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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:

    3 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 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!

    Related Recipes

    Creamy Chicken Orzo

    February 11, 2020

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

    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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    • Stephanie Drouilhet

      Do I cook the chicken prior to putting it in w the stock?

      Yes it is shredded cooked chicken that you put in. You can either cook chicken or use shredded chicken off of. rotisserie chicken. Hope you enjoy Stephanie!

    • marjorie

      can u freeze chicken orzo

      Yep should freezer for about 3 months. You'll probably need to add a little broth when reheating.

    • 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!

    • Leanne

      I made this with a few adjustments.
      After the vegetables softened, I sprinkled 1/4 cup of flour and cooked an additional 2 minutes. Then added 3/4 cup of white white and cooked for another couple of minutes before adding the stock.
      I also felt the flavor was a little bland so added thyme and sage to enhance the flavor of the broth. Lastly, I added American cheese that melted on its own and stirred in to finish the dish and enhance the "creaminess" of the texture.

      My family enjoyed this dish, especially my kids.

      Thanks Carter! We are so happy you loved it!

    • Julie Dacus

      This was filling, comforting, and easy to put together, but the flavor was a little bland. We added 4 oz. of cream cheese and that took it to the next level. You could probably add the whole brick if you want. It could have taken more, but we stopped there since we had already taken out and eaten a couple of servings.

      Thanks Julie, glad you liked it. It's a simple flavor similar to chicken noodle soup but glad that you enjoyed it with cream cheese.

    • Rachael Stahl

      Very good- didn’t come out creamy but all liquid was absorbed. Very good. Added curry powder and omitted parsley!

      Thanks Rachael, glad you enjoyed it!

    • Chenae

      What a fab recipe for a busy night - so easy and so tasty. Was super creamy too! I used a good quality orzo and it was bloody incredible. Also added a bit of fresh asparagus :) thanks for the yummy recipe!

      Thanks Chenae, so happy you loved it!

    • 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!