One Pot French Onion Orzo with Chicken
This easy one pot french onion orzo with chicken recipe is a delicious spin on the classic french onion soup! Simple, tasty, and high-protein!
Servings: 4 1.5 cup servings
Calories: 598kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in small 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 4 cups thinly sliced onions (3 medium sized onions) 1/4 inch thick, cut into half moons
- ¼ cup chicken stock for deglazing the pan
- 2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 3 bay leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 ¼ cup shredded cheese 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup asiago
Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the packaging and cube chicken in 1/2 inch pieces by cutting into even strips and slicing on a cutting board.
- Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes or until the oil begins to shimmer.
- Cook cubed chicken on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. (If there is some excess liquid released during the cooking process of the chicken, remove some of the liquid by placing a few paper towels in the bottom of the pan and discarding. Removing some of the liquid will allow for a nice golden brown exterior on the chicken.)
- While the chicken is cooking, chop your onions and garlic and measure out the spices.
- Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and set aside in a small bowl. Lower the heat to medium.
- Add the butter to the pan with chopped onions and garlic, stir together with a spatula.
- Cook the onions and garlic uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Add ¼ cup of chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce to the pot, stir together and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any bits stuck on the bottom of the pan. Cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the onions start to get dark and caramelized.
- Add the orzo, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and dried thyme to the pan and stir together, allowing the orzo to toast gently for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. So it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the cooked chicken and chicken stock to the pot. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so the orzo does not stick to the bottom. (about every 2 minutes)
- Remove the bay leaves from the pot and discard.
- Add your shredded cheese to the pot and stir together until it's melted into the sauce, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Leave your chicken out at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before cooking. Placing cold chicken into a hot pan prolongs the cooking time and does not allow you to get that nice golden brown crust.
Ask your local butcher at the supermarket to cube the chicken for you in advance and save some prep time.
When olive oil just begins to shimmer in a pan, it’s the perfect temperature to add protein into and get a nice sear and golden brown exterior.
Heat your chicken stock up in the microwave in advance of adding to the pot, this helps speed up the orzo cooking process.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 598kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 1051mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 2mg
