano (or Parmesan cheese, optional)

basil (chiffonade)

Basil

pecorino romano

Onion

Preheat

season chicken

Season chicken thighs with ¾ tsp of salt & bring to room temperature; thoroughly dry chicken skin with a paper towel before step 2.

skillet

Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat, add chicken thighs skin side down. Render until golden and crisp, about 12-15 minutes. Remove chicken from pan.

add onions

In the same pan, add onion and remaining salt and saute until aromatic, 4-5 minutes.

add orzo

Add orzo and toast 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most pieces are lightly golden and there is a nutty aroma.

make sauce

Add garlic and mix to combine. Add tomato paste and cook to caramelize, 2-3 minutes.

add broth and bake

Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. Nestle chicken thighs, flesh side down, into the orzo (make sure that the skin is NOT in the liquid)  and transfer to the oven Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until orzo is cooked through.*

serve

Serve in cooking vessel and top with grated cheese and basil.

I made this and it was a hit with my husband and 11-month old son. I had to swap Arborio rice for orzo due to my son’s egg allergy, but it was a simple swap and the rice cooked perfectly, too. Thank you!

It was delicious! The chicken was cooked through and the orzo perfect. I will pay more attention next time to salt and then pat dry, which I failed to do. The skin did not crisp like yours. I will try again.

Salted the chicken the night before and that really seemed to make the skin crispier. Very flavorful sauce. Loved it with the orzo. Next time I will use cooking spray in the pan instead of oil because the chicken skin renders a lot of fat naturally.

Easy, fast and tasty. Salted the chicken a day prior as suggested WOW, wonderful crispy chicken. I did add extra garlic and some red pepper flakes. YUM!

This was OUTSTANDING! Easy and perfect for entertaining. My new favorite chicken dish!

AMAZING. Instead of using chicken thighs, I used chicken breasts and cut them in half and it worked great!! Very flavorful and the orzo was delicious

Chicken was bland, the proportions were off. The only redeeming factor was the Parmesan rind I added

Absolutely loved it, adding to weekly routine. Is the chicken supposed to be covered in the oven or left uncovered?

I had the exact same issue! I made no adjustments to the recipe. My skin stuck to my Dutch oven and I couldn't manage to keep the chicken skin above the liquid. It was delicious though so I'm making it today with chicken breasts instead.

Forgot to add all the stars!!! So good — it’s a winner, winner chicken dinner!

Made this for the first time last night, and it will become a regular in our rotation!  The salting chicken the night before, patting dry the next day, and letting it come to room temp is so worth the result!

Tried this for dinner and we loved it! Easy to prepare.

This took waaaaay longer to cook in our oven, but it was delicious otherwise! I used boneless skinless chicken thighs to make it even healthier and adjusted the saute time accordingly. A sprinkle of paprika still gave them a beautiful brown color. I also added pepper flakes, dried basil, Italian seasoning, more garlic and doubled the onion. I tossed in about 2 cups of fresh spinach when it was finished cooking as well. Even after 25 minutes though, our orzo was still very crunchy and wet. I continued cooking it in 5 minute intervals (taking out the chicken to prevent overcooking), and the orzo was finally done after about 40 minutes total. Next time I may use slightly less liquid and/or a higher baking temperature. :)

This was very good and pretty easy to make. My husband lived it and he doesn't like chicken.

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