One Pot Parmesan Chicken and Orzo
This simple One Pot Parmesan Chicken and Orzo is a combination of perfectly cooked chicken thighs and a creamy Parmesan orzo with fresh asparagus.
One Pot Parmesan Chicken and Orzo
One Pot Parmesan Chicken and OrzoJust a few more days before summer is over. It’s been pretty great, but I’m not going to lie, I’m kind of looking forward to the kids being back in school. It does mean I’ve got to get back into the routine of cooking every night and recipes like this One Pot Parmesan Chicken and Orzo make it easy to get dinner on the table on busy weeknights.
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This simple one pot recipe uses orzo like a rice, adding it to cooked onions and garlic and cooking it until it becomes golden brown, then adding chicken broth and asparagus and bringing it all to a boil, covering and reducing to a simmer. The liquid is absorbed as the orzo cooks and the addition of lemon and a generous helping of Parmesan cheese give this dish a bright vibrant flavor and a creamy texture.
When the orzo and asparagus is ready you place perfectly cooked chicken thighs, with crispy skin, on top, add a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, because you can never had to much cheese, and you’re ready to eat!
Can I substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs?:
If you prefer you can substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs. The cooking time will vary. You can also substitute skinless chicken thighs, but personally I love the added flavor that the crispy skin adds.
Want more one pot recipes?
- One Pot Creamy Chicken Tortellini
- One Pot Turkey and Rice
- One Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice
- One Pot Summer Vegetable Pasta
- One Pot Three Cheese and Sausage Ziti
- One Pot Jambalaya
ONE POT PARMESAN CHICKEN AND ORZO
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One Pot Parmesan Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Thighs, skin-on, boneless
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 1 clove Garlic, thinly sliced
- 12 ounces Orzo
- 2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 pound Asparagus, trimmed
- 1 cup Parmesan, shredded, divided
- 1 Lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and lightly sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
- In a large pan over medium high heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then add chicken thighs one at a time. Let cook until skin is browned and they easily release from the pan. Flip and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, approximately 5-7 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with the diced onions. Cook until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic and orzo stirring constantly. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until orzo begins to brown.
- Add chicken broth, asparagus, and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, cover pan, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until orzo is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add ½ cup of Parmesan cheese to the orzo and stir until melted.
- Squeeze one lemon over the orzo, stir, and then add the chicken thighs back to the pan. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and serve.
Nutrition
Maybe a silly question- do you boil the orzo first or place it straight from the box to the pan?
Not silly at all! You add the orzo uncooked and everything cooks together in the pan.
Added spinach…phenomenal!!!!
Very tasty dinner! We used three smallish chicken breast cutlets because that’s what we’d pulled out of the freezer before searching recipes. We’re not huge meat(poultry) eaters these days, so that was plenty for two of us, for at least two dinners. Both of us actually commented we liked the orzo and onion and asparagus blend that we might try this meatless one day.
I make my own garlic ghee and keep it in the fridge, and that plus a little extra sliced garlic made this just a very yummy dinner. Looking forward to the leftovers tonight!
So glad you liked it and yes it is delicious meatless also!
Would skinless chicken thighs be ok?
Definitely. I like skin on for the added flavor but it’s certainly not required.