Cajun Chicken Orzo

5 from 2 votes

This one pot Cajun chicken orzo recipe is a 30-minute meal with bold Cajun-inspired and Italian flavors! The irresistible creamy sauce has a kick while being ultra comforting.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cajun chicken orzo

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning see note
1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
2 cups cooked shredded/rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Add the oil, butter, and onion to a pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes.
Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, and orzo to the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cream. Once it starts to bubble, continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often. You will probably need to turn the heat down a bit (to medium or even medium-low). It should gently bubble vs. furiously boil, and you don't want the liquid to reduce too much before the pasta has cooked.
Stir in the chicken and parmesan.
Take the pot off the heat, and cover it for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking.

Notes

Many Cajun seasonings are quite salty and replace salt & pepper in recipes such as this one (I used Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning). Be sure to give it a taste before adding extra salt. And be sure to use low-sodium chicken broth if you're sensitive to salt. There are low/no salt Cajun seasonings available if needed.
If the pasta is soaking up the liquid too fast (like before the orzo is cooked), turn the heat down and/or add a splash more broth or cream. If there's too much liquid, cover the pot for longer than suggested in the recipe and the orzo will absorb it quickly.

Nutrition