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Creamy Chicken Broccoli Orzo made with sauteed chicken, fresh broccoli, orzo pasta in a cheesy sauce. This easy Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo Skillet 30-minute meal is creamy and delicious!
You asked for more quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas so I am sharing some of our family favorite meals.
We are obsessed with orzo in our home! One of our all-time best soup recipes is our Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup Recipe and our 20-minute Creamy Lemon Orzo Recipe.
So I wanted to take a popular dinner recipe — Chicken Broccoli Rice Skillet and use orzo in place of rice and everyone goes crazy for this recipe!
Ingredients:
This creamy chicken broccoli orzo skillet is super easy to make and uses only fresh ingredients.
Chicken Breast — cut and trim chicken breast into bite-size pieces
Oil — this is to saute the chicken to keep it moist and from sticking to the pan
Salt and Pepper — generously season the chicken breast with salt and pepper
Butter — saute onion and garlic in butter to soften and infuse flavor
Onion — use sweet yellow onion or red onion and saute until tender
Garlic — use minced garlic cloves
Broccoli — cut into small bite-size pieces and saute for several minutes
Orzo Pasta — this is a popular dried pasta that looks similar to rice
Chicken Broth — cook the orzo in chicken broth to infuse it with flavor
Cheese — use a mix of cheddar and parmesan cheese for the best flavor
Fresh Lemon — to add some brightness to the dish, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice
How to make Creamy Chicken Broccoli Orzo:
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces, for about 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the chicken is no longer pink, remove it from the skillet and place the chicken plus the juices on a plate. Cover.
- Add the butter, onion, and broccoli to the skillet and cook until softened about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the orzo pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the orzo is tender, about 10-11 minutes.
- Stir in cheese and stir to melt. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the skillet and stir.
- Top with fresh herbs, if desired, and freshly grated parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
WHAT TYPE OF CHEESE SHOULD I USE IN CHEESY CHICKEN ORZO?
I suggest using a strong cheese like parmesan for its robust and nutty flavor which is so perfect with this chicken and orzo skillet. I prefer to use two types of cheese in this cheesy chicken and orzo and the other cheese of choice would be medium cheddar or Colby jack cheese. You can use any type of cheddar cheese or cheddar combination.
If you love this recipe, check out my Cheesy Mexican Chicken and Rice Recipe or my Classic Chicken and Rice Recipe.
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Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 lb Chicken Breast (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1/2 Onion (finely diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 1/2 cups Broccoli (cut into small pieces)
- 1 cup Orzo Pasta
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 1/2 cups Cheese (1/2 cup of parmesan, 1 cup of cheddar)
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- Fresh Herbs (basil, oregano, or parsley)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces, for about 3 minutes per side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the chicken is no longer pink, remove it from the skillet and place the chicken plus the juices on a plate. Cover.
- Add the butter, onion, and broccoli to the skillet and cook until softened about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the orzo pasta and toss to coat. Stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook until the orzo is tender, about 10-11 minutes. The orzo should soak up the chicken broth.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 1 cup of cheddar cheese and stir to melt. Add in cooked chicken and stir to coat.
- Remove from heat and squeeze fresh lemon juice into the skillet and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Top with fresh herbs, if desired, and freshly grated parmesan or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Have made this a few times and love it! I wanted to make this for a friend who just had a baby. Do you know if it freezes well? And what would the reheating method be?
This recipe is outstanding. Lots of flavor and texture. Will be making this again. I did add more broccoli, parsley and a shot of white wine.
What a wonderful recipe! Made very few changes from original recipe. Roasted the chicken and added mushrooms were the only change I made. Cut the recipe in half so I didn’t need a huge skillet and it came out great! Don’t leave out the lemon, it makes such a difference. Very versatile, you can easily change up veggies or cheese no problem. Thanks for the great recipe, it’s a keeper for sure
Do you have a recommendation for substitute for the lemon juice? Apple cider vinegar maybe? Thanks
Made this for dinner tonight and everyone loved it! I love that little squirt of lemon juice at the end. Gave it a little something extra!
Amazing!
So delicious!!
I made this for the first time today. It is delicious, and great for a cold winter day. Thank you for this delicious recipe.
Can this be made with rice instead of Orzo?
This is comfort food in a bowl!