This creamy and cheesy Chicken Orzo Bake is an effortless dinner, and the orzo pasta cooks right in the casserole dish! The whole family loves my chicken and pasta casserole, and I can’t get enough of those Tuscan flavors with juicy bites of tomato and fresh spinach.
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Chicken Orzo Bake Video
Watch the video tutorial and see how to make this quick Chicken Orzo Bake casserole. P.S. If you use rotisserie chicken, it’s just assemble and bake. Add this orzo casserole to your meal plan this week!
Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe
This easy one-pan chicken orzo bake is a winner! I made this for a cabin trip, and it was well-loved by all 3 families that ate it. The kids gave it rave reviews, and I figure if there’s a dish that everyone in the group loves that much, it’s a major win and one that I’ll be repeating.
It’s a brilliant and easy way to feed a crowd. You can sauté your own chicken or dice up leftover Spatchcock Chicken or Baked Chicken Breast, which makes it even easier. This chicken pasta bake also reheats well because it has a creamy base, which is great for meal prep or if you want to put some into a lunchbox the next day.
This recipe was inspired by Mallory’s Tuscan Chicken Bake, but I added more chicken to make sure it would satisfy our crowd. This chicken orzo bake will certainly become a staple of the cabin trip menu, along with other easy crowd-pleasers like Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet, Baked Mac and Cheese, and Meatloaf.
Ingredients for Chicken Orzo Bake
It’s all here in the ingredients—everything you need for a well-rounded, crowd-pleasing meal.
- Chicken – I always have chicken breast in my freezer so I cook that up for this casserole but I love using rotisserie chicken for this recipe—it doesn’t get any easier. You’ll need about 3 cups cooked diced chicken. In a real pinch, you could use leftover turkey as well.
- Chicken stock – I use homemade Chicken Stock but you can use a good quality store-bought one.
- Heavy whipping cream – This gives the casserole a creamy, luxurious sauce. For a lighter version, substitute half & half, but the sauce won’t be as thick.
- Orzo – The quality of the pasta matters. See my note below for the brands I like most. If you’re using cheaper pasta, use 12oz of orzo because it expands more, but for pasta made with 100% hard durum semolina, you can use 16oz.
- Veggies – Baby spinach and cherry Tomatoes. If you want to substitute tomatoes with 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped, then I add an extra 1/2 cup of stock or cream.
- Cheese – mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese
- Tuscan Flavors – I add lemon juice to add some acidity and lightness along with minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried oregano.
Which Pasta is Best?
Cheaper pasta absorbs too much of the liquid or turns to mush, so when making pasta casseroles, opt for a high-quality Italian Bronze-cut pasta like Dellalo, De Cecco, Rustichella d’Abruzzo, or Pastificio De Martino. These are made from semolina flour. It may sound fancy, but don’t worry, it’s easily found at your local grocery.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Orzo Bake
You’ll be amazed at how easily this chicken orzo casserole comes together! Once you have the chicken prepped, it’s just mix and bake. EASY and delicious!
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. I love this oil sprayer for greasing pans!
- Sautee Chicken Breasts – slice two large uncooked chicken breasts in half lengthwise, season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side or until 165˚F on a thermometer, then let it rest 5-10 minutes before chopping into bite-sized pieces. You can also dice up 2 large chicken breasts to get 3 cups of cooked chicken.
- Assemble the casserole – Add the stock, cream, pasta, chicken, garlic, veggies, half the cheeses (reserve the other half for the top), lemon juice, and seasoning into the greased casserole dish. Stir until combined and spread it evenly into the pan.
- Bake – Sprinkle the remaining half of the cheeses over the top and bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until pasta is to your desired tenderness (depending on the kind of pasta you use – better quality pasta can take a little longer). The casserole will be bubbly around the edges and have lovely browned, melted cheese on top.
- Rest the casserole – let the dish sit for 10 minutes to thicken, and then gently stir and serve!
Natasha’s Pro Tip:
If you’d like a more creamy chicken orzo bake casserole after baking, add 1/2 cup of hot water, broth, or cream and stir it into the casserole.
Storage Tips
This creamy chicken orzo bake is the perfect dish for meal planning since leftovers reheat really well.
- To Refrigerate: Cool and cover leftovers. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Cool leftovers and transfer to a freezer-safe, air-tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- To Reheat: Place casserole in an oven-safe container, sprinkle the top with some water to keep the casserole moist, and reheat in a 350°F oven until heated through. You can also reheat a portion in the microwave or in a skillet. If the casserole seems dry, stir in a bit of liquid.
What to Serve with Chicken Orzo Bake
This chicken orzo bake is a meal all on its own, but I like to pair it with a light, crisp salad and crusty bread to soak up all that creamy sauce.
- Chickpea Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Caprese Salad
- Maroulosalata Greek Lettuce Salad
- Tomato Burrata Salad
- Sourdough Bread
- Focaccia Bread
This creamy Chicken Orzo Bake is a simple recipe with a creamy, delicious Tuscan flavor! It’s a crowd-favorite chicken casserole loaded with cheesy sauce, pasta, and veggies for a delicious, satisfying meal. You’ll want to put this recipe on your repeat list!
Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, or 1 1/4 lbs, (about 3 cups cooked chopped chicken)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 12-16 oz orzo*, depending on the brand (Dellalo = 16 oz, Barilla = 12 oz, see notes*)
- 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves, 2-3 oz, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes*
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated or shredded
- 5 medium garlic cloves, minced, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed from 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to season chicken
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus more to season chicken
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray or grease with butter.
