Chicken Caesar Orzo - Easy and delicious orzo recipe made with shredded chicken and spinach tossed in caesar dressing and finished with parmesan cheese.
My Chicken Caesar Orzo recipe comes together in under 30 minutes and would be a great use for leftover rotisserie chicken. This dish can be served hot or cold.
This recipe serves about 4-5 people. If you can cooking for a larger crowd, simply double the recipe.
Ingredients You Need To Make Chicken Caesar Orzo:
Orzo - You'll need a half pound of orzo for this recipe.
Chicken - Rotisserie chicken or homemade shredded chicken.
Caesar Dressing - You can make your own homemade dressing. I linked my recipe for you here. Or you can use your favorite store-bought dressing. We like Ken's Creamy Caesar.
Parmesan Cheese - High quality, fresh grated parmesan cheese is best. But, you can use what you have on hand.
Spinach - You'll need two and half cups fresh chopped spinach. You can also use chopped kale or even steamed broccoli.
Garlic - Fresh garlic cloves are best. If you don't have fresh, use one teaspoon garlic powder in substitution.
Onion - We use yellow or white onion. You can also use shallots, or red onion.
Seasonings - Black Pepper and Salt.
Butter - Salted and unsalted both work great. We use the butter to sauté the onions, spinach and garlic.
Olive Oil - We use a combination of oil and butter to sauté the onions, spinach and garlic. You can also use avocado oil.
Tools to have on hand for this recipe:
- Large Skillet + Large Saucepan - To boil your orzo and for veggies in.
- Measuring Cups + Spoons - To properly measure all of your ingredients.
- Cutting Board + Chef Knife - For prepping the veggies.
How To Make Chicken Caesar Orzo:
Cook orzo according to package instructions. When done, drain and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and butter. Add chopped onion and season with salt. Cover and cook for a few minutes until onions are tender. Once tender, stir in garlic and spinach and cook another couple minutes.
Add shredded chicken and orzo to the skillet and stir to combine. Stir in caesar dressing, parmesan cheese and black pepper.
Serve with red pepper flakes for added spice and extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
*This dish can be served hot or cold and would make an excellent easy lunch on the go.
More Favorite Easy Orzo Recipes:
Chicken and Vegetable Orzo - Chicken and vegetable loaded orzo seasoned and finished with parmesan cheese. You are going to love how tasty and easy this dish comes together!
Broccoli Orzo - Easy orzo recipe tossed with broccoli, sauteed onions, garlic and parmesan cheese. Broccoli orzo has become one of my favorite easy dinner side dish recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Once the orzo has completely cooled, transfer to an airtight container. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
This dish can be served cold or you can reheat leftovers. To reheat, place orzo in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring in between until desired temperature is reached.
You can make homemade caesar dressing or you can use your favorite store bought brand. We love Ken's Creamy Caesar. For a lighter dish, you can use greek yogurt.
You can substitute any small type of pasta for orzo, such as ditalini. Or you can substitute orzo for rice, such as jasmine or basmati rice.
Chicken Caesar Orzo
Ingredients
- ½ lb Orzo
- 1 tbsp Butter
- ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¾ cup Yellow Onion chopped
- 2 ½ cups Spinach chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 cups Shredded or Rotisserie Chicken
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- ⅓ cup Creamy Caesar Dressing
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Cook orzo according to package instructions. When done, drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and butter. Add chopped onion and season with salt. Cover and cook for a few minutes until onions are tender. Once tender, stir in garlic and spinach and cook another couple minutes.
- Add shredded chicken and orzo to the skillet and stir to combine. Stir in caesar dressing, parmesan cheese and black pepper.
- Serve with red pepper flakes for added spice and extra parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
- *This dish can be served hot or cold and would make an excellent easy lunch on the go.
Nutrition
Neil
Very delicious and light.