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

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A one-pan orzo recipe streamlined for busy weeknights!

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 Rooster Orzo Soup. And this hen and orzo skillet too!
- The great thing about this recipe is that it’s a one-pan skillet dinner. The hen 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 assume 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, recent basil, and a lot extra.
And, after all, 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 hen and orzo.

Key Substances
You’ll discover the complete record of components within the recipe card beneath, however listed below are some notes on the important thing gamers.
- Basil. For a vibrant, Italian-inspired end. Don’t attempt to use dried basil—the flavour pales compared to recent!
- Rooster. You should use both boneless, skinless hen breasts or thighs.
- Seasonings. Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper, and purple pepper flakes.
- Shallot and Garlic. These type a savory base of taste for the hen and orzo. (Garlic lovers, you’ll be completely satisfied to know there are SIX garlic cloves on this recipe!)
- Orzo. I like to recommend common flour primarily based orzo for this recipe, not pasta made with chickpea or legume flour. Whereas I really like these protein-packed pastas, they prepare dinner at totally different charges and take up water in a different 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 hen and orzo.
- Rooster Broth. As a result of the water within the broth evaporates, it’s necessary to make use of low-sodium broth, in any other case this dish will probably be overly salty.
- Child Spinach. Wilts shortly into the pan with out rising the cooking time.
- Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated is a should! It melts easily into the dish, making a tacky, creamy sauce.
Tips on how to Make Rooster and Orzo




Cook dinner the Rooster. Warmth a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add the hen, 1 teaspoon every of Italian seasoning and paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook dinner till the hen 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 improbable taste to the hen and orzo recipe!
Simmer. Stir within the broth and enhance the warmth. When the liquid reaches a mild boil, cowl and cut back the warmth to medium. Stir sometimes and prepare dinner 12 to 14 minutes, or till the orzo is al dente. Close to the top of the cooking time, stir extra typically to maintain the orzo from sticking to the pan.
End. Stir within the Parmesan, adopted by the spinach, purple pepper flakes, half of the basil, and the cooked hen. Season to style and serve your hen and orzo with the remaining basil and extra Parmesan. ENJOY!

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. In the event you love marry me hen (or my Marry Me Rooster Lasagna Roll Ups), attempt 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 hen or stir in a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas or white beans.
What to Serve with Rooster and Orzo
This hen and orzo skillet is a one-pan dinner by itself, however if you wish to stretch it just a little additional, serve it with Home made Garlic Bread, Air Fryer Inexperienced Beans, or Sauteed Zucchini. This Arugula Salad can be wonderful too if you wish to maintain it easy.


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Rooster and Orzo
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Substances
- 2 tablespoons further virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ kilos boneless skinless hen breasts or thighs, minimize 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 hen broth
- 3 ounces child spinach coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
- ¼ teaspoon purple pepper flakes
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
- ¼ cup loosely packed recent basil leaves thinly sliced, divided
Directions
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Warmth a deep skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high warmth. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
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As soon as the oil is sizzling, add within the hen, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute, stirring sometimes, till the hen is golden on all sides and cooked via, 4 to six minutes. Take away to a plate.
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Cut back the warmth to low. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the shallot. Cook dinner, stirring typically, 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.
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Stir within the orzo and tomato. Cook dinner 1 minute, stirring consistently, to coating the orzo with the oil and spices and toast it barely.
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Stir within the broth. Enhance the warmth to deliver it to a mild boil, stirring very regularly with a wood spoon and scraping the spoon alongside the underside of the pot to stop the orzo from sticking. Cowl the pot and cut back the warmth to medium. Cook dinner the orzo, lifting the lid sometimes to stir and run the spoon alongside the underside to stop sticking, till many of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is al dente, 12 to 14 minutes. Over the last a number of minutes, scrape alongside the underside very regularly. When the lid is on, you must hear the water boiling steadily beneath it (however you don’t need it boiling so onerous, you begin to surprise if the lid goes to carry off). If the orzo seems dry at any level, add a number of splashes of broth as wanted to loosen it.
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Stir within the Parmesan, then the spinach, purple pepper flakes, half of the basil, and the reserved hen. Proceed stirring till the spinach has simply wilted, about 1 minute. Style and season with extra salt, pepper, and purple pepper flakes as desired (I add one other pinch or two of salt; the quantity you want will range primarily based in your hen broth). Serve sizzling, sprinkled with remaining basil and extra Parmesan.
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.