This chicken broccoli orzo makes for the perfect weeknight dinner on a busy weeknight. Ready in around 40 minutes, this one-pot orzo recipe is cheesy, flavorful, and so easy to make!
Made with simple kitchen staples, this cheesy chicken broccoli orzo recipe is an easy recipe that is perfect for picky eaters. What’s not to love about a cheesy pasta?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The orzo itself takes under 40 minutes to cook. Prep work takes a couple of minutes, as you have to dice the onion, cut the broccoli crowns into florets, and shred the cheese.
- Everything comes together in one pot, so cleaning up is easy! Protein, carbs, and veggies all in one pot!
- It’s flavorful! It’s not just a kid-friendly recipe but an adult favorite as well.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- oil — I use olive oil, but feel free to use any neutral oil, such as avocado oil.
- chicken thighs — I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but you can also use chicken breasts. You will just have to adjust the cooking time so the chicken breasts cook through.
- seasoning — I season the chicken thighs with garlic powder, paprika, and salt. You’ll also need pepper.
- onion — I diced up a small yellow onion. Feel free to use a large one if you like onions!
- garlic — the more garlic, the better!
- broccoli — I cut three broccoli crowns into bite-sized florets. It makes for approximately 4 cups.
- orzo — I use orzo pasta, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can use any similar small pasta shape. I use 454 grams, which is just a bit more than 2 cups.
- chicken broth — I use chicken broth, but you can swap it for vegetable broth. I try to use low-sodium broth when possible.
- shredded cheddar cheese — I use sharp cheddar!
How to Make Chicken Broccoli Orzo
- Season the chicken thighs with garlic powder, paprika, and (½ teaspoon) salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken thighs to the skillet, smooth side down. Sear for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 6 to 7 more minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside to rest before you shred the chicken.
- In the now empty skillet, add the rest of the olive oil and diced onions. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, and add a splash of broth to deglaze the skillet. Saute for another minute.
- Add the minced garlic and a teaspoon of salt to the skillet. Saute for a minute, and then add the broccoli. Saute for another minute.
- Add the orzo.
- Add the chicken broth and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the shredded chicken and cheese to the skillet and stir until well combined.
- Serve immediately as is or garnished with basil and more cheese.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- It’s important to use just one pot as searing the chicken leaves those flavorful bits at the bottom of the pot that you’ll deglaze and add extra flavor.
- If you have the time, you can shred your own cheese! Bagged pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly as cheese you shred yourself.
- This is the skillet that I’m using.
- If the liquid evaporates too quickly while the orzo simmers, add a few extra splashes of broth.
- Make sure you stir throughout, as the orzo can stick to the bottom of the pan.
- I try to cut the broccoli crowns into small bite-sized florets so they’re more kid-friendly. You can also use frozen broccoli if you don’t mind larger broccoli.
- Pat dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel to remove any extra moisture if needed. This will help the seasoning stick better.
- Feel free to use chicken that you’ve prepared beforehand such as my Instant Pot shredded chicken or dutch oven shredded chicken. Or shred a rotisserie chicken or my whole chicken recipe. Keep in mind that the overall recipe will only last as long as the chicken will (ie if it’s a day old, you should only keep the overall recipe for 3 days).
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the orzo with chicken and broccoli in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: allow the orzo to cool before transferring to an airtight container and freezing for up to 3 months.
Chicken Broccoli Orzo
This chicken broccoli orzo makes for the perfect weeknight dinner on a busy weeknight. Ready in around 40 minutes, this one-pot orzo recipe is cheesy, flavorful, and so easy to make!
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Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil, divided in half
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoon salt, divided into 1 and ½ teaspoon
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 to 3 crowns broccoli, cut into florets
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 454 grams orzo, (16oz)
- 4½ cups chicken broth
- 1½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with garlic powder, paprika, and (½ teaspoon) salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs to the skillet, smooth side down. Sear for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for 6 to 7 more minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside to rest before you shred the chicken.
- In the now empty skillet, add the rest of the olive oil and diced onions. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, and add a splash of broth to deglaze the skillet. Saute for another minute.
- Add the minced garlic and a teaspoon of salt to the skillet. Saute for a minute, and then add the broccoli. Saute for another minute before adding the orzo.
- Add the chicken broth and simmer the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the shredded chicken and cheese to the skillet and stir until well combined. Serve immediately as is or garnished with basil and more cheese.
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 892mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 386IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 2mg
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