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.
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
- ½ Onion (finely diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 ½ cups Broccoli (cut into small pieces)
- 1 cup Orzo Pasta
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 ½ cups Cheese (½ 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.
- Stir in ½ 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.
Tana
This seriously looks incredible!! I cannot wait to try it, it looks like the perfect dinner recipe.
Judy
I assume this is a soup. I served it in a soup bowl. We loved it & I will say it’s one of the best recipes from Pinterest that I have ever used. I will serve it to guests next time I have company. Thank you
Lily
Yummy recipe! And so easy!
LB
This was a really great tasting dish!
Easy Peasy Cheezy. I had to use frozen broccoli & garlic powder but it was still delicious!!
Thanks for this recipe.
Linda
I am anxious to try this since it looks easy and delicious! Was wondering if you put the chicken back in the pan when you add the cheese or when you add the lemon juice? Can’t find that in your instructions and I’m sure it will work either way!
Melissa Stadler
Hi Linda! Thank you so much. Add in the chicken once you stir in the cheese so it heats it back up. I hope this helps!
Ruth
At what point do you add the chicken? All I saw was to remove from skillet annd put on plate and cover.
Melissa Stadler
Hi Ruth! You can add in the chicken once you add the cheese so it allows the chicken to warm back up. I hope that helps!
Branwen
This looks delicious but when do you add the chicken back in? I’ve read the directions through a couple of times and don’t see it specified.
Melissa Stadler
I appreciate it, Branwen! Thank you! You can put the chicken back in once you add the cheese so it allows the chicken to warm back up. I hope you love it!