Broccoli Cheddar Orzo with Chicken is an easy one pot meal that your whole family will love. Secretly healthy, high protein and super cheesy!
This broccoli cheddar chicken orzo is an easy weeknight dinner that we absolutely love. Made in one pan, it’s quick to make, healthy and delicious!
We love one pot chicken orzo, and love our healthy broccoli soup so we figured.. why not combine the two?
The result is a cheesy, creamy dinner that is absolutely delicious!
If you love broccoli cheddar soup, you’re going to love this recipe!
why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy to make – This recipe is extremely simple and uses basic ingredients you already have!
- Made in one pot – We LOVE healthy one pot meals. Having only one pan to wash is the best!
- High Protein & Veggie Loaded – This recipe has over 55g of protein per serving and 1.5 cups veggies per serving!
Ingredients
To make this broccoli cheddar orzo you’ll need:
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts – chicken thighs would also work, but we prefer breasts because they’re leaner.
- olive oil
- garlic, onion, broccoli
- carrots – you can use the precut matchstick ones or grate them with a cheese grater.
- spices – garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, dried parsley, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaf
- orzo – you can usually find orzo in the pasta isle or near the rice.
- chicken broth – we always recommend using low or no salt
- milk
- cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese – we love a sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe!
You’ll also need a large skillet for making this recipe. This is our favorite pan for one pot meals. You could also make this in a dutch oven!
Substitutions
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil or melted butter
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders. To make this an even faster dish, you can skip the first 2 steps and use pulled or chopped cooked chicken folded in at the end.
Broth: Broth and stock are the same thing! You can use any broth or stock interchangeably. Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth.
Orzo: I have only tried this recipe with orzo pasta. I’m not sure how gluten free pasta will work in this recipe. You can’t omit the orzo completely, because you need something to absorb the chicken broth.
Milk: You can use whole milk, skim milk, or dairy free milk in this recipe.
Parmesan Cheese: We haven’t tried this with any other cheese and wouldn’t recommend swapping anything for the parmesan! It wouldn’t have the same flavor. Feta can be sprinkled on top of this dish but would give it a totally different flavor.
Gluten Free: We only tested this recipe with regular pasta. Gluten free pasta cooks very differently, and we find that it can get very gummy/mushy. It’s hard to know if it will work in this recipe without trying it. Because the orzo cooks in the pan with everything else, the ratios in the recipe would need to change. You could try reducing the broth and cooking it in a separate pot, but I really don’t know how it would come out. If you try it, let me know.
Dairy Free: While I personally have not made this recipe, readers have made our other One Pot Chicken Orzo dish and used dairy free milk + cheese with success!
Veggies: I used precut fresh broccoli florets in this recipe that I roughly chopped. I think frozen broccoli might be too mushy in this recipe. For the carrots I grated them on a cheese grater, but I bet you could use pre-cut carrots.
How to Make Broccoli Cheddar Orzo
- Brown chicken in oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add onions and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes.
- Add the spices, orzo, broccoli, carrots and chicken broth. Stir to combine and cover with a lid. Simmer for 6 minutes covered, then remove cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the milk and both kinds of cheese. Stir over low heat for one to two minutes more until heated through. Serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions:
This is a complete meal as is, it’s got protein, veggies and carbs! But if you’re looking for a side dish to make you could try one of these salads:
- Peach Salad with Goat Cheese
- Quick Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Apple Walnut Salad
It would also be yummy with some bread on the side – we love this bread brand!
Pro Tip:
To save time you can heat your chicken broth in the microwave before adding it to the pot!
Storage
Storing: This cheesy broccoli orzo makes for great leftovers! It will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stove. I recommend adding a splash of chicken broth to the pot when reheating.
Other one pot dinner recipes:
If you like one pot meals, check out these Healthy One Pot Dinner Recipes. Or click here to get our free one pot dinners cookbook.
