Go to Homepage

    Creamy Chicken Orzo

    Updated September 30, 2026 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    My creamy chicken orzo recipe couldn't be simpler! Carrots, celery, onions and garlic flavor this soothingly simple, risotto-like meal. Add crusty bread and dinner is done.

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

    Creamy, Cozy Chicken Orzo
     

    My one-pot creamy chicken orzo recipe comes together so fast! Especially if you have already-cooked chicken, either from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or some poached chicken you cooked as part of your weekend meal prep. Like, 20 minutes fast. Even if you need to cook some chicken, creamy chicken orzo is still quick to make. Basic veggies, fresh garlic and a hint of creaminess make this one-bowl supper comforting and familiar. Craving another creamy chicken classic? Don't miss Chicken A La King. And be sure to check out my creamy ham and pea pasta or bacon pea creamy orzo, next!  

    An overhead shot of prepped ingredients for my chicken orzo recipe. Bright orange carrots, green celery, and orzo.

    What Is Orzo?

    A lot of folks are confused about whether orzo of rice or pasta. Orzo does look a lot like rice, but actually orzo is a type of 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. My beloved chicken orzo recipe 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 and easier than risotto. 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 For The Best Orzo Recipe Ever.

    OK, so it’s just eight ingredients if you give us olive oil, salt and pepper, but those are a given, right? Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy, creamy chicken orzo recipe: 

    • Orzo: No other pasta shape will work here in quite the same way, so please don't sub. 
    • Chicken: This is cooked chicken. Use shredded meat from a rotisserie chicken for the easiest version of all, or poach chicken to use in this recipe.
    • Onion
    • Celery
    • Carrots
    • Garlic: Fresh! No jarred garlic, please. 
    • Chicken stock
    • Parsley: Kind of optional, but IMO it is a must. 
    creamy chicken orzo in a white enamel pot with a wooden spoon.

    How To Cook Orzo

    You may have had orzo in summery pasta salads. But in my 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. Sauté onions, carrots, celery and garlic until fragrant. 
    2. Pour in 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 image of creamy chicken orzo, ready to eat.

    Tools You’ll Need:

    More Creamy, One-Pan Pasta Recipes

    Cheesy, savory, carb-y comfort. And these recipes are easy, too! Pasta—it’s what you really want for dinner.

    Creamy chicken orzo with orange carrots and celery pieces served in a bowl with blue and white table linens

    Comfort In A Pan

    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!

    5 Days of Soups You'll Make Forever!

    💌 FREE EMAIL BONUS: The soups to turn to when you need dinner sorted

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

    Creamy Chicken Orzo Recipe

    Updated September 30, 2026

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

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

    Description

    My creamy chicken orzo recipe couldn't be simpler! Carrots, celery, onions and garlic flavor this soothingly simple, risotto-like meal. Add crusty bread and dinner is done.

    Print Recipe

    💌 Send yourself this recipe

    Enter your email and we'll send Creamy Chicken Orzo right to your inbox.

      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 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
      • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
      • 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, carrots and ½ teaspoon of the salt 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, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and pepper.

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

      Related Recipes

      Nutrition Info

      • Per Serving
      • Amount
      • Calories 326
      • Protein 24 g
      • Carbohydrates 44 g
      • Total Fat 7 g
      • Dietary Fiber 3 g
      • Cholesterol 0 mg
      • Sodium 211 mg
      • Total Sugars 8 g

      Creamy Chicken Orzo

      Questions & Reviews

      Rated 4.8 stars by 79 readers

      or
      • Sandra

        Is The One-pound Orzo cooked or dry

        Dry, hope you enjoy Sandra!

      • Janet

        Can you freeze

        You can, the consistency will be thicker. Reheat it on the stovetop with a little broth to regain it's consistency. Hope you enjoy!

      • Lisa

        Is it simmered covered or uncovered once you add the orzo and chicken?

        No need to cover, hope you enjoy!

      • Daryian

        Can you make it thicker with heavy cream?

