Tastes just like risotto…. except it’s far quicker to make! Also known as Orzo, this risoni recipe comes with juicy chicken, a creamy parmesan sauce and plenty of hidden vegetables. It’s a quick one pot recipe the kids are sure to love. (And grown ups too!)
Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Risoni (Orzo)
This is a quick dinner recipe that will tick all your boxes:
✅ fast and easy to make – 10 minute cook!
✅ made with everyday pantry staples
✅ highly customisable – use whatever vegetables and proteins you want
✅ complete meal – protein, vegetables, carbs, dairy!
✅ the sort of food that’s universally appealing, one that big and little people love
Is there a difference between Orzo and Risoni?
Nope, they’re the same thing! Tiny rice shaped pasta that’s widely available nowadays, it’s called risoni here in Australia but most countries in the world call it orzo.
A quick Risoni recipe that’s a complete dinner made in one pot!
Ingredients you need
And here’s what you need for this Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Risoni. There’s plenty of substitution and customisation options – see below.
LOADS of substitution options!
Loads and loads… even the risoni!
Risoni / orzo – sub with other very small pasta (like kiddie alphabet, tiny macaroni)
Chicken – any protein, or skip it
Frozen veg – I use this for convenience, sub with any diced vegetables
Baby Spinach – I throw in a couple of handles to get extra nutrition in. Use any wilt-able veggies (even the leafy end of Asian greens!) or add more veggies
Parmesan – any grated cheese!
Flour – any type of flour (white, brown, self raising, cake flour)
Milk – dairy or non dairy! Or a mix of cream and water, or evaporated milk
Chicken stock (broth) – stock cube with water. In emergencies, use water and lots more cheese! 😂
Onion – leeks, extra garlic, geen onion, shallots
Garlic – garlic powder, extra onion
How to make it
If you’re wondering how on earth this risoni recipe can be cooked so quickly, here’s why – risoni / orzo takes a mere 8 minutes to cook from start to finish.
So we only have it on the stove for 7 minutes, then the tiny rice-like grains keep cooking while you’re faffing around getting bowls out, serving it up, sprinkling on parmesan and yelling for everyone to get to the table for dinner. 😂
Use a pan that is reasonably deep – around 5cm / 2.5″ or more. Otherwise, use a large pot. Heat the oil then sauté the garlic and onion for 1 minute to give them a head start. Then sear the chicken for 2 minutes until the outside is seared but the inside is still raw.
Add frozen vegetables (still frozen ok) and flour, then stir until the flour is incorporated.
Add the uncooked risoni/orzo, stock and milk, then stir well. Bring to simmer then adjust heat so it’s bubbling gently (see video). Cook for 7 minutes (no lid), stirring every now and then, until risoni is almost tender (still quite soupy at this stage).
Add parmesan and spinach, stir through until the spinach is wiled.
The consistency should be like a loose risotto (it absorbs liquid and thickens quite quickly when serving), nice and creamy. So don’t stress if it looks more soupy than what you want when you take it off the stove, it will thicken as it sits around.
Serve, garnished with parsley and more parmesan if desired!
This one pot method of cooking is an excellent quick-meal option for busy nights. It works for long strand pasta (like this One Pot Chicken Alfredo and One Pot Bolognese) as well as other short pastas (like in this One Pot Vegetable Pasta and Broccoli Pasta).
The recipe makes enough for 4 to 5. Leftovers will keep for a few days – but note that leftover pasta is never quite as saucy. Or try making Muffin Tin Spaghetti Nests with the leftovers which kids absolutely adore! ~ Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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One Pot Chicken, Vegetable & Parmesan Orzo (Risoni)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1/2 onion , diced
- 250g / 8oz chicken thigh or breast , cut into bite size pieces
- 2 1/2 cups frozen diced vegetables (carrots, peas, corn, capsicum/peppers, anything!)
- 1 1/2 cups orzo / risoni , uncooked (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
- 2 1/4 cups milk , any fat %
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock / broth (low sodium)
- 3 cups baby spinach (packed)
- 3/4 cup (tightly packed) parmesan , finely grated (or store bought sandy type)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Serving
- More parmesan
- Parsley or chives, if desired
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Make sure the pan is reasonably deep – around 5cm / 2.5" or more. Otherwise, use a large pot.
- Sear chicken – Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute. Add chicken, then cook for 2 minutes until seared on the outside but still raw inside.
- Vegetables and flour – Add frozen vegetables (still frozen ok) and flour, stir until flour is incorporated.
- Add uncooked risoni – Add risoni/orzo, stock and milk, then stir well.
- Cook 7 minutes – Bring to simmer then adjust heat so it's bubbling gently (see video). Cook for 7 minutes (no lid), stirring every now and then, until risoni is almost tender (still quite soupy at this stage).
- Add parmesan, spinach, salt and pepper. Stir through until the spinach is wilted.
- Serve – The consistency should be like a loose risotto (it absorbs liquid and thickens quite quickly when serving), nice and creamy. Serve, garnished with parsley and more parmesan if desired!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published June 2014. Updated June 2019 with fresh new photos, new writing, new video added and most importantly, Life of Dozer section added!
More risoni / orzo recipes
I love risoni because it’s so quick to cook – making it super handy for quick dinners!
One Pot Italian Chicken Orzo / Risoni Pasta – cosy, saucy one pot chicken and risoni dinner
Orzo / Risoni Bolognaise – one pot bolognese pasta dish!
Greek Lemon Orzo Salad – a bright fresh pasta salad loaded with Greek flavours
Creamy Salmon Risoni / Orzo (15 Minute Meal) – tastes like risotto, except MUCH faster to make!
Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Orzo (Risoni) (One Pot) – tastes like a creamy mushroom risotto
Baked Greek Chicken Orzo (Risoni) – Greek chicken AND orzo made in one pot!
Pea, Zucchini and Pesto Orzo / Risoni – a wonderful quick side dish
Life of Dozer
Sunny Tuesdays call for lazy working lunches out by the water…. (this is at The Boat Shed in Palm Beach, Sydney 🇦🇺. Not too far from where I live!)
Made this for dinner tonight and it was great! Followed your recipe exactly, but looking forward to changing things up with different veggies next time!
I’m so glad Audra! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed it!!
Wow fast, easy, and delicious! What I loved most about this was the creaminess-that set it apart from other pasta/veg dishes. And this reheated beautifully for me the next day-it did not dry out at all. Yum! I was so sad when I ate the last of it. Next time I am planning on substituting shrimp for the ckn to try that. Thank you for a wonderful meal!
Hi Jennifer! I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 It’s just about getting the liquid ratios right to make sure you end up with a creamy pasta. And don’t be sad – so easy to make MORE!! (And yes, shrimp would be fab. I’d cook it first, sear on high heat to get browning and JUST cook it through, remove onto plate, then stir it through at the very end just to warm it up. 🙂 ) Hope you had a lovely weekend!! N x
Righto, So I’ve officially got a foodie crush on you, and my husband is now a huge fan. This dish was SENSATIONAL! This is J Daddy during his entire meal: every bite was prefaced with “wow, this is so good”. The superlatives didn’t end when he finished his meal – they continued for about 10 minutes afterwards. We are both really looking forward to our leftovers tomorrow! (Yes, I did read that the dish is best eaten immediately, but somehow I managed to yield 4 servings, so we will make sure we reheat with a bit of water to make sure the food doesn’t dry out too much.)
I did change things up a little bit – I used what I had in my fridge/freezer for vegetables – I replaced all the fresh veggies for 2 cups of frozen mixed veg (carrots, corn and peas), and a couple of big cubes of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out. I cooked the chicken in the oil with the garlic, then added the milk, stock, risoni and flour, cooked this for 5 minutes, then added the veg, cooked it for another 4 minutes or so, then mixed in the cheese, stirred through and heated for another minute or so before finishing it off with a few cracks of cracked pepper. Served with extra parmesan cheese on top.
This recipe has now been added to our “go to” list of dinner meals. Warming, filling, and full of creamy goodness, without the cream! Thanks for a super easy and delicious meal!
Oh, yeah – tested and approved by Momma G. ;-p
Woo hoo!! Stamp of approval from Momma G!! Thank you so much Gloria, for coming back to share your thoughts on this 🙂 AND even more flattered that Daddy G approves!!
Love the change ups you made and thanks for sharing that too so other people can use your tips 🙂
oh PS, is there a way I can leave comments on your blog?? 😉
Funniest comment from The Big One (my 4yo son) this morning: “Momma, why didn’t I have what you had for dinner last night? It smelled really yummy!” (He’s a bit of a fussy eater and had already asked for something else, which I prepared and he happily ate.) When I told him I had leftovers and will be having it for dinner tonight, he said “Well, I must have some of it. Please, Momma, can I please have some of it?” How do I say no to that?
I’m still trying to work out how to use Tumblr, and I think you have to have a Tumblr account to comment on my posts. Boo to that!
I’m off to look through your recipes for some dinner ideas for next week!
I’m in love with your 4yo…..SO CUTE!! PS I’m at my mothers today. Heading to Eastwood for a dumpling fix!!
I think I do have a Tumblr account! I must see if I can remember my password!
Hi Nagi, I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!! I substituted the orzo for a combination of brown rice and quinoa and added in some chopped up spring onions. Absolutely beautiful – thank you! Your recipes are my go-to for dinners!
Hi Lucy – wow! So glad you enjoyed it – and it’s GREAT to know it works with rice and quinoa (even better that it works tossing both in!). Thank you so much for coming back to share your feedback!
How is this re-heated? I was thinking about making ahead and/or bringing for lunches. Have you tried it the next day?
Hi Jessica! I find that pastas are never as great the next day but they are fine to reheat. The liquid just gets absorbed by the pasta so you lose moisture. You can adjust it by adding a tablespoon of water before reheating it. 🙂
i made this tonight after my first day back to work from maternity leave. It was perfect for tonight as we try and figure out our new routine with a baby in the mix! I used leftover turkey breast from dinner last night and it was just delicious. Thank you for a great, fast weeknight dinner with no processed stuff. It really made a stressful day a little easier.
Hi Robyn, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this recipe!! You are so kind. I am so glad that this made your day a little easier, especially on such a big day!! I hope you settle back into work smoothly 🙂
What a great recipe for the cooler nights coming soon. I just wanted to let you know that I have a website (Simply Creative Recipes) where I showcase recipes that I find and I am linking to this post if you don’t mind. Please feel free to submit your recipes to my site if you’d like!
I made this tonight & it was so good!! Although I sure it’s delicious on its own I did a little poultry seasoning & 4 oz of cream cheese to it. Great recipe!!
Cream cheese would be a wonderful addition! I am so glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for dropping by!
I love taking my time in the kitchen, but every once and again life intervenes and demands a quick and easy meal. This sounds perfect for those rushed evenings!
Thanks for dropping by Samantha! I’m exactly the same as you – love cobbling around the kitchen at my own leisurely pace, but yes, sometimes you just need a quick (nutritious) meal. Hope you try it!