Broccoli Cheddar Orzo with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cubed into 1” pieces
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped about 1/2 a medium onion
- 4 cups fresh broccoli spears cut into 1 inch pieces 10 oz bag
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ¼ cup dry orzo 8 oz
- 3 cups chicken broth low or no salt
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 cup freshly grated cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large high sided pan over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the chicken. Brown the chicken and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
- After the chicken has browned for 10 minutes, add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, until they start to soften.
- Add the spices, orzo, broccoli, carrots and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pan with a lid and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan. (Tip: You can microwave your broth before adding it to the pan to speed up cooking time) Cook for 6 minutes covered, then remove cover and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in the milk and cheeses. Stir over low heat for one to two minutes more until heated through.
- Serve immediately.
Jordan says
This recipe is YUM! Easy to make and creamy, happy with the protein count too!
Jan says
This was easy, quick and full of veggies. My daughter loved it.
Liz Marino says
Thanks, Jan! I’m glad you both enjoyed it!
Lynne says
So easy and delicious- a hit with my entire family! Will make again!
Liz Marino says
So glad you liked it 🙂
Lynn A Palasciano says
This looks so good. Will definitely make this dish and pass on to our daughters who both have families and work. Without tasting, I still would have to give high ratings. Nothing bad here. Most likely, I will cut down on the pepper items. I don’t like tasting pepper. I like probably any kind of spice but that. Just me.
Karol says
So delicious and flavorful! It came together so quickly. The orzo pasta is fun. What a great recipe to meal prep for lunches and dinners. Thank you for another yummy recipe.
Nicole says
Absolutely delicious! Easy to make and my whole family (including my 2 year old) loved it! Will definitely be making this one again!
Liz Marino says
That makes me so happy to hear Nicole!! Thank you!
Katie Zajaczkowski says
I’ve been searching for some new, healthier and easy recipes. This one was so good! I prepped everything in the morning and threw it all together for a quick and delicious dinner. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Liz Marino says
So happy you liked it, Katie! Thank you so much!!
Heather says
This broccoli cheddar chicken orzo was a 10/10 on all aspects! It was quick and easy. It was healthy as its chock full of protein and veggies. And it was DELICIOUS. I am lactose intolerant so I swapped for lactaid milk and dairy free cheese – my boyfriend had no idea and thought it was cheesy and delicious. I will definitely be adding this to our weeknight dinner rotations. Thanks for the awesome recipe!!
Liz Marino says
So glad you liked it Heather!! Thank you so much!
Brittany says
I made this after seeing it on TikTok and it was delicious. It’s simple to make, and reheats nicely too.
Liz Marino says
So glad you liked it!!
Lynda says
You know how we get in ruts & make the same dinners every week? I am trying to throw some new recipes in there to make it interesting. My family loved this! The flavor was great & I liked that it called for orzo. This is the first recipe I have tried from your site. I will be trying more soon! Thank you!
Liz Marino says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, Lynda! Thank you so much for giving it a try! This Unstuffed Peppers Skillet is another great one pot meal if you’re looking to try something simple
Erin Billinghurst says
My husband and I really enjoyed this. Though for my palate it was more peppery than I like, so next time I’ll cut that in half. Otherwise, it was a great, easy healthy dinner! Yum!
Liz Marino says
Sorry you felt that way but I’m glad you enjoyed it refardless!
Stephanie G. says
I made this recipe tonight and it was awesome! The whole family including my kids LOVED it! Easy to make and so creamy and full of flavor! This one is a keeper going into the dinner rotation 👏🏻
Liz Marino says
So glad you liked it, Stephanie!! Thank you!
Kyle says
Delicious and super simple recipe!!
Liz Marino says
So glad you liked it, Kyle! thank you!!
Sarah says
I made this for supper tonight after seeing the video. I think the leftovers will be really good for work lunches and I will absolutely make it again. I really appreciate your fast, easy, healthy and delicious recipes. Thank you for another good one!
Liz Marino says
So glad you liked it, Sarah! Thank you so much! The leftovers are great, I had them for lunch today too!