The best creamy chicken Orzo

💙 Why you'll love them

• Simple - it's hard to get much simpler than this recipe! It just requires a little patience, as the garlic has to confit in the oven. But believe me, it's worth the wait, because it's sooooooo good!
• Original - say goodbye to dry, bland chicken breasts!
• Tasty and fragrant - the ultra-tasty, fragrant side of the slightly crispy chicken contrasts well with the creaminess of the sauce.

🍗Notes on ingredients

You can find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few ingredient notes to make these Orzo.

• Chicken - I recommend using chicken thighs, skinless if possible. If not, remove it before you start preparing the recipe.
• Orzo pasta - this grain-shaped Italian pasta is also known as bird's-tongue pasta, Risetti, Risoni or Puntalette, depending on the brand. It's a small pasta often found in Mediterranean or Oriental cuisine. They're perfect in salads, soups or even as a main course. You'll find them in supermarkets, online or in Italian grocery stores.
• Garlic - if you want to choose your garlic carefully so you do not encourage the slavery of Chinese prisoners, read my Eco Tips on the subject.
• White wine - I recommend a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chablis, etc.)
• Parmesan cheese - I recommend to buy a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it yourself at the last minute - it's so much better!
• Vegetable bouillon - make your own vegetable bouillon cubes with this recipe, it's so easy and so much healthier and tastier.

🍅Variations

Feel free to change this recipe to go with your tastes. I suggest several options:

• More vegetables - add a handful of confit cherry tomatoes (in season from June to September/October), grilled mushrooms, or baby spinach, it'll be delicious!
• Spicy - add Cayenne pepper to taste!
• Vegan - replace the cream with vegetable cream and the Parmesan with the vegetable cheese of your choice. Often, pasta is already vegan because it's made from hard wheat semolina. When there are eggs in it, it's clearly stated on the packaging.
• Dairy-free - choose a dairy-free cream (it exists) and replace the Parmesan with the vegetable cheese of your choice.

This recipe has not been tested using any other substitutions. If you do try substituting ingredients, it may not turn out as it's meant to. Please leave a comment below letting me know if it worked out!

✨How to make the best chicken Orzo?

Recipe details and quantities are in the recipe card below.

• Preheat your oven to 320°F/160°C in fan-assisted mode. Place the head of garlic on aluminum foil, cut off the top, pour in a little olive oil, close the foil and bake for 1 hour.
• Next, roughly chop the chicken thighs around the bones, leaving only the meat. Put them in a bowl, squeeze the head of garlic to release the confit cloves and add the zest of a lemon, its juice, 1 tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan and the Cayenne pepper.

• Mix well and fry the chicken pieces in a pan over medium-high heat in a drizzle of olive oil until golden brown. Set aside.

• Thinly slice the onion and place in the same pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking, until translucent.
• Deglaze with the white wine, add the pasta, salt and pepper, and pour in your stock little by little throughout the cooking time, following the instructions on the packet and stirring often.

• Once the pasta is cooked, add the cream and remaining Parmesan and mix well.

• Serve on plates, add chicken pieces, preserved lemon zest and a few fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

👩🏻‍🍳Chef's tip

To make this recipe a success, you need to cook it as you would a risotto - add the stock a little at a time, never all at once. The idea is to add broth, let it evaporate, then add more… and so on, until the pasta is cooked.

❄️Storage/freezing

• Storage - you can store this chicken Orzo pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Reheat - I recommend adding one or two tablespoons of vegetable stock or water, to make the pasta smooth and creamy again. Then just pop it in the microwave.
• Freeze - once the chicken pasta is completely cold, place it in a freezer bag, labelled with the date and the name of the recipe, remove as much air as possible and freeze. They will keep for 2 to 3 months.
• Defrost - place in a microwave-safe dish and pop in for a few minutes. To make the pasta creamy again, I recommend adding one or two tablespoons of water or vegetable stock.

😋If you love pasta...

• Alfredo salmon pasta
• Farfalle with chicken and roasted garlic (best copycat)
• One pot French onion pasta