Cajun Chicken Orzo
Creamy Cajun chicken and orzo with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoonolive oil
- 2 tablespoonsbutter
- 1/2 mediumonionchopped
- 3 clovesgarlicminced
- 1/4 cupsun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 tablespoonCajun seasoningsee note
- 1 cupuncooked orzo pasta
- 2 cupslow sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoonlemon juice
- 1 cupheavy/whipping cream
- 2 cupscooked shredded/rotisserie chicken
- 1/2 cupfreshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Instructions
- In a pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and sauté 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, and uncooked orzo. Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring often, to lightly toast the orzo and release the garlic aroma.
- Stir in the low-sodium chicken broth, lemon juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to the point where it starts to bubble, then reduce the heat to medium or medium-low so it maintains a gentle simmer (small bubbles), not a rapid boil.
- Continue cooking uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring fairly often and scraping the bottom as needed, until the orzo is tender. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep a gentle simmer and avoid reducing the liquid too much before the pasta finishes cooking.
- Stir in the cooked shredded (rotisserie) chicken and the freshly grated Parmesan until combined and the cheese begins to melt.
- Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let rest 3–5 minutes to thicken to your liking before serving.
Equipment
- Pot
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.
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.