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This creamy pesto orzo recipe with chicken is a delicious weeknight meal made in 45 minutes. Orzo is cooked with fresh basil pesto and cream and served with perfectly seasoned chicken, right on top.
We love making pasta with pesto for dinner. Pesto is a delicious sauce with fresh flavors that goes well with most pasta, especially orzo!
This creamy pesto orzo recipe is made with simple ingredients in no time at all and is the perfect pair to the sautéed chicken that is served with it.
Creamy pesto orzo with chicken would be a great date night meal served with a stuffed mushroom appetizer and olive oil cake for dessert.
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🥬 Ingredient notes
- Orzo - Orzo is a thin, oval rice-shaped pasta that quicks quickly and can be found in most grocery stores. Other small pasta shapes, such as ditalini, macaroni, or small shell pasta could also be used as substitutes if needed. Follow the package instructions for cooking times because they can sometimes vary.
- Pesto - You can buy your favorite store-bought pesto sauce or make Homemade Basil Pesto. You will need about ½ cup, either way.
- Chicken - Instead of dredging the chicken, you can top it with Italian Chicken Cutlets instead!
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Wine - If you don't have wine or prefer not to cook with it, use extra chicken broth or stock.
- Vegetarian - Simply omit the chicken and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian pesto orzo dish.
- Dairy Free - Replace the butter for a plant based butter substitute and the heavy cream with coconut cream. Unsweetened dairy free milk can also be used, but will make the orzo less creamy. The parmesan cheese can either be omitted or replaced with a dairy free substitute or vegan parmesan. Make sure your pesto is dairy free as well!
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, mix the flour with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning and dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour and place the chicken on a plate.
Add the olive oil to a hot skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and then melt the butter in it. Cook the seasoned chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken to rest on a plate, lightly covered in foil.
Add the shallot to the pan and let it cook for 1 minute until it starts to soften. Add the orzo pasta and cook for another 2-3 minutes until it's lightly toasted.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping off any stuck-on bit from the bottom of the pan. Then, add the chicken broth or stock, pesto, and cream and stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then let the orzo cook in the sauce for 10-12 minutes. While the orzo cooks, slice the chicken into smaller pieces for easy serving.
Once the orzo is al dente, remove it from the heat and serve it with the sliced chicken and parmesan cheese on top.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Make sure you slice or pound out your chicken thinly so it cooks quickly and evenly. Always cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165˚ when checked with a reliable meat thermometer.
- If at any time the butter and olive oil mixture or the chicken starts to brown too quickly, turn down the stovetop temperature.
- Don't let the orzo boil too rapidly or the sauce will evaporate before the orzo is cooked through. Let it cook until it is just al dente so it doesn't get too mushy.
- Make sure to let the chicken rest while you are putting the orzo together. If you slice it too early, then it will become dry.
⏲️ Make ahead instructions
The chicken can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time. After cooking, make sure to cool it completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. While the orzo is cooking, the chicken can be reheated in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop with a bit of olive oil. Slice and serve as directed.
🥡 Storage suggestions
Leftovers of this creamy orzo recipe will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator and can be reheated in a microwave or on the stovetop. A bit of cream or broth can be added to the orzo if it is too dry.
🍽 More dinner recipes
If you loved this creamy pesto orzo recipe with chicken, check out these other dinner recipes that I know you will love too!
Recipe
Creamy Pesto Orzo with Chicken
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6 chicken breasts, thinly sliced or pounded out to ½ inch thick
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 ½ cups orzo
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 cups chicken broth or stock
- ½ cup basil pesto, store bought or homemade
- ½ cup heavy cream
- parmesan cheese, freshly grated, for servings
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. While the skillet is heating, dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking off any excess and then set them aside on a plate.
- Add the olive oil to the hot skillet and then melt the butter in it. When the butter stops foaming, add half of the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken to rest on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Add the shallot to the pan and cook for 1 minute until it starts to soften. Add the orzo and let it toast with the shallot for 2-3 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping any stuck on bits off of the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the chicken broth, pesto and cream and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the orzo is al dente.
- While the orzo is cooking, slice the chicken breasts into 1 inch wide pieces.
- When the orzo is cooked to al dente, serve it topped with the sliced chicken and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Slice or pound out the chicken thinly so it cooks quickly and evenly. Always cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165˚ when check with a reliable meat thermometer.
- If at any time the butter and olive oil mixture or the chicken starts to brown too quickly, turn down the stovetop temperature.
- Don't let the orzo boil too rapidly or the sauce will evaporate before the orzo is cooked through. Let it cook until it is just al dente so it doesn't get too mushy.
- Let the chicken rest while prepping the orzo, before slicing it, or it will dry out.
Substitutions and Variations
- Orzo - Ditalini, macaroni or small shell pasta can also be used.
- Wine - Extra chicken broth can be substituted for the wine.
- Vegetarian - Omit the chicken.
- Dairy Free - Replace the butter for a dairy free substitute and the heavy cream for coconut cream. Unsweetened dairy free milk can also be used, but will make the orzo less creamy. The parmesan cheese can either be omitted or replace with a dairy free substitute or vegan parmesan. Make sure the pesto is dairy free too!
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