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Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Hen and Orzo Skillet {One Pan and 30 Minutes!|


Hen and Orzo

A pan of creamy orzo and chicken, tomatoes, fresh basil, and spinach, garnished with herbs.

Hen and Orzo is a one-pot dinner prepared in half-hour and full of BIG Italian-inspired taste. Burst cherry tomatoes, tender rooster, wilted spinach, contemporary basil, and LOTS of garlic and Parmesan make it a assured hit!

A pan of creamy orzo and chicken, tomatoes, fresh basil, and spinach, garnished with herbs.

A one-pan orzo recipe streamlined for busy weeknights!

cookbook author erin clarke of well plated

Orzo is having a second, isn’t it? You would possibly even say that the foodie world is in its orzo period, and I’m right here for it—and so are my Orzo Pasta Salad, Shrimp Orzo, and Lemon Hen Orzo Soup. And this rooster and orzo skillet too!

  • The fantastic thing about this recipe is that it’s a one-pan skillet dinner. The rooster is browned, then the orzo and sauce are cooked collectively, so there’s no have to boil the orzo individually (and there’s additionally fewer pots and pans to cleanup afterwards).
  • Lest you suppose that comfort comes on the expense of taste, oh no, this recipe’s jam-packed with deliciousness due to a beneficiant quantity of garlic, saucy cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, contemporary basil, and a lot extra. 

And, in fact, there’s the orzo, which eats like rice and tastes like pasta.

What’s it about orzo that makes it so irresistible? I’ll ponder that whereas consuming my second serving to of this rooster and orzo.

A plate of orzo with chicken, cherry tomatoes, spinach, parmesan, and herbs, served with a fork on a light-colored dish.

Key Substances

You’ll discover the total record of substances within the recipe card beneath, however listed here are some notes on the important thing gamers.

  • Basil. For a vivid, Italian-inspired end. Don’t attempt to use dried basil—the flavour pales compared to contemporary!
  • Hen. You should use both boneless, skinless rooster breasts or thighs.
  • Seasonings. Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, and pink pepper flakes.
  • Shallot and Garlic. These kind a savory base of taste for the rooster and orzo. (Garlic lovers, you’ll be comfortable to know there are SIX garlic cloves on this recipe!)
  • Orzo. I like to recommend common flour based mostly orzo for this recipe, not pasta made with chickpea or legume flour. Whereas I like these protein-packed pastas, they prepare dinner at totally different charges and take in water in another way, so that they’re not ideally suited for one-pan recipes like this one.
  • Cherry Tomatoes. Or grape tomatoes. These burst and mix with the broth to create a sauce for the rooster and orzo.
  • Hen Broth. As a result of the water within the broth evaporates, it’s essential to make use of low-sodium broth, in any other case this dish can be overly salty.
  • Child Spinach. Wilts rapidly into the pan with out growing the cooking time.
  • Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated is a should! It melts easily into the dish, making a tacky, creamy sauce.

How you can Make Hen and Orzo

Cook dinner the Hen. Warmth a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add the rooster, 1 teaspoon every of Italian seasoning and paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook dinner till the rooster is golden brown and cooked via and switch to a plate. 

Sauté the Aromatics. In the identical skillet, add the remaining oil and shallot and cut back the warmth to low. As soon as the shallot is softened, stir within the garlic, black pepper, and remaining Italian seasoning, paprika, and salt. Cook dinner till the garlic is aromatic.

Toast the Orzo. Stir within the orzo and tomatoes and prepare dinner till the orzo is toasted. This provides implausible taste to the rooster and orzo recipe!

Simmer. Stir within the broth and enhance the warmth. When the liquid reaches a delicate boil, cowl and cut back the warmth to medium. Stir often and prepare dinner 12 to 14 minutes, or till the orzo is al dente. Close to the top of the cooking time, stir extra usually to maintain the orzo from sticking to the pan.

End. Stir within the Parmesan, adopted by the spinach, pink pepper flakes, half of the basil, and the cooked rooster. Season to style and serve your rooster and orzo with the remaining basil and extra Parmesan. ENJOY!

Creamy orzo with chicken, cherry tomatoes, spinach, and fresh herbs in a white pot, stirred with a wooden spoon.

