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.
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!
More Delicious Recipes To Try
- Easy Alfredo Pasta
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Asian Style Pepper Steak
- No Knead 1 Hour Cinnamon Rolls
- Sheet Pan Sausage And Veggies
- Pesto Chicken And Veggies
Craving More? Follow Along:
Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast boneless and skinless (about 3)
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 tablespoon 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
- 1½ cups Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika on both sides.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a medium-low, cover with lid and let it cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.
- 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.
- Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if preferred, and parsley. Serve warm.
Video
Tips & Notes:
- 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.
Jackie says
This is so delicious it’s unreal! I would followed recipe to a T but I forgot half and half. I was worried about the outcome of not having it. I used almond milk instead and a little dollop of sour cream. I’m not one to change recipes and then go leave a review about how I changed it but for anyone worried that isn’t using half and half JUST do it with what you got! Because this is one of the best dishes I’ve had in a while. Everything else i followed instructions. Like I said I wouldn’t of changed a thing but there was no way I was going back to the grocery store and just decided to wing it and I’m happy I did. The other plus of the almond milk is it makes this dish a little healthier since almond milk it only 30 calories per serving of almond milk. Thank you for sharing this gem of a recipe!!
Cheryl Corbissero says
This was really good. I forgot asparagus so I used fresh broccoli. It turned out good. My boyfriend ate two bowls. Thanks for the recipe.
Cheryl Corbissero says
This was really good. I forgot the asparagus so I used fresh broccoli. My boyfriend ate two bowls. Thanks for the recipe.
Elise says
Came to say this was one of the most delicious meals I’ve made recently. I added maybe 2 tbsp of cream cheese and did it with frozen spinach and broccoli. Also added some red pepper flakes and cut the chicken in bits so it mixed in with the sauce! Thank you- this will be a regular for us!
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so glad you liked the recipe.
Sarah says
I made this for the first time and it was good. But for a family of four, I would cut the orzo recipe in half next time. It was a lot! But very tasty, thank you!
Leah says
I wish there was a haha or love this option for your comment! It’s perfect
Sabrina says
Was excited about this until I got home and didn’t have orzo, so I used rice. I also added string beans. It turned out OK but not like the picture. Will try again.
Chuck says
Well thats because you didn’t cook what was in the damn picture. “3 out of 5 stars, I replaced 2 of the 3 main ingredients and it doesn’t look like the picture I saw.”
I made this dish tonight with the actual ingredients called for and it looks just like the picture listed. Great recipe.
Carolyn says
Thank you for sharing this awesome dish! I didnt have asparagus so I used brocolli instead.
Amanda says
Has anyone every tried this with cauliflower rice?
Catherine says
Made this tonight! Yummy….added a pad of butter, lots of pepper and juiced half a lemon. Perfect.
Melissa says
This is absolutely delicious! We used quinoa in place of the orzo. Yum!
Jessica says
This was very tasty! My man and I absolutely loved it. I’m definitely making this again! Thank you for sharing
Aussie foodie says
Really loved this recipes and it was so easy. But please can someone tell me the serving size that the nutritional facts are based on?
Joanna Cismaru says
Glad you liked the recipe. The recipe assumes it makes 6 servings, so just divide what you got in 6 portions so that’s your nutritional info.
Allison says
I made this tonight and it was so so good! I had never heard of orzo and it’s fun to have something new in my repertoire. Thank you for the recipe!
Nicole says
Has anyone tried this with almond milk instead of cream?
Darcie Scoles says
I made it with 1 cup non fat greek yogurt plain and 1 cup almond milk. Mix them together to replace the heavy cream. It was delicious. Love this recipe!
Linda G Holmes says
WoW!! Absolutely the BEST Chicken & Asparagus dish I have ever made! I did half the recipe and used Heavy Whipping Cream in stead of Half& Half. This is now my “go to” dish that goes together in no time.
Joanna Cismaru says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Scott McFadden says
This has to be the best Orzo dish I have ever prepared. Very easy to prepare, and fast cooking time. I did change it up just a little as I always do with every recipe. I didn’t have half and half so I used heavy cream, then added Italian sausage, and Chablis white wine. I definitely will be making this again and possibly add shrimp to the mix.