This one-pot Cajun Chicken and Orzo is a bold, comforting dish packed with Southern flavors. Juicy chicken, smoky andouille sausage, and tender orzo come together in a rich, creamy sauce infused with Cajun seasoning.
It’s a fuss-free dinner for those busy weeknights, delivering maximum flavor with minimal effort!
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🗝️ Recipe's key points
- Easy cleanup and minimal dishes make this a stress-free dinner option.
- A delicious blend of Cajun spices, smoky sausage, and hearty ingredients makes for a bold, comforting meal.
- Ready in just 45 minutes, this rich and savory dish is perfect for weeknight family meals.
If you're in the mood for some Southern comfort food, this chicken orzo pasta is a delicious alternative to gumbo, dirty rice, or jambalaya!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
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- Chicken thighs - boneless and skinless.
- Cajun seasoning - we used Slap Yo Mama brand, but you may use your favorite homemade or store-bought brand
- Kosher salt & Freshly ground black pepper
- Unsalted butter
- Andouille sausage - this sausage has a lovely spicy kick.
- Onion
- Green bell pepper
- Celery
- Tomato paste
- Garlic
- Flour - To thicken the sauce. You can use cornstarch instead if you prefer.
- Chicken stock - Store-bought or homemade.
- Diced tomatoes
- Orzo pasta - a small pasta that looks similar to rice in terms of shape and size.
- Green onions
- Italian parsley
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Season the chicken.
- Melt butter in a heated Dutch oven. Cook the chicken in batches in a single layer until cooked through and golden brown. Set aside.
- Add sausage, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Stir occasionally while it cooks for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and Cajun seasoning until fragrant.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned.
- Stir in chicken stock and diced tomatoes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Stir in orzo pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for another 6 minutes. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven.
- Serve immediately and garnish with green onions and parsley, if desired.
🥫 Storage
Store this chicken orzo pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet, adding a small amount of water, chicken stock, or milk if the pasta has absorbed a lot of sauce during storage.
You could also freeze this chicken and orzo for up to 1 month and thaw it overnight in the fridge.
📚 Variations
- Add pieces of bacon or shrimp to this chicken with orzo pasta recipe. The shrimp will certainly give it that Louisiana-style pasta feel.
- I used orzo pasta for this one-pan Cajun pasta. But feel free to use penne, elbow, ziti, or any pasta you love!
- You don't have to stick to green bell pepper. Red and yellow are also great, or even a combination of all three! Consider including a wider variety of veggies in this chicken with orzo pasta recipe, such as mushrooms and zucchini.
- Use gluten-free pasta for allergies.
- Add a kick of heat to this chicken orzo pasta with cayenne pepper, paprika, or red pepper flakes. You can also use fire roasted tomatoes or Ro-Tel tomatoes with green chili.
- Make creamy chicken orzo by mixing softened cream cheese into the sauce.
- Use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs, but keep in mind that this will likely require a different pan-cooking time.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- If you’re using pre-cooked or leftover chicken thighs, add them to the skillet with the other ingredients near the end. This way, they won’t dry out or get tough.
- To check if your chicken is done, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of each thigh. It should read 165 degrees F.
- Aim to use chicken thighs that are similar in size for even cooking.
- I’ve used a Dutch oven for this chicken with orzo pasta recipe, but you can use a deep skillet instead.
🤔 FAQs
Orzo is pasta despite it resembling grains of rice.
It depends. Orzo is higher in calories per serving compared to rice, but can pack more protein and fiber if you use whole-wheat orzo.
Cajun food is usually spicier than Creole food. It often includes spices like cayenne pepper and paprika.
Cajun seasoning can change based on the brand or recipe. It usually has spices like paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. On occasion, it can also include thyme, oregano, and celery seed.
📗 Related Recipes
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup - A light, cozy soup with wholesome ingredients and a bright lemony kick. Rich in flavor yet cream-free, it's sure to be a family favorite!
- Baked Salmon Orzo Casserole –This one-pan dish brings flaky salmon, zesty lemon, garlic, orzo, and fresh spring veggies. It's simple, flavorful, and satisfying. Perfect for a cozy dinner!
- Turkey Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers - Colorful peppers filled with turkey sausage, orzo, and savory seasonings. A quick, healthy, and delicious 30-minute meal!
🍽 What to serve with Cajun Chicken and Orzo
Enjoy your Cajun chicken and orzo pasta with crusty bread, dinner rolls, biscuits, and a simple tossed green salad.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Dutch oven or deep skillet - needed for cooking the recipe
- Chef's knife - for cutting the veggies
- Cutting board - a solid, non-skid surface for preparing the meat and veggies
- Liquid measuring cup - needed for measuring the liquid ingredients
- Dry measuring cup - measures the veggies and dry ingredients
- Measuring spoons - for measuring the spice and seasoning
- Wooden mixing spoon or silicone spatula - good for stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
If you love a little spezia (spice) in your life (and on your plate!), this Cajun Chicken Orzo Pasta is definitely for you. It's got that perfect balance of creamy, smoky, ad spicy flavors—basically, a hug in a bowl with a little kick! And the best part? It's all made in ONE pentola (pot). That means more time enjoying this delicious meal and less time scrubbing dishes. Win-win!
So whether you're cooking for your family, impressing friends, or just craving something rich and satisfying, this dish is a must-try. Pair it with a scarpetta (some crusty bread) because that sauce is too good to waste. You might also enjoy a simple green insalata (salad) to balance it out.
Fidati di me (trust me), once you take that first bite, you'll wonder why you didn't make this sooner. Enjoy, and as always—buon appetito!❤️🔥
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Skillet Cajun Chicken and Orzo Pasta Bake
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken bone skinless chicken thighs
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Cajun seasoning divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced andouille sausage
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- 15 oz. diced tomatoes 1 can
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with 1 ¼ teaspoons Cajun seasoning, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the Dutch oven in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side; set aside.
- Add sausage, onion, bell pepper, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning until fragrant, for about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock and diced tomatoes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in orzo; season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and parsley if desired.
Notes
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- If you’re using pre-cooked or leftover chicken thighs, add them to the skillet with the other ingredients near the end. This way, they won’t dry out or get tough.
-
- To check if your chicken is done, insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of each thigh. It should read 165 degrees F.
-
- Aim to use chicken thighs that are similar in size for even cooking.
-
- I’ve used a Dutch oven for this chicken with orzo pasta recipe, but you can use a deep skillet instead.
Nutrition
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Marisa Franca
This one-pot Cajun Chicken Orzo Pasta is the ultimate weeknight savior! It's quick, flavorful, and packed with Andouille sausage for that extra kick!