Recipe Variations

  • Make It Creamier. Add a splash of heavy cream earlier than stirring within the Parmesan for a richer, creamier sauce.
  • Give It Marry Me Vibes. Should you love marry me rooster (or my Marry Me Hen Lasagna Roll Ups), strive including sliced sun-dried tomatoes once you stir within the spinach. (And perhaps that splash of heavy cream too.)
  • Make It Meatless. Merely skip the rooster or stir in a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or white beans.

What to Serve with Hen and Orzo

This rooster and orzo skillet is a one-pan dinner by itself, however if you wish to stretch it somewhat additional, serve it with Do-it-yourself Garlic Bread, Air Fryer Inexperienced Beans, or Sauteed Zucchini. This Arugula Salad could be wonderful too if you wish to preserve it easy.

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A pan of creamy orzo and chicken, tomatoes, fresh basil, and spinach, garnished with herbs.

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Hen and Orzo

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This rooster and orzo skillet is a one-pan recipe that packs in BIG taste due to burst tomatoes, garlic and Parmesan. Completed in half-hour!
Course Dinner, Primary Course
Delicacies Italian, Mediterranean
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook dinner Time 25 minutes
Complete Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Energy 618kcal

Substances

  • 2 tablespoons further virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ kilos boneless skinless rooster breasts or thighs, reduce into 1-inch items
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
  • 2 teaspoons paprika divided
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced, about 2 tablespoons
  • ½ teaspoon floor black pepper
  • 8 ounces orzo pasta about 1 ¼ cups
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 3 to 4 cups low sodium rooster broth
  • 3 ounces child spinach coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
  • ¼ teaspoon pink pepper flakes
  • ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus further for serving
  • ¼ cup loosely packed contemporary basil leaves thinly sliced, divided

Directions

  • Warmth a deep skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high warmth. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
  • As soon as the oil is sizzling, add within the rooster, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute, stirring often, till the rooster is golden on all sides and cooked via, 4 to six minutes. Take away to a plate.
    Cubed, seasoned chicken pieces cooking in a round, white pot on a light gray countertop.
  • Scale back the warmth to low. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the shallot. Cook dinner, stirring usually, till the shallot is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, and three/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook dinner and stir for 30 seconds, till the garlic is aromatic.
    Diced shallots sautéed with spices in a large white pot on a light-colored surface.
  • Stir within the orzo and tomato. Cook dinner 1 minute, stirring continuously, to coating the orzo with the oil and spices and toast it barely.
    Orzo pasta and cherry tomatoes cooking in a large white pot on a light gray countertop.
  • Stir within the broth. Improve the warmth to carry it to a delicate boil, stirring very regularly with a wood spoon and scraping the spoon alongside the underside of the pot to forestall the orzo from sticking. Cowl the pot and cut back the warmth to medium. Cook dinner the orzo, lifting the lid often to stir and run the spoon alongside the underside to forestall sticking, till a lot of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. Over the past a number of minutes, scrape alongside the underside very regularly. When the lid is on, you need to hear the water boiling steadily beneath it (however you don’t need it boiling so laborious, you begin to surprise if the lid goes to carry off). If the orzo appears to be like dry at any level, add a number of splashes of broth as wanted to loosen it.
  • Stir within the Parmesan, then the spinach, pink pepper flakes, half of the basil, and the reserved rooster. Proceed stirring till the spinach has simply wilted, about 1 minute. Style and season with further salt, pepper, and pink pepper flakes as desired (I add one other pinch or two of salt; the quantity you want will range based mostly in your rooster broth). Serve sizzling, sprinkled with remaining basil and extra Parmesan.
    A pot of cooked orzo pasta with cherry tomatoes and grated cheese on top, sitting on a light-colored surface.

Notes

  • TO STORE: Refrigerate leftovers in an hermetic storage container for as much as 3 days. 
  • TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers within the microwave or in a nonstick skillet over medium-low warmth, with a splash of broth to loosen up the pasta.. 
  • TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container or freezer bag for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. 

Diet

Serving: 1(of 4) | Energy: 618kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 55g | Fats: 19g | Saturated Fats: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 125mg | Potassium: 1404mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3413IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 261mg | Iron: 4mg

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