        We haven't tried it but you could give it a try!

      • John

        Is the 1 pound of orzo dry or cooked? Also, if I only want to use a cup of orzo dry, how much stock should I use and same for measurements of the seasoning.

        That is 1 pound dry, uncooked orzo. Unfortunately we don't have those measurements for you without testing it. Hope you enjoy John!

      • Scott

        What about adding a can of cream of chicken soup?

        We wouldn't recommend this but it doesn't mean you can't try.

      • Becc

        Shouldn't this have cream in it if it is creamy?

        Hi Becc, the starch/gluten is what gives it a creamy texture.

      • Holly

        What kind of pasta do we use and how much?

        1 pound of orzo. Hope you enjoY!

      • Valerie

        Do you cover the pot after you put the orzo and chicken in?

        No need! Hope you enjoy!

      • Laurie

        Do I put cover on while it is simmering?

        No need to cover, hope you enjoy Laurie!

      • Cathy

        3-star rating

        Im glad I read the reviews because adding 5 cups of broth was much better than 8 cups. Also orzo cooked in 10 minutes. The flavor is nice however needs more vegetables and something in it to enhance the dish. A pound of orzo is a lot.

      • Peter

        5-star rating

        Easy to make, I added a few of my own flavors, cooked the chicken in 20 minutes for a nice fresh dinner. Turned out awesome

        Thanks Peter, glad you loved it!

      • M

        5-star rating

        This was delicious and very filling. Just two of us so we cut in half and still have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Threw in a handful of fresh spinach at the end because I had some to use up.
        Would this freeze well?

        Thanks, glad you loved it! Texture might change a bit after freezing.

      • Jayci

        5-star rating

        It was yummy! And super easy to make. I didn't have cooked chicken so I did as you said to add it to the orzo cooking and it cooked perfectly. Thank you! I'm adding this to my rotation! ❤

        Thanks Jayci, so glad you loved it!

      • Olivia

        2-star rating

        I was in a hurry and should have read this recipe closer. 8 cups of broth is way too much. Its essentially soup, and its not creamy. I specifically searched creamy because I have two quarts of heavy cream to use. This should have a different name. I would call it chicken and orzo stew.

      • Connolly

        5-star rating

        What size stock pot do you suggest?

        6-8 quart would be good. Hope you enjoy!

      • Peggy

        4-star rating

        Recipe was really good. I added more veggie for my preference. Only used about 5 cups of chicken stock and that was enough. Added a little more italian seasoning, again for my taste. Cubed the chicken instead of shredding. Added about a tablespoon of cream cheese at the end to make it a little creamier and took the pot off the burner. Will definitely make it again.

        Thanks Peggy!

      • Elyse

        5-star rating

        I made this last night. It's delicious. Will be adding to my rotation. I did tweak it a bit, didn't have celery so I used 2 bell peppers and 2 banana peppers instead with the carrots and onion, definitely went veg heavy. And I cooked my chicken with salt/pepper/garlic powder/onion powder/Italian seasoning before shredding. With a 1:2 orzo:stock. I'm not sure where the "creamy" comes in with no milk/cream, but it's certainly delicious.

        Glad you enjoyed it Elyse!

      • Robin

        5-star rating

        This was super simple and delicious! I used rainbow carrots because that's what I needed to use up. It made the food a grayish color but tasted delightful. My family loved it so much they requested it again 3 days later. I switched up the meat from chicken to pork belly and it was soo good!

        So glad you loved it, thank you!

      • Brooke

        5-star rating

        Love this, thank you

        Thanks Brooke! Glad you loved it!

      Save this Recipe

      Enter your email below & we'll send Creamy Chicken Orzo to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!

        We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

        5 Days of Soups You'll Make Forever!

        💌 FREE EMAIL BONUS: The soups to turn to when you need dinner sorted

        Our Recipes, Your Inbox

        Subscribe to our Newsletter for weekly recipe inspiration as well as seasonal menu tips and resources.