This creamy chicken mushroom orzo is a quick and flavorful meal that's made in a single pan in 30 minutes. Chicken, mushrooms, and orzo are coated in a creamy homemade herb sauce.
If you grew up on boxed hamburger helper, you'll love this grown up version! Chicken mushroom orzo is ready in 30 minutes and made in a single sauté pan on the stove top.
The best part is that it's made with simple ingredients you can find at your local grocer. Chicken, sliced mushrooms, and orzo are coated in a creamy herb sauce that's made entirely from scratch.
Serve chicken mushroom orzo on its own or with a garden salad. It's also easy to customize by tossing in a handful of fresh spinach or frozen peas for a little added nutrition!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Cubed chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs work well in this recipe. Raw chicken can be substituted with a cooked and shredded rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Mushrooms - Sliced button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms work great in this recipe. Mushrooms add a savory, earthy flavor and meaty texture to the meal.
- Orzo - Can be substituted with any small dried pasta. Check your pasta's package cooking times and adjust the recipe accordingly.
- Chicken broth - Can be substituted with vegetable broth. If using low or no sodium broth, I'd recommend adding additional seasoning to make up for the lost flavor.
- Heavy cream - Creates a thick and creamy sauce. I don't recommend substituting with milk because the sauce will turn out thin.
- Aromatics - Onion and garlic add flavor to the skillet meal. Garlic could be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if desired.
- Olive oil - Can be substituted with your favorite cooking oil.
- Seasoning - Parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper add a mild, savory flavor to the meal. Parsley and thyme could be substituted with Italian seasoning if you have some on hand.
Tips and tricks
Measure pasta and liquid exactly - This recipe is cooked in a single pan, so it's very important to measure your pasta and liquids exactly to avoid a thin or dry skillet meal. The pasta soaks up the liquid as it cooks, so only a small amount of liquid should remain once the pasta is cooked to al dente.
Food sticking to the pan? - Add a bit of liquid and turn the heat down - your stove is too hot. Stoves all run at slightly different temperatures, even if they're turned to the same setting.
Sauce look thin? - If your sauce looks thin, remove the finished dish from the heat and allow it to set, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Your sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, readers have had success adding a can of drained peas or frozen mixed vegetables to their skillet meal to add a little extra nutrition. You could also add a handful of fresh baby spinach just before the heavy cream step.
There are no thickening agents added to this recipe (like flour or cornstarch). Instead, we're using the starches released by the pasta as it cooks to thicken the sauce on its own. It's extremely important to properly measure the pasta and liquid in the recipe to prevent it from turning out thin. If your sauce looks thin after cooking, remove it from the heat and allow it to set for 5 minutes undisturbed. The sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.
Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and can be reheated on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. You may want to add a splash of cream or milk to help thin the sauce while it reheats.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Chicken Mushroom Orzo
Ingredients
- 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ small onion, diced
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces chicken broth
- 1 cup orzo, uncooked
- ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 ounces heavy cream
Instructions
- Season cubed chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to pan. When hot, add chicken and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the center. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and mushrooms to pan and cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms have browned, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add chicken broth to pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Then, add orzo, parsley, and thyme. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until pasta is cooked to al dente (check your pasta's package directions for cooking times). Most of the liquid should be absorbed at this point.
- Remove lid and add heavy cream and cooked chicken. Stir to combine. Cook for one additional minute, then remove from heat. Allow to set for 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.
- Optionally, top with fresh chopped parsley or fresh grated parmesan before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Want to add vegetables? Stir in a cup of peas, cooked broccoli, or a handful of spinach before adding your heavy cream.
- It is important to accurately measure your broth and pasta for this recipe. As written, you'll have just enough liquid to cook your pasta without leaving excess liquid in the pan.
- Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.
So much better than a box of dinner helper! You can use leftover chicken or turkey and add some frozen (or fresh) veggies to make it a complete meal in a skillet! Also you can season it many different ways. Use Italian Seasoning, garlic and onion powder with black pepper or a salt free all purpose seasoning. Thank you for a fast, easy delicious dinner!
I'm not really sure I should rate or comment on this recipe since it didn't end up anything like it was written. While checking my pantry prior to a grocery run, I mistakenly thought I had half a box of orzo. Wrong! The brain saw risotto and thought orzo. I wasn't running back to the grocery just to get orzo so......I ran with what I had. And since I'd already taken a huge liberty with the risotto, I thought, "What the heck! Let's throw in this can of baby peas." It turned out good but I think I'd like to try it again but next time with the correct ingredients.
This recipe is awesome! I did tweak it a little. Put 12oz of chicken broth and 4oz of white wine. Will be making this again! I happen to love all of your skillet dishes so far. Thanks for posting it
Thank you for the great review, Jennifer. I'm glad you're enjoying the skillet meals!
My family loves this dish. I added some mixed vegetables to make it a complete and rounded meal and used plain Greek yogurt instead of the heavy cream, because that’s what I had.