Chicken Orzo Pasta Salad

5 from 1 vote

This tasty 30-minute Chicken Orzo Pasta Salad is addictively good! It’s full of perfectly air-fried chicken breast, tender pasta, and fresh veggies coated in a delicious creamy yogurt based dressing with hints of dill and smoked paprika!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 586kcal

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

Chicken

2 medium chicken breasts boneless and skinless (about 1 pound)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Orzo Salad

12 ounces orzo uncooked
2 medium bell peppers chopped in ½ inch pieces
1 medium red onion finely chopped
½ English cucumber finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

Dressing

½ cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
salt and pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook The Chicken

Season the chicken breasts with the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper evenly on both sides.
Place the chicken breasts in the basket of your air fryer and lightly spray the breasts with cooking spray. Air fry for 10 minutes at 380°F turning the chicken over halfway through. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then chop it into 1 inch pieces.

Cook The Orzo

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well salted water to boil. Add the orzo and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked al dente. Drain and transfer the orzo to a large bowl.

Make The Dressing

Add all the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, close the lid and shake well. Alternatively, you can whisk all the dressing ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Assemble The Salad

Add the chopped bell peppers, onion, tomatoes and cucumber to the bowl with orzo. Add the chopped chicken and drizzle the dressing over. Toss everything well together and serve.

Notes

Salt your pasta water. The pasta cooking water needs to be well salted to infuse some flavor into the orzo. You should add about 1 tablespoon to the boiling water.
Let the chicken rest. Give your chicken the 5 minutes it needs to rest so that the meat stays juicy. If you cut the chicken too soon all the juices will run out and make it dry.
Taste the dressing. Before mixing the dressing together with all the other ingredients you should taste it first and add salt if needed. This is the best way to season the pasta salad.
Chicken orzo pasta salad leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. And it’s even better the next day, so they make a fantastic lunch! But sadly this dish does not freeze well.

Nutrition