Chicken Orzo Bake

This easy Chicken Orzo Bake is the perfect easy meal that’s ready in 30 minutes! Creamy chicken orzo pasta with cherry tomatoes and spinach, topped with cheese and baked to perfection – it’s an easy chicken orzo recipe the whole family will love!

 

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Here at The Busy Baker we love all the easy weeknight dinners and this Chicken Orzo Bake recipe is not only easy, it’s absolutely delicious! When you need to get dinner on the table as fast as possible, but you’re not willing to sacrifice nutrition or flavour, recipes like this Chicken Orzo should be at the top of your to-make list. Creamy orzo, cherry tomatoes, tender chicken, spinach, and tons of herbs and spices, not to mention all that melty cheese on top – it’s a comfort food meal your whole family will love!

This Chicken Orzo Bake is a wholesome, one-pan meal that combines tender chicken breast with orzo pasta, vegetables, and a creamy sauce. It’s a casserole-style dish that’s perfect for busy families, since it’s a complete meal all on its own – it’s got protein, fat, carbs, and a healthy serving of veggies. It’s a super flavourful and easy way to put dinner on the table – it’s one of those dump and go dinners the whole family will love!

Orzo is a type of pasta that looks like large grains of rice. Despite its small, rice-like shape, orzo is actually made from wheat semolina and it cooks quickly because of its small size, making it an ideal choice for meals that need to be ready in a hurry. Its texture and size allows it to absorb flavours well, and it blends beautifully with other ingredients as it cooks and releases its starch. Orzo is a popular staple in many Mediterranean dishes, and the fact that it’s so versatile means it can be used in salads, soups, and casserole bakes like this Chicken Orzo Bake recipe.

Cooking orzo is very straightforward. Here are some ways we recommend cooking orzo:

1. The Boiling Method: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
2. The Baking Method: Some recipes, including our Chicken Orzo Bake, allow you to add dry orzo directly to the baking dish. The liquid in the recipe (from the chicken stock and cream cheese mixture) will cook the orzo in the oven.

One common problem people often encounter when preparing orzo is that it’s easy to overcook it, making it sticky and clumpy. Be sure to cook only until done (read the package directions) and after draining, toss it with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.

1. Its speedy preparation: Ready in just 30 minutes, this dish is ideal for busy weeknights!
2. It’s a one-pot meal: Fewer dishes means less cleanup, a bonus for busy evenings when the last thing you feel like doing is washing dishes.
3. It’s a balanced meal: The recipe provides protein from the chicken, carbohydrates from the orzo, and lots of fibre and nutrients from the cherry tomatoes and spinach.
4. It’s so creamy and cheesy: The combination of cream cheese and a topping of melted cheese creates a comforting, creamy texture we can’t get enough of.
5. It’s flexible: Add whatever veggies you like, use pre-cooked chicken, and swap the cream cheese for goat cheese or something else that’s equally creamy.

Here at The Busy Baker we have shared so many of our favourite mealtime tips, tricks and secrets with you over the years. If you haven’t already signed up, we offer a FREE email course where we share our BEST weeknight meal tips, tricks and recipes to help you feed your hungry family without losing your sanity. Sign up for our FREE course below:

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To make sure you make this Chicken Orzo pasta recipe the best it can be, be sure to follow all our tips and tricks below:

Always preheat your oven to ensure even cooking when it’s time to bake.

Dice your chicken breast into uniform pieces. This ensures that all pieces cook evenly.

Season the chicken first before adding it to the pan with the rest of the ingredients. This step helps the chicken become more flavourful.

Softening cream cheese before adding it to the mix ensures it blends smoothly into the sauce.

Mix in the spinach and cherry tomatoes evenly before adding the final cheese topping. This helps distribute the flavours.

If using dry orzo directly in the dish, make sure there’s enough chicken stock and cream cheese mixture to cook the pasta thoroughly. The orzo should be submerged in liquid for even cooking.

For a perfectly melted and slightly golden cheese topping, bake until the dish is bubbly around the edges.

Having trouble with this recipe? Here are some possible issues you might encounter and how to fix or prevent them:

If you find that the orzo is dry or undercooked when you remove the foil cover, check that there is sufficient liquid in the baking dish. Add about 1/2 cup hot chicken stock and cover with foil for a few minutes of additional baking.

Overcooked chicken can become tough. To prevent this, ensure you watch the oven temperature and the baking time. If you’re planning to use pre cooked and shredded chicken, only add it in for the last 5-10 minutes of uncovered baking.

If your cheese topping isn’t melting as expected, consider increasing the oven temperature for the last 5 minutes or placing the dish under the broiler for a short time. Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning. Make sure you are using freshly grated cheese as it melts way better than pre shredded cheese.

If your chicken orzo casserole looks too dry, add a splash of warm stock or cream and mix well before serving. This might happen especially as you’re reheating this dish, but it’s totally normal and fixable by adding more liquid.

Taste the casserole when you remove the foil, before the last 5-10 minutes of baking. If you feel like anything is lacking, feel free to add more spices and herbs.

Here’s a list of basic kitchen equipment you’ll need to make this chicken orzo recipe (paid links):

• rectangular baking dish
• Cutting Board
• large knife
• cheese grater
• measuring cups and spoons
• liquid measuring cups
• Silicone Spatula

Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to make this chicken orzo recipe (paid links);

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• spray oil
• 3 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
• 7 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups orzo pasta
• 1 lemon zest and juice
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

We love to enjoy this One-Pot Chicken Orzo recipe as it is, but here are a few different ways to adapt the recipe to your tastes:

1. Make it vegetarian: Replace the chicken with chickpeas or white beans for a protein-rich vegetarian version. You could also increase the quantity of vegetables by adding mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers.
2. Add different cheeses: Try any soft cheese like goat cheese or feta in place of the cream cheese, and top with cheddar, Emmentaler, or another hard cheese for melting.
3. Increase the flavour: Add fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh basil, fresh thyme, or oregano to the sauce for an extra burst of herbal freshness. You could also incorporate a spoonful of basil pesto for flavour, add some roasted garlic, smoked paprika, or replace the spinach with kale or arugula for a sharper flavour.
4. Try a different protein: Replace the chicken breasts with boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped sausages, or even cooked ground beef, turkey, or chicken.
5. Make it easier: Instead of adding uncooked chicken, dice up a rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces and add the pre-cooked chicken to the baking dish. You can reduce the cooking time by a few minutes.
6. Make it dairy free: Replace the cream cheese with coconut milk or coconut cream, and use dairy-free cheese on top.
7. Give it a Mediterranean twist: Add some sliced kalamata olives and chopped up sun dried tomatoes.

We hope you love this easy Chicken Orzo pasta recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite easy meal to make on a busy weeknight? We’d love to know!

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