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Creamy Chicken Orzo

Just carrots, celery, onions and garlic flavor this soothingly simple, risotto-like creamy chicken orzo recipe. Grab some crusty bread and call dinner DONE.

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creamy chicken orzo with carrots, celery, onions and garlic  in  a bowl

Simple, Fast, Cozy.

If you have already-cooked chicken handy—either from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or maybe some poached chicken you cooked as part of your weekend meal prep—this one-pot creamy chicken orzo comes together insanely fast. Like, 20 minutes fast. Even if you need to cook some chicken—we recommend a quick poach—our risotto-y chicken and orzo is still relatively quick to make. And it’s oh-so-comforting. Basic veggies, a little garlic and a hint of creaminess make this one-bowl supper comforting and familiar, in the very best way. Cold season is here, friends, but fear not! This cozy, creamy chicken orzo is sure to heal (or at least soothe).

Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Orzo carrots, celery, onions, garlic

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What Is Orzo?

If you’re asking yourself “is orzo rice or pasta?” you’re not alone! Orzo does look a lot like rice, but actually orzo is pasta! Just like all of the other classic Italian pasta shapes that we love, it’s made from semolina flour—although you can find some whole wheat varieties on the market now. Our savory, chicken-y creamy orzo treats the pasta a bit like risotto rice, letting it absorb the gently flavored chicken broth over the course of a quick simmer. However, since orzo is a pasta, it’s even more forgiving than risotto—in other words, it’s easier! Yay for that.

carrots, celery, onions in a soup pot
carrots, onion, celery, chicken stock and orzo in a soup pot
shredded chicken, chicken stock, carrots, onion and celery in a soup pot with a wooden spoon
creamy orzo chicken casserole

8 Ingredients Are All It Takes to Make the Best Orzo Ever.

OK, so it’s just eight ingredients if you give us olive oil, salt and pepper, but those are a given, right? You can’t make anything without oil, salt and pepper. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy, creamy chicken orzo:

  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Garlic
  • Chicken stock
  • Cooked chicken.
  • Orzo
  • Parsley
creamy orzo chicken in a soup pot

How To Cook Orzo

You may have had orzo in summery pasta salads—in the U.S. that seems to be the prevalent way of preparing it. But in our opinion, you haven’t experiences orzo pasta’s full, flavorful potential until you’ve simmered it in chicken stock until it’s all silky and chicken-y and risotto-like. Here’s how to make the very best orzo ever:

  1. Onions, carrots, celery. Sauté until fragrant and translucent. Add the garlic after a few minutes of sautéing (you don’t want to overcook or brown it.)
  2. Stock! Pour it in and bring it to a boil.
  3. Orzo and chicken! Add them both, and simmer until the orzo is totally cooked through, and most of the stock has been absorbed by the orzo. Serve!
chicken orzo pasta in a soup pot
close up of creamy orzo soup

Tools You’ll Need:

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creamy Chicken Orzo Soup with carrots and celery in a bowl with a linen

When In Doubt—Chicken Orzo.

In the middle of winter, nothing hits the spot quite like something so wholesome, healthy and cozy as a bowl of this soothing chicken orzo. We hope this easy, creamy orzo recipe hits the spot for you, too. If it does, let us know! Snap a photo of your orzo, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you share it with. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!

Creamy Chicken Orzo

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  35 min
  • Calories: 326

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 pound orzo
  • 1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes longer.

  2. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.

  3. Once the stock is boiling, stir in the chicken and orzo. Reduce the heat to medium and add the parsley, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.

  4. Simmer until the veggies are tender, the orzo is creamy and amost of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories326
  • Protein24 g
  • Carbohydrates44 g
  • Total Fat7 g
  • Dietary Fiber3 g
  • Cholesterol0 mg
  • sodium211 mg
  • Total Sugars8 g

Creamy Chicken Orzo

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Halie

    Can I use a store bought rotisserie chicken for this recipe?

    Absolutely! Hope you enjoy Halie!

  • Steph

    Could this be served chilled?

    It's probably better served warm.

  • Nina Glickman

    Since the chicken is already cooked does it get over cooked when you add it with the orzo?

    Nope! Hope you enjoy Nina!

  • Don Brooks

    Can I substitute the Orzo for Quinoa?

    (Cooking now so guess I'll find out lol)

    haha! Love that note in the parenthesis. the gluten in the orzo is what gives it a bit of a "creamy" texture so it won't turn out the same with quinoa. Hope you enjoyed it though!

  • Katie

    I have to agree with Sarah, that this wasn’t creamy for me at all. I also followed the directions exactly, and nearly all of the liquid was absorbed after cooking the orzo for 20 minutes. It wasn’t dry, but it definitely wasn’t creamy and didn’t look like the picture. It was still tasty, and made way more than I expected. Just wish it came out more like the picture.

    SOrry to hear that Katie, we haven't experienced that. It's not creamy in the way a thick cream sauce would coat a pasta but the gluten in orzo creates a creamy textured sauce.

  • Simone

    Absolutely amazing! I've been in such a good rut and this was phenomenal! I cut the recipe in half and still got 4 big servings! This is going to be amazing once it's cooler out!

    Thanks Simone, so glad you loved it!

  • Leah Thistle

    Yum! I did carrots and peas, added some additional seasonings & some Parmesan at the end and it was perfect! I also only did 6 cups of broth because I felt like 8 was a lot and I feel like I could have even gone less than that. But it was delightful nonetheless. :)

    Thanks Leah, so glad you enjoyed it!

  • Lindsey Allen

    This is a great, easy dinner. The flavors are more mild but similar to a chicken noodle soup. I use a heavy hand when it comes to the parsley. I think it adds extra flavor. I also like adding a little Parmesan on top.

    Thanks Lindsey, glad you enjoyed it!

  • Kristina

    Awesome recipe!! Love it!! 😋

    Thanks Kristina, happy you loved it!

  • Kelli

    This was so delicious! I added a splash of half and half at the end and some Parmesan before serving. Simple ingredients but BIG flavor!!

    Thanks Kelli, so glad you love it!