Description
Creamy Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo delivers cozy, one-pot comfort in 30 minutes, featuring tender chicken, orzo, broccoli, and a velvety cheese sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb chicken breast, cut into small cubes
- 1 ½ cups orzo pasta
- 2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook until browned and fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté aromatics: Add onion to the same pot and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add orzo + liquids: Add orzo, chicken broth, milk, and Italian seasoning. Stir well.
- Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat. Cover and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add broccoli: Add broccoli to the pot, cover again, and cook 3–4 more minutes until tender.
- Make it creamy: Stir in heavy cream, cheddar, and Parmesan until melted and smooth.
- Combine: Add the chicken back into the pot and mix until everything is creamy and well coated.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley and enjoy warm!
Notes
- Leftovers reheat well; store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- For a lighter version, use part-skim milk and skip the heavy cream.
- Frozen broccoli works; add a minute or two longer during cooking.
- Freshly grated Parmesan delivers the best flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: One-Pot
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 58 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
Keywords: Creamy Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo, Creamy chicken orzo, broccoli pasta, one-pot chicken and pasta, weeknight dinner