One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Orzo
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Amazingly creamy orzo with juicy chicken, mushrooms and baby spinach. All made in one skillet, even the uncooked pasta!
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The creamiest orzo with all the fix-ins and the juiciest, golden brown chicken thighs all made in one. single. pot.
It’s quite possibly the easiest dinner one can ask for, and you can easily substitute chicken breasts if dark meat is not your jam. (You know we love our boneless, skinless thighs!) Kale and/or arugula can also be substituted for the spinach. And if you hate mushrooms, you can omit them altogether. IT IS ALL GOOD.
Side note: I throw in extra mushrooms + spinach for myself to make sure I get in ALL my veggies because that creamy orzo goodness is just too good to pass up.
tips and tricks for success
- Use a heavy pot. A heavy bottom pot, such as a Dutch oven, is ideal here for even heat distribution and a better sear.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your dish. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
what to serve with chicken and mushroom orzo
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Orzo: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Mushrooms can be omitted completely if it’s not your thing. Eggplant, zucchini, or tofu can be substituted, if desired, as it can absorb all the good flavors and mimic the texture of mushrooms.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Kale, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all great subs.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
One Pot Chicken and Mushroom Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 4 cups baby spinach
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- Season chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the Dutch oven in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side; set aside.
- Add mushrooms and shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock and Dijon, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in orzo; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in spinach, Parmesan and heavy cream until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to the Dutch oven.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley.
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I made this with frozen sliced mixed mushrooms (white, cremini, shitake, portabello) and half of a yellow onion because 1) I forgot the shallots [insert facepalm] and 2) I really wanted the mushrooms to be organic and that was all I could find. I wasn’t sure it was going to work out b/c the frozen mushrooms created a lot of liquid and basically deglazed the pan earlier than I think was intended. Regardless, the flavor ended up being stunning! I LOVED that this recipe uses a lot less dairy than I’ve seen in similar recipes. It created a creaminess without creating so much weight in our stomachs. Also, the flavor was stunning before the dairy, so really you could make it without the cream and Parmesan, if you wanted to. The spinach ended up a bit slimy, so I might try some dinosaur kale next time to keep that green flavor without that texture. That’s the only reason I gave this four stars instead of five. On the whole I’m thrilled with this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it!!
This is a “restaurant quality” meal. Absolutely delicious, and I love it only uses one pan!
Delicious and so easy to put together. My husband loved it and even my 3 year old said the orzo was yummy! Thanks for another winner. 🙂
This was amazing! I made the recipe as written.
I must say that recipe pictures are very eye-catching and yes the recipe looks well-explanatory too. I have decided to try this recipe at home tomorrow. For its preparation, I have ordered mushrooms and Chicken from Licious. Just wanna ask the replacement of Dijon mustard.
Waiting for your early reply!!
So easy and yummy… absolutely LOVE that this was really a ONE POT recipe!! Will definitely be making this again.
yummy
Even with two picky eaters, we loved it! I was planning to make something new the next day but everyone asked for leftovers!
Looks so good.
I’m going to try to make it and add some modifications here and there and then post it on my site.
So good. So easy. Such good leftovers. Going into the rotation!!
Excellent recipe!! Made it tonight for my family for the first time. Absolutely delicious! If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, it’s ok, it’s a beautiful brown sauce without it. I tried it with, next time I may omit. I was nervous about adding the spinach…so glad I did! Made the dish come alive! So many wonderful flavors. I love all the recipes on DD website.
Great dish! My family loved it, despite my children refusing to eat mushrooms. Made like a umami risotto-ish dish. My husband asked for it to go in rotation.
I made this tonight woe what a big hit!!!!! Will definitely be a keeper at this house.
I have to laugh at the comment about not using any more chicken thighs. Any time I find a recipe with chicken breast, I automatically switch it to the thigh because that’s what I like or move on to find another recipe I like. Many substitutions can be made for dish like this, even the pasta and veggies. I used broccoli and carrots because I did have enough spinach. I added more orzo like some people recommended. My husband and I thought this was delicious and will make it again regularly.
Bravo! This was not only SUPER easy but also very delicious! My family enjoyed it so much. I look forward to eating/cooking many more. Thank you 🙂
Loved this dish. Definitely going to be in rotation throughout the fall and winter at our house. My only thought/note is it felt a bit salty. I followed the measurements to a T (at least I sure think I did). Only thought is to pull back the broth a bit. Regardless, SO good. So satisfying. An excellent way to blend orzo, chicken, and veggies. Chungah, you are simply the best.
Such a disappointment. Love most of your recipes but this one got thumbs down from entire family.
What was it that your family didn’t like? I love to read reviews, both good and bad, because it helps me evaluate the recipe. Having more details on why you didn’t like it could be helpful!
Prepared this dish for dinner this evening and it was a hit.
Prepared this for my family this evening and it was a smashing success. It was delicious, easy to prepare and my husband the dishwasher in our home appreciates the fact it was cooked in one pot. I have cooked so many of your recipes and have yet to find one that is anything but delicious. Keep up the good work!
Yum, Yum, Yum!
Made this last night and very flavourful & delicious! I prefer a little bit more sauce so just added another cup of stock I had on hand as well as 1/2 c. half & half instead of 1/4 c. heavy cream and was very happy & pleased with the dish. Could have added a bit more orzo but wasn’t a deal-breaker. Was super easy and like others, was really happy had leftovers for lunch the next day 🙂 Thank you for sharing these amazing recipes; I always look at your blog first when I am in need of some “inspiration” and am never disappointed…keep them coming!