One Pan Red Pesto Chicken Orzo
Elevate your dinner game with this one-pan wonder featuring succulent chicken, vibrant red pesto, and tender orzo! This delightful dish is not only packed with protein but also bursts with flavor, making it the perfect easy weeknight meal. Just sauté, stir, and savor every bite—clean-up has never been this simple!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1-2 cups baby spinach (240-480 ml)
- 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced (7.5 ml)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (80g) (79.2 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 500g chicken breast, diced (1.1 lbs)
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (625ml) (600 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1/2 cup light cooking cream (125ml) (120 ml)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (25g) (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1 cup orzo/ risoni (200g) (240 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 tsp each paprika & oregano (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (240 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
564
Protein
52g
Carbs
47g
Fat
19g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the diced chicken with paprika and oregano. Cook in a pan for 5 minutes until nearly cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- 2
Add the onion and garlic to the same pan, sauté for 2 minutes until softened. Add the cherry tomatoes and pesto, cook for another 2 minutes.
- 3
Add the orzo and stock, stir well. Add the chicken back into the pan, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until orzo is tender. Stir regularly so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- 4
Add the cream and spinach, stir through until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and stir through the parmesan until melted through.
- 5
Divide between 4 bowls and top with fresh parsley and chili flakes to serve.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Remove chicken after 5 minutes (when it reaches 65°C internally) rather than cooking until fully opaque, because carryover cooking during the 10-15 minute simmer will bring it to safe 74°C without drying out the exterior.timing65°C initial | 74°C final
- ✓Stir the orzo every 3-4 minutes during simmering because the starch released from orzo (approximately 25% of its dry weight) will gelatinize and create a thick paste that sticks without agitation, requiring more stock to compensate.techniqueEvery 3-4 minutes | 25% starch release
- ✓Add cream only after orzo reaches al dente (around minute 12-13), not at the end, because the acid from sun-dried tomato pesto (pH 3.5-4.0) can cause cream to break and separate if simmered longer than 2-3 minutes.timing2-3 minutes maximum after cream addition
- ✓Use a 1:3.125 ratio of orzo to stock (200g orzo to 625ml stock) rather than 1:4, because orzo absorbs liquid differently than rice—it requires less liquid due to lower surface area and releases more starch to thicken the sauce naturally.ingredient1:3.125 ratio (orzo:stock)
- ✓Toast the orzo dry in the pan for 1-2 minutes before adding stock to activate its starches and develop nutty flavor compounds, which creates better sauce coating and prevents the grainy texture that occurs when untoasted orzo absorbs liquid too rapidly.technique1-2 minutes dry toasting
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
One Pan Red Pesto Chicken Orzo
Elevate your dinner game with this one-pan wonder featuring succulent chicken, vibrant red pesto, and tender orzo! This delightful dish is not only packed with protein but also bursts with flavor, making it the perfect easy weeknight meal. Just sauté, stir, and savor every bite—clean-up has never been this simple!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1-2 cups baby spinach (240-480 ml)
- 1/2 tbsp garlic, minced (7.5 ml)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (80g) (79.2 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 500g chicken breast, diced (1.1 lbs)
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (625ml) (600 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 1/2 cup light cooking cream (125ml) (120 ml)
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (25g) (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1 cup orzo/ risoni (200g) (240 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 tsp each paprika & oregano (5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (240 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
564
Protein
52g
Carbs
47g
Fat
19g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the diced chicken with paprika and oregano. Cook in a pan for 5 minutes until nearly cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- 2
Add the onion and garlic to the same pan, sauté for 2 minutes until softened. Add the cherry tomatoes and pesto, cook for another 2 minutes.
- 3
Add the orzo and stock, stir well. Add the chicken back into the pan, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until orzo is tender. Stir regularly so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- 4
Add the cream and spinach, stir through until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and stir through the parmesan until melted through.
- 5
Divide between 4 bowls and top with fresh parsley and chili flakes to serve.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Remove chicken after 5 minutes (when it reaches 65°C internally) rather than cooking until fully opaque, because carryover cooking during the 10-15 minute simmer will bring it to safe 74°C without drying out the exterior.timing65°C initial | 74°C final
- ✓Stir the orzo every 3-4 minutes during simmering because the starch released from orzo (approximately 25% of its dry weight) will gelatinize and create a thick paste that sticks without agitation, requiring more stock to compensate.techniqueEvery 3-4 minutes | 25% starch release
- ✓Add cream only after orzo reaches al dente (around minute 12-13), not at the end, because the acid from sun-dried tomato pesto (pH 3.5-4.0) can cause cream to break and separate if simmered longer than 2-3 minutes.timing2-3 minutes maximum after cream addition
- ✓Use a 1:3.125 ratio of orzo to stock (200g orzo to 625ml stock) rather than 1:4, because orzo absorbs liquid differently than rice—it requires less liquid due to lower surface area and releases more starch to thicken the sauce naturally.ingredient1:3.125 ratio (orzo:stock)
- ✓Toast the orzo dry in the pan for 1-2 minutes before adding stock to activate its starches and develop nutty flavor compounds, which creates better sauce coating and prevents the grainy texture that occurs when untoasted orzo absorbs liquid too rapidly.technique1-2 minutes dry toasting