- Prep Chicken – If you aren’t using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, cut your chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Sautee chicken breast for about 4 minutes per side or until golden and cooked through to 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove to a cutting board and cool for 5 minutes, then dice into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the Casserole – into the prepared 9×13 casserole, add chicken stock, heavy cream, orzo, chicken, spinach, tomatoes, half of your mozzarella, half of your parmesan cheese (save the remaining cheese for the topping), garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir everything to combine, then flatten the top into an even layer.
- Bake – add the remaining parmesan and mozzarella over the top of the casserole, then bake uncovered in the preheated oven at 375˚F for 40-45 minutes or until the orzo is tender or your desired doneness.*
- Rest Casserole – Once the dish is out of the oven, let it rest and thicken up* for 10 minutes, then stir gently to combine and enjoy!
Notes
*You replace tomatoes with 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped, but add an extra 1/2 cup of liquid. The type of pasta you use matters. For the best results, I recommend using a high-quality Italian bronze cut orzo made from 100% hard durum semolina. The bronze-cut method gives the pasta a rougher surface, and it doesn’t expand and absorb as much liquid, resulting in a creamier pasta. Some of my favorite brands are Dellalo, De Cecco, Rustichella d’Abruzzo, and Pastificio Di Martino. They hold up perfectly al dente and make such a difference in your dish. Here’s how to adjust the amount of pasta and timing:
–With a high-quality Italian orzo, use 16 oz and cook closer to 45 minutes
–With a lower quality or cheaper orzo, use 12 oz since it expands more. Cooks faster, about 40 minutes. **If the Pasta casserole seems dry (some pastas absorb more liquid than others, add 1/2 cup of hot liquid – either water, broth, or cream and stir it in.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Casserole Recipes
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Meatballs Parmesan Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Lasagna
THIS IS AMAZING! I had all of the ingredients on hand except for the spinach and pasta which made me feel that I was making dinner for around $5! Super flavorful and a beautiful casserole to serve to family and guests. Follow the recipe exactly, you won’t be disappointed! I will make this again, without a doubt.
Thank you for your thoughtful feedback, Heidi! I’m so happy you loved this recipe!
If I make this with onion an mushrooms instead of tomatoes, should I cook them first and increase the liquid?
Hi Linda! I don’t think you need to increase the liquid, but yes- I would sauté them first.
This was super easy and SO GOOD!!! I’m going to make this on repeat!!!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jennifer!
Made this recipe tonight…delicious and so easy to prepare! Hubby went back for seconds! Will be making this again!!
I absolutely love this recipe! I’d like to serve it at a dinner party but would need to triple the recipe. How long would I need to cook it?
Hi there! Thanks, I’m so happy to hear that you loved this recipe. If you want to double or tripe the recipe, that can work but you need to of course adjust the ingredients and make sure that your baking dish is big enough to handle the larger volume. The baking time is approximately 55‑65 minutes with resting time of 10 minutes.
Sooo good and easy to make. Thank you Natasha!
Do I cook the orzo before adding to casserole or does the chicken stock do the job?
Hi Kathy! No, it’s not precooked, I hope you love the recipe!
This recipe made its debut at our house tonight & it did not disappoint! It’s similar to risotto & sooo easy to prepare. I used rotisserie chicken because I was short on time. My son asked for the recipe to make for a Sunday football crowd! It made an impression.
Super tasty. Texture is perfect as well. I used rotisserie chicken so that speeds up the process!
Is there a way to make this without the cheese? I am dairy free I can find an alternative liquid but dairy free cheese is no good.
Hi Melissa! I haven’t tested this without cheese. I think it’s possibly but it may be lacking in flavor and creaminess so you’ll need to adjust seasoning accordingly per your preference.
Absolutely delicious, even the fussy member of the family cleared their plate.
Will definitely be making this again!
the orzo box says 450 g. is that enough?
Hi Jan, yes, that should be enough. 16oz of orzo is equal to about 450-455 grams, depending on the brand and quality of the Orzo you have.
how many cups is 16 oz of dry orzo – some conversions say 2 and some say 4
Hi Jan, depending on the brand and quality, it should be a little over 2 cups of Orzo, but it’s best to go off of the weight.
Loved this amazing dish! It was great the first time out of the oven and even better the 2nd time reheated! It was so delicious and my husband really liked it too! Thank you so much Natasha! Your recipes are fabulous!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kate!
I couldn’t find a link for the ceramic pan you used to brown the chicken. Can you please share the link for me. I thoroughly enjoy many of your recipes and love your style !!!
Hi Jane, I used this Ceramic Non-Toxic Non-Stick Pan. You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
This is absolutely delicious! I made it exactly as written, using Juliet Tomatoes from my garden, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Hubby liked it too!
I’m so glad you loved it as is, don’t you just love this with garden fresh veggies?
This recipe looks yummy but I have to be cautious with my vitamin K intake (spinach, broccoli). Do you have a recommendation for other vegetables I could substitute, and if so, would that impact the cooking time? Thanks!
Hi Tracy, one of my readers mentioned they loved it with mushrooms.
Huge hit for us. Made a 1/2 batch for a family of three, and the whole thing was eaten! Didn’t have heavy cream or cherry tomatoes. Used oat milk and a little butter and it was delicious! Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome, Amanda! So glad it was enjoyed.