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
Absolutely delicious. The flavor and texture profiles are spot on. We enjoyed it very much with a glass of red wine. Perfecto. Thank you, Natasha😊
I’m so glad you loved it John! Thank you for sharing!
Since I do a lot of my own preserving, I used canned tomatoes (drained) and canned spinach (also drained). They worked great in this recipe! I’m going to increase the spinach by another jar in the next batch 😀
Can I throw together today and bake tomorrow? I love all of your recipes! Thank you:)
Hi Karen! I have not tested that so I do know if it will affect the texture and if the orzo will get mushy from sitting in liquid overnight.
Has anyone had any luck making this fabulous dish the night before? I would hate for the orzo to get mushy.
Hi Frances. Leftovers reheat well. See the storage tips above.
Can’t wait to try this. But hubby is not able to digest spinach. What is another good veggie substitute? Mushrooms??
Hi Lisa, one of my readers mentioned she had luck using mushrooms and broccoli, I bet other veggies would work great.
Natasha this is amazing! We had it for dinner last night and the first thing I thought of when I woke up was I can’t wait for lunch to have more!!!! Thank you!!
I’m so happy you loved it, Barb! It really is the best!
This was sooo good, my whole family loves it! I subbed whole fat coconut milk for heavy cream. I didn’t have monz cheese so I used Boursin garlic & herb cheese! Will def make again!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe, it looks delish!
I accidentally bought Delallo “whole wheat” bronze die extruded orzo. Is this ok to use? Thanks.
I have not tried those but I think that will work with a few adjustments!
Very nice! I even didn’t use any cheese as it is already fatty but still came very tasty. And to save electricity it comes fine in a pot on the hob. But it needs to be eaten hot before it gets bulky.
Hello , I just wanted to thank you for this Delicious recipe. I made this for the family last night and everyone raved about it. Hubby said I Definitely need to make again. The recipe was easy to follow and I had never made orzo before so I appreciated the tips on the brand to buy. The bake had such great flavors . Thanks again. 😊
It sounds like you found a new family favorite, Laura! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I’m going to be making it with Jasmine rice and wanted to know how many cups of rice would I use in place of the pasta?
Hi there! I have not tested that to advise of the changes that you need to make but that should still work with a few adjustments with the liquid. Keep an eye on the liquid level during baking.
My cherry tomatoes are a little bigger. Can I cut them in half?
Hi Andrea! That would be fine.
Could I cook it with RICE, Making it Gluten Free ????? Or cut up Gluten Free spaghetti into small pieces ??????
Hi there, white rice, such as jasmine or basmati, works well. Brown rice is also a good option but it has a longer cooking time. It might also absorb the liquid so make sure there’s enough liquid to keep it moist.
Second time I’ve made this dish for Sunday dinner yesterday, it is so very yummy, I did add a few tablespoons of sundried tomatoes and it really gave it a good flovaoe profile.
Made this couple of weeks ago following recipe oh wow amazing.
Using the same recipe made again last night replaced chicken with smoked haddock..worked really well as and just yummy.
This recipe is a winner in my house as my hubby doesn’t like pasta but will happily eat this 😋
Could you do this stovetop? By the way I love your cookbook!
Hi Marcia, I imagine that should work too. We’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try! I’m so glad you’re enjoying my cookbook!
Hi Can I sub plain Greek yogurt for the heavy cream?
Hi Jill, that’s a great question. I haven’t tried that to advise, but it may work, If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I made last night and left out heavy cream but added about 3/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt. Worked great, My whole family really enjoyed it!
Followed your recipe to the letter, except I didn’t stir it after I took it out of the oven it did not disappoint! It was so good and comforting, I will be making this again, thank you!
Natasha, this is absolutely delicious. I added a little more oregano just because I love it 😊. Love the garlic in this. I used sun dried tomatoes, because my husband does not like cherry tomatoes, and it was amazing. Definitely company worthy with bread, salad, and red wine. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for another delicious recipe!❤️
Hi Kelly! You’re so welcome. I’m happy you loved it!
How much sun-dried tomatoes would you use instead of cherry tomatoes?
This is delicious and way to make! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Donna!
This is so darn good! Excellent recipe and perfect side dish or main dish. Love!
Excellent! Better than restaurant food!!
Delicious and easy to fix; pairs very well with the coleslaw & apple salad. Easily fed 10 people, adults & children for Sunday dinner.