Quick and delicious Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus that can be on your dinner table in only 30 minutes! Cheesy, creamy, delicious goodness!
This creamy, cheesy, Parmesan orzo is my kind of dish and the kind of dish I could have every single night for lunch or dinner. What’s not to like? You’ve got your proteins, your veggies, and my favorite part, the Parmesan orzo.
This dish is everything. This is all I need to be a happy girl.
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But you know what’s great about this Parmesan orzo? Is how easy it is to make and how quick. Orzo takes only about 10 minutes to cook! And yes, orzo is a pasta, not rice as some may think. But this dish could be made with rice as well, it will just take a little bit longer to cook.
Orzo is perfect for when you want a quick dinner, or a quick side dish and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, because who does? As much as I love cooking, I still always look for quick and easy meals. Baking on the other hand, is a different story which I’ll leave for another time.
Give this Parmesan Orzo with Chicken a try, you’ll love it!
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Quick and delicious Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus that can be on your dinner table in only 30 minutes! Cheesy, creamy, delicious goodness!
- 1 lb chicken breast boneless and skinless (about 3)
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup asparagus chopped
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups orzo uncooked
- 2 cups half and half
- 3 cups chicken broth low sodium, or water
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped, for garnish
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Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika on both sides.
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In a large skillet heat the 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Depending on the thickness of your chicken you might need longer time. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate; set aside.
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In the same skillet add the asparagus and saute for about 3 minutes, just until it starts to soften and starts to brown a bit. Transfer to a plate; set aside.
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In the same skillet add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes until the onion is translucent and the garlic becomes aromatic. Add more olive oil if needed.
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Add the orzo to the skillet and saute for just one minute, to get it a little toasted, this will give it a nutty flavor. Add the half and half, chicken broth and stir.
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Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a medium-low, cover with lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
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Remove the lid and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.
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Add the asparagus back and stir it in. Slice the chicken into thin slices. You can either add it to the skillet and stir it in, or as seen in the photos, arrange over the orzo.
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Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if preferred, and parsley. Serve warm.
Half and half is equal parts whole milk and light cream and it usually averages 10 to 12% fat, which is usually less than light cream.
This dish is quite versatile. Add more nutrition to it by adding in more veggies such as spinach, broccoli, mushrooms or peas.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
I made the orzo in a separate pan to cut down on cooking time and only used 2 cups of chicken stock. It turned out great and is a recipe we all loved and want to keep in the rotation
I added lemon juice to asparagus as it was cooking and dried theyme to sauce while cooking orzo. Lemon cuts the richness nicely. Family loved it!
I halfed the receipe for the fiancé and I. I was tasting it while cooking and felt like it was missing something so I added red pepper flakes and it came out sooooo good. Thank you for a new recipe!
This was delicious! Easy weeknight meal, that the family loved…definitely a keeper! I served it with Caesar salad and garlic naan bread. Thank you for sharing!
I forgot to grab half and half, would milk work? Also couldn’t find orzo for some reason, would regular pasta work or a different type of rice?
Orzo is a pasta, so yeah I suppose you could use a different pasta. Milk would work, I suppose you could add a bit of butter to it as well.
Hi,
Just wondering if this could be made dairy free? Like would it work with almond or coconut milk? If not, I will certainly be making for the rest of the family but it looks so good I want to try it too!
Thank you
Sorry, but I’ve never tried with almond or coconut milk, if you do try it I think coconut milk might be the best choice.
All I can say is WOW!! I’ve been trying recipes on Pinterest for years and I have to say this tops them all! Amazing! Thank you for sharing this <3
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Really delicious recipe! Not too much prep work but did take a bit of time to cook everything. It was worth it though! Will make again!
Hi Jo! This recipe looks delicious and I’ve put it on the menu for next week. Wondering if you think I could sub in fat free half and half for the regular half and half? Generally I have good luck making that substitute in most recipes but wanted your opinion.
Thanks!
Absolutely, that should be just fine!
This was delish! made it last eve, and it went together pretty quickly…It will stay in my recipe folder! I also added a couple of things, because I had them, and it was me! a tsp of dried thyme, some fresh spinach and some jarred roasted yellow peppers, chopped-about 1/4 cup…Just added a little bit of another flavor-not too much, as we are not big pepper fans. Plus added more veggies in there…Hubs loved it, as did I. It made a lot, have another meal for another night-yay! Thanks for the great dinner! 🙂
This was absolutely delicious and super easy to make! The orzo was SO creamy and cheesy. This will definitely become one of my go to’s for an easy and tasty dinner.