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Dinner is made easy with this one pot 30-minute Boursin orzo with chicken recipe! It’s like a risotto but much easier, and the creamy sauce is totally irresistible.
Love Boursin cheese? Try my Boursin Chicken, this Creamy Boursin Gnocchi, or Ridiculously Easy Boursin Pasta next.
Why you’ll love it
My readers can’t get enough Boursin, so I’ll happily create more easy Boursin recipes! I suppose it was only a matter of time before I paired it with orzo, everyone’s favorite rice-shaped pasta. This one pot chicken pasta is creamy, herb forward, and has a hint of garlic. That means it’ll be a hit with even the pickiest of eaters in your home.
Busy weeknights will get a whole lot easier when you add this really simple Boursin pasta to your rotation. It’s got a short list of ingredients, and fewer dishes means less time spent at the sink and more with the family. This is also a super convenient and tasty way to use up rotisserie or leftover chicken. I hope you’re as excited about it as I am!
What you’ll need
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Onion and garlic – our tasty aromatics. I prefer Vidalia (sweet onions), but yellow is fine. I use this garlic press to mince the cloves to avoid sticky fingers.
- Orzo – it looks like rice, but it’s actually pasta. You’ll find it in the dry pasta aisle.
- Chicken broth – to infuse more savory flavor into the sauce
- Boursin – it’s a very mild French cream cheese that’s readily available in most grocery stores. I used the Garlic and Fine Herb variety here. It’s a wonderful combo of buttery, creamy, herby, and salty.
- Spinach – for a pop of freshness
- Chicken – I just picked up a rotisserie chicken for convenience
How to make Boursin orzo
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil and butter. Stir in the garlic and the orzo, lightly toasting it for a couple of minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth. Let it bubble gently, and simmer for about 10 minutes while stirring often. When it’s reduced, stir in the Boursin until combined.
Take the pot off the heat, add in the cooked chicken and spinach, and cover. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the spinach wilts and the chicken heats through. Season with salt & pepper, and serve right away.
Pro tip
- Just like with any one pot pasta, stoves and cookware vary. If it looks like it’s a bit dry before the orzo is fully cooked, simply turn down the heat and add a touch more broth. If there appears to be too much broth once cooking time has elapsed, just cover the pot and let it sit a little longer. The orzo will absorb the liquid quickly and thicken up as it cools.
Substitutions and variations
- Boursin has various flavors you can try, so swap if you see one that you like. I recently spotted one with truffle, and that sounds like a tasty option!
- To make it extra creamy and luxurious, you can substitute 1/2 cup of the chicken or vegetable broth with heavy cream.
- The cooked chicken can easily be swapped for cooked shrimp.
- Our kitchen has only tested this recipe with pasta. If you want to make it with rice, the proportions and timing may change.
Leftovers and storage
- This Boursin pasta will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days, but it is best eaten right away as the orzo will soak up the sauce the longer it sits.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat slowly. Give it a splash of chicken broth if the sauce needs thinning out a bit.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this one.
What to serve with Boursin orzo
- It’s designed to be a complete meal in itself, but my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread is always a good pairing with any dinner! A slice of crusty bread works too.
- Try a side salad with mixed greens and Homemade Balsamic Dressing or my family favorite Copycat Olive Garden Dressing.
- If you want to leave out the chicken altogether, this makes a great side dish for many main courses. Try it with my Easy Baked Salmon or Best Baked Pork Tenderloin.
If you made this simple Boursin orzo or have any questions, talk to me in the comments below! You can also find me on Instagram to showcase your creations.
Boursin Orzo with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (5.2 oz) package Boursin cheese softened
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups cooked chicken chopped/shredded
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh chives chopped (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Add the oil, butter, and onion to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and orzo. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring fairly often (this step infuses the orzo with more flavor and toasts it a bit).
- Pour in the chicken broth. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring quite often. You will need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). You want it to gently bubble vs. furiously boil, and you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked (it this seems to be happening, add in a splash more broth as needed).
- Stir in the Boursin until smooth.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the spinach and chicken, then cover the pot for 5 minutes. The spinach will wilt, the chicken will heat through, and the sauce will thicken a little more.
- Season with salt & pepper to taste and serve with chopped chives sprinkled over top if desired.
Notes
- As pots/pans/stoves can all vary, cooking times are a guideline only. At the end of step 3, the bulk of the liquid should be absorbed and the pasta al dente. The orzo will absorb more liquid the longer it sits.
- Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta. If you want to make this with rice, you may have to adjust liquid measurements and cooking time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Really tasty and simple to make!
I only used 80g Boursin and used cream instead of half a cup of the vegetable stock and it was super tasty. Ended up turning the heat on to wilt the spinach more.
Will definitely make again!!
I’m so pleased it was a hit, Jo!! Thanks for sharing how you adapted it… I am sure this will help other readers too.
So good and such an easy weeknight dinner.
Fantastic to hear, Whitney! Thanks for giving it a try.
Super easy and delicious! I didn’t use quite as much boursin as recommended, and I also used pork meatballs abd it was still amazing!
Sounds good to me!
This is YUMMM
I did it with your oven baked chicken breast on top instead of in the pasta, just because I had to cook my chicken while prepping the orzo. For a little more green, I added some frozen sweet peas at the same time as the spinach and it’s really good !
Thank you for this quick recipe !!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!!
I liked this way more than I hoped I would. I ended up eating 3 bowls and now I can’t move. Totally worth it though. Even all my picky kids loved it. It will definitely be on rotation at our house. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hahhahahaa I love that. 😀 You’re welcome!
I have been to two stores looking for orzo, but they seem to be out of it. Can I substitute with a small/short pasta instead?
Hi! You could try, but I’d keep an eye on it in case you need to add more liquid or cook it a little longer.
Does the cooking time/amounts stay the same with gluten free orzo?
I have never cooked with gluten-free orzo before, so I am not sure.
The directions for gluten free orzo say to cook it for 11 minutes in boiling water. Not sure how that compares to regular orzo.
It sounds pretty similar, so I think you could give it a try. I’m not sure if it’ll release starch the same way, though. Let me know… I am curious and I hope it works out for you!
Made this tonight- delicious!!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Dana!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
OMG this dish is incredible. I have never purchased Boursin cheese but now its on my weekly grocery list. This dish is YUMMY! Wonderful flavor. I used rotisserie chicken and it was so good. I only got 5 servings but that works since it’s only the two of us. I will make this one again!!!!
That makes me so happy, Deborah!! Thanks for your review!!
I know this is good, because I love Boursin! What a great idea to use it with orzo, chicken, and spinach!
Thanks!! Let me know if you try it, Mimi! 😀