Chicken Bacon Ranch Orzo
This one pot chicken bacon ranch orzo recipe is a weeknight delight with fewer dishes! It's a family-friendly and easy, comforting meal with wonderful savory flavors.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning
- 2 cups cooked shredded/rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, for serving
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into small pieces (this is quick and easy with kitchen shears) and fry it in a Dutch oven/soup pot until crispy.
- Add the orzo to the pot (don't drain the bacon grease, and leave the bacon in the pot). Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the chicken broth and cream.
- Once it starts bubbling, stir in the ranch seasoning, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring fairly often. You will likely 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.
- Take the pot off the stove, then stir in the chicken and spinach. Cover the pot for 3-5 minutes or until it has thickened up to your liking and the chicken has warmed through. The orzo will absorb the liquid quickly, so if it still seems like there's too much, just wait a little bit longer. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Orzo is pasta. If you want to swap it with rice, you may have to adjust liquid measurements and cooking time.
- Ranch seasoning and bacon can both be salty, so that's why I recommend using low sodium chicken broth, and you may not need to add any extra salt to this recipe. You can make a homemade ranch seasoning if you need it to be even less salty. I use Hidden Valley Ranch.
- 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 chicken broth or cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2322IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg
