One Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Orzo
Dive into a bowl of creamy goodness with this One Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Orzo! Featuring tender chicken, crispy bacon, and a zesty ranch dressing, this dish combines rich flavors and a delightful texture that’s perfect for prepping ahead of time. Whip it up in a single pot for an effortless and satisfying meal that’s sure to become a family favorite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1-2 cups steamed broccoli (I just grab the microwave bags!) (240-480 ml)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 5-6 pieces bacon (I like to use Center Cut)
- 3 cups chicken bone broth (I use low sodium) (720 ml)low sodium
- White meat of 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (120 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- ~224g (4 servings) dry orzo (7.91 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
📦Other(1)
- 1/2 cup half & half (120 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
480
Protein
34g
Carbs
40g
Fat
20g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a large pan or pot, start by cooking your bacon.
- 2
While it’s cooking, chop your onion.
- 3
Once the bacon is done, remove from the pan along with excess bacon grease, leaving a little bit in the pan.
- 4
Add your onion and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or until slightly softened, then add garlic and cook for another minute.
- 5
Add orzo to your mixture and let toast in the pan with the garlic and onion for 2-3 minutes.
- 6
Add bone broth, ranch seasoning, salt, pepper & garlic powder and stir until well combined.
- 7
Bring to a gentle boil, turn heat to low and cover.
- 8
Cook for ~10-12 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- 9
While orzo is cooking, shred your chicken & chop bacon into pieces.
- 10
Steam the broccoli in the microwave.
- 11
Once orzo is almost fully cooked and there’s only a little bit of liquid left, stir in your half & half and Parmesan.
- 12
When those are incorporated, add in chicken, bacon and broccoli.
- 13
Stir until everything is well combined — top with extra Parmesan if desired and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Toast the dry orzo in bacon fat for 2-3 minutes until it turns light golden (not brown) before adding broth, which develops nutty flavor compounds through the Maillard reaction and creates a slight textural distinction from the final pasta.technique2-3 minutes, light golden color
- ✓Use low-sodium broth (under 500mg sodium per cup) because the ranch seasoning packet contains ~900-1200mg sodium per serving; this prevents over-salting and allows you to control seasoning with the 1/2 tsp salt addition rather than ending up 30-40% oversalted.ingredientUnder 500mg sodium per cup broth
- ✓Cook covered at a gentle boil (small rolling bubbles, not vigorous) for 10-12 minutes so the orzo absorbs liquid at 160-180°F rather than at full boil (212°F), which prevents starch granules from rupturing and causing the dish to become gluey instead of creamy.timing10-12 minutes, 160-180°F, gentle boil
- ✓Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of pasta cooking liquid before draining to stir in at the end, which uses starch gelatinization to create a silky sauce that binds the shredded chicken and broccoli together rather than relying solely on cheese for creaminess.technique2-3 tablespoons reserved starch liquid
- ✓Add shredded rotisserie chicken and broccoli in the final 2 minutes off-heat rather than during cooking, which prevents the delicate proteins from drying out (chicken reheats to safe temperature via residual heat at ~165°F) while preserving broccoli's chlorophyll color and preventing overcooking.timingFinal 2 minutes, off-heat
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
One Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Orzo
Dive into a bowl of creamy goodness with this One Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Orzo! Featuring tender chicken, crispy bacon, and a zesty ranch dressing, this dish combines rich flavors and a delightful texture that’s perfect for prepping ahead of time. Whip it up in a single pot for an effortless and satisfying meal that’s sure to become a family favorite!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1-2 cups steamed broccoli (I just grab the microwave bags!) (240-480 ml)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 5-6 pieces bacon (I like to use Center Cut)
- 3 cups chicken bone broth (I use low sodium) (720 ml)low sodium
- White meat of 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (120 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- ~224g (4 servings) dry orzo (7.91 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
📦Other(1)
- 1/2 cup half & half (120 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
480
Protein
34g
Carbs
40g
Fat
20g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a large pan or pot, start by cooking your bacon.
- 2
While it’s cooking, chop your onion.
- 3
Once the bacon is done, remove from the pan along with excess bacon grease, leaving a little bit in the pan.
- 4
Add your onion and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat or until slightly softened, then add garlic and cook for another minute.
- 5
Add orzo to your mixture and let toast in the pan with the garlic and onion for 2-3 minutes.
- 6
Add bone broth, ranch seasoning, salt, pepper & garlic powder and stir until well combined.
- 7
Bring to a gentle boil, turn heat to low and cover.
- 8
Cook for ~10-12 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- 9
While orzo is cooking, shred your chicken & chop bacon into pieces.
- 10
Steam the broccoli in the microwave.
- 11
Once orzo is almost fully cooked and there’s only a little bit of liquid left, stir in your half & half and Parmesan.
- 12
When those are incorporated, add in chicken, bacon and broccoli.
- 13
Stir until everything is well combined — top with extra Parmesan if desired and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Toast the dry orzo in bacon fat for 2-3 minutes until it turns light golden (not brown) before adding broth, which develops nutty flavor compounds through the Maillard reaction and creates a slight textural distinction from the final pasta.technique2-3 minutes, light golden color
- ✓Use low-sodium broth (under 500mg sodium per cup) because the ranch seasoning packet contains ~900-1200mg sodium per serving; this prevents over-salting and allows you to control seasoning with the 1/2 tsp salt addition rather than ending up 30-40% oversalted.ingredientUnder 500mg sodium per cup broth
- ✓Cook covered at a gentle boil (small rolling bubbles, not vigorous) for 10-12 minutes so the orzo absorbs liquid at 160-180°F rather than at full boil (212°F), which prevents starch granules from rupturing and causing the dish to become gluey instead of creamy.timing10-12 minutes, 160-180°F, gentle boil
- ✓Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of pasta cooking liquid before draining to stir in at the end, which uses starch gelatinization to create a silky sauce that binds the shredded chicken and broccoli together rather than relying solely on cheese for creaminess.technique2-3 tablespoons reserved starch liquid
- ✓Add shredded rotisserie chicken and broccoli in the final 2 minutes off-heat rather than during cooking, which prevents the delicate proteins from drying out (chicken reheats to safe temperature via residual heat at ~165°F) while preserving broccoli's chlorophyll color and preventing overcooking.timingFinal 2 minutes, off-heat