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Baked Chicken Alfredo Orzo is the perfect weeknight meal. It’s savory, creamy and full of parmesan flavor. Everything is baked in one pan! This is a dreamy meal the entire family will enjoy. I like to add chopped broccoli for a little color, nutrition and texture. You will love this!
Why Make Baked Chicken Orzo
this is a perfect dish for the week. It’s fully loaded with creamy flavor, you will love the texture and ease of this one pan wonder! Consider my 30 minute One Pan Chicken and Orzo or Sheet Pan Chicken for another quick meal.
- Meal Prep Friendly.
- Easy to Make.
- One pan needed, less to cleanup!
Ingredient Notes
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Chicken Breasts. You can also use chicken thighs.
- Olive oil. To brown the chicken.
- Seasonings. Dried Italian seasoning, salt, pepper.
- Butter. This is to sauté the aromatics and to brown the orzo.
- Onion. I use yellow onion for aromatics.
- Garlic.
- Orzo. This is found in the pasta aisle.
- Chicken Broth. This is to cook and flavor the orzo.
- Cream Cheese. This adds a creamy richness to the dish.
- Broccoli. Fresh chopped broccoli adds some nutrition, texture and color, it’s optional!
- Milk. I use whole milk for this recipe, heavy whipping cream will also work well.
- Parmesan. This nutty salt cheese adds a nice depth of flavor.
- Parsley. This is just to garnish the dish.
Steps To Make Baked Chicken Alfredo Orzo.
Step One. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Season chicken. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or oven safe skillet on medium-high heat.
Step Two. Once hot, sear the seasoned chicken until lightly golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from the pan and place on a plate, and lower the heat to medium.
Step Three. Add butter to skillet, once hot add in onions, garlic and cook until starting to soften, stir often. As the onions cook, begin to scrap up any browned bits from the chicken off the skillet (this is flavor!).
Step Four. Add the orzo to the onions and let it brown for 2 minutes. Add the broth in slowly and stir. Next, add the cream cheese all around the pan in blobs. Next, add in the chopped broccoli and bring the liquid to a simmer. Stir in half the parmesan cheese and milk. Return the chicken to the skillet, nestling it around the orzo.
Step Five. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken reaches a temperature of 165ºF and the pasta is cooked through* You may need to add 1/3 cup more of milk halfway through the cooking process if the pasta dries it up most of the liquid.
Step Six. Let the chicken and orzo cool for a few minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken up during this time period. Garnish with extra parmesan and chopped parsley.
Recipe Pairings
This recipe pairs well with so many wonderful side dishes!
- Burrata Pesto makes a great appetizer to this meal. Pair Baked Chicken Orzo with Garlic Rolls, Crispy Parmesan Brussel Sprouts or Air Fried Zucchini Fries.
Recipe Tips
- Please be mindful that oven temps and orzo brands vary, you may need a dash more of milk or broth and time to cook up the orzo. Check it halfway through cooking and add small amounts of liquid as needed.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Use a digital thermometer to double check the chicken to reach 165º internally. If chicken cooks quicker than the orzo, simply pull it out and set to the side. Add it back in 5 minutes prior to warm.
Recipe FAQs
You can use peas or diced peppers in place of the broccoli. You can also skip the veggies if preferred.
Yes, use chicken thighs for a more forgiving cook on the chicken.
Other Weeknight Meals To Enjoy
Baked Chicken Alfredo Orzo
Equipment
- large 12" oven safe skillet
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts, cut in half, or chicken thighs
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried italian seasoning
Chicken Alfredo Orzo
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup onion, diced
- 1⅓ cup orzo, uncooked
- 2½ cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 cup broccoli, diced, optional
- ½ cup cream cheese, cut into pieces
- 1 cup milk , more as needed
- ¼ cup parmesan , more for garnish
- fresh parsley chopped , for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Season chicken. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron or oven safe skillet on medium-high heat.
- Once hot, sear the seasoned chicken until lightly golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from the pan and place on a plate, and lower the heat to medium.
- Add butter to skillet, once hot add in onions, garlic and cook until starting to soften, stir often. As the onions cook, begin to scrap up any browned bits from the chicken off the skillet (this is flavor!)
- Add the orzo to the onions and let it brown for 2 minutes. Add the broth in slowly and stir. Add the cream cheese all around the pan in blobs. Add in the chopped broccoli and bring the liquid to a simmer. Stir in half the parmesan cheese and milk. Return the chicken to the skillet, nestling it around the orzo.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the chicken reaches a temperature of 165ºF and the pasta is cooked through* You may need to add 1/3 cup more of milk halfway through the cooking process if the pasta dries it up most of the liquid.
- Let the chicken and orzo cool for a few minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken up during this time period. Garnish with extra parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
- Please be mindful that oven temps and orzo brands vary, you may need a dash more of milk or broth and time to cook up the orzo. Check it halfway through cooking and add small amounts of liquid as needed.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Use a digital thermometer to double check the chicken to reach 165º internally. If chicken cooks quicker than the orzo, simply pull it out and set to the side. Add it back in 5 minutes prior to warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
