One Pot Cajun Chicken and Orzo
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With creamy orzo, chicken, cajun seasoning, and andouille sausage. SUPER EASY + can be made in only ONE POT!
Cajun spiced chicken, creamy, silky buttery orzo swimming with andouille sausage and the holy trinity (sweet onion, bell pepper, and celery), all mixed in one pot. It never disappoints, no matter how many times you make this during the week.
Pretty sure we’ve made this three times already in the last 10 days because we are never lucky enough to be graced with leftovers.
It’s saucy, it’s creamy, and it’s packed with protein – it has everything you could possibly need. Sides/main/veggies all in one. Need some no knead bread for dipping/scooping? No worries, we got you covered right here.
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
One Pot Cajun Chicken and 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.
We used McCormick brand that is lower in sodium, but Cajun seasoning brands can vary in saltiness/sodium so we recommend skipping the added salt (or adding to taste) if what you have on hand is on the saltier side.
One Pot Cajun Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Cajun seasoning, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced andouille sausage
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with 1 1/4 teaspoons Cajun seasoning, 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 sausage, onion, bell pepper and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic and remaining 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock and diced tomatoes, 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. Return chicken to the Dutch oven.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and parsley, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Made this for dinner tonight, absolutely delicious! Made it according to the recipe except used more Cajun seasoning and a little bit of cayenne on the chicken- so good!! This will definitely become part of the dinner rotation going forward. Thank you 🙂
Delicious! I was slightly worried it would be too spicy with that much Cajun seasoning but I made it as written and it turned out great and no one in my family (who isn’t great with spicy food) thought it was spicy.
Do you think I could substitute white rice for the orzo? We have a gluten allerlgy in the family.
Super delicious and savory. I substituted riced cauliflower to make it diabetic-friendly, so it needed a few minutes more simmering to thicken up. Definitely will make it again.
I always think about leaving a review when I try a recipe that’s really good. Then life goes on and I never do it. I am now.
I’ve tried three recipes from Damn Delicious. 1. Asian Quinoa. Great!
2. Stuffed Salmon with Feta and Spinach. A+ just for presentation….and it’s delicious!
Best stuffed salmon recipe ever. 3. One Pot Cajun Chicken w Orzo. Made this tonight. Will make it often! Just a great recipe! I as concerned that it might be too spicy with 1-1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning, but it was perfect!
This woman knows what she’s doing and I will be watching for her recipe emails. They’re filled with good food that fit with my husband and my lifestyle: Good food, good friends, good conversations!
I can’t find the Stuffed Salmon with Feta and Spinach recipe, can you provide a link please? Thank you!