Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo is an easy one-pot recipe the whole family will love! All you need is chicken, broccoli, chicken broth or chicken stock, cheese, salt and pepper, that’s it!
With only 7 simple ingredients, this dish has become one of my go-to weeknight dinner recipes. We change it up by using a different vegetable and type of cheese.
We absolutely love one pot pasta dinners. Any one-pot meal, really! And this cheesy orzo can be on the table in under 30 minutes including prep time.
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Why you’ll love this chicken broccoli orzo recipe
- It’s a complete one-pan meal with a protein, a vegetable, and a starch.
- There is virtually no fat making this a healthy option.
- It is a comforting dish perfect for busy weeknights.
- This is the perfect dish for a new cook or an experienced cook.
Ingredients
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Ingredient Notes
chicken – we use boneless skinless chicken breasts. I have not used chicken thighs in this particular orzo dish, I am pretty sure they would work.
broccoli – I like fresh broccoli for this dish. I think frozen broccoli would work but haven’t tried it.
cheese – we use whatever pre-shredded cheese we have on hand, unless we are using Parmesan cheese because we typically buy a wedge of it out of the deli and then grate it ourselves. For the dish you see in the pictures in this post we used sharp cheddar cheese.
chicken broth – canned low sodium chicken broth is what we use.
seasonings – we season this dish simply with salt and black pepper.
How to make cheesy chicken orzo
- Cut the chicken into 1″ chunks and cut the florets off the broccoli.
- Put the water and broth into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat.
- Stir in the chicken and orzo and return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high to medium heat and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli and simmer for about 6 minutes longer or until pasta and broccoli are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, again stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper and shredded cheese. Serve immediately.
Step-by-step photos
Tips
- Stir several times during the cooking process to ensure it doesn’t stick.
- The liquid needs to be absorbed as the chicken, orzo and broccoli cook, to make this happen in 12 minutes it needs to be simmering. According to Merriam-Webster “The meaning of SIMMER is to stew gently below or just at the boiling point”.
Variations
You could also use a combination of these cheeses, or your favorite that isn’t on this list.
- Parmesan cheese
- Asiago cheese
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Colby Jack cheese blend
- Pepper Jack cheese would be good mixed with another kind of cheese.
Swap the broccoli for any of the vegetables below. You might have to adjust the cooking time for different vegetables. That means you still cook the orzo and chicken for 12 minutes you just adjust when you add the vegetable.
For example, frozen or canned peas or corn would only take 2-3 minutes because you are essentially just heating them up. Cauliflower would probably take a minute or two longer and zucchini would probably take a minute or two less. Of course, that also depends on the size of the vegetables you are using.
Veggies that would be great in this dish instead of broccoli:
- canned or frozen peas
- canned or frozen corn
- zucchini
- cauliflower
- canned, fresh or frozen green beans
- asparagus
A different type of orzo can be used if you can find it. I have not seen wheat orzo in our local grocery store but I have found it online. I also have not seen orzo pasta made out of chickpeas or other vegetables. If you would like to use one of those types of pasta you might need to change the cooking time.
Orzo is the best type of pasta to use because it is small, in a pinch you could use ditalini or maybe pearl couscous. I have not tried them so I am not sure exactly how it would work.
Storage & Reheating
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm up individual servings in the microwave.
Some other one pot pasta dinners you will love
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One Pan Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast one small breast
- 1/2 + 1/8 cup orzo
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
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Instructions
- Cut chicken into 1" chunks and cut florets off of the broccoli crowns.8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, 2 cups broccoli florets
- Bring broth and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup water
- Stir in chicken and orzo and return to a boil, reduce heat to medium to medium-high heat and simmer for 6 minutes, add broccoli and simmer for about 6 minutes longer, or until pasta and broccoli are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.1/2 + 1/8 cup orzo
- Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper and cheese. Serve immediately.1/8 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Notes
Nutrition Facts
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This dish is fancy enough for Sunday dinner yet easy enough for a weeknight.
A well balanced complete meal that can be on the table in about 25 minutes.
Can I just cook the chicken separately. Do.not like it boiled. And how would I go.about the rest of the recipe?
You can cook the chicken in a skillet and then add it in at the end with the cheese. It should come out close to the same I think, but I have never done it that way.