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!
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. 😂
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).
What 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
This 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
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
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 (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
- 2 1/4 cups (565 ml) milk , any fat %
- 2 cups (500 ml) chicken or vegetable stock / broth (low sodium)
- 3 cups baby spinach (packed)
- 3/4 cup (75g) parmesan (grated)
- Salt and pepper to taste
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.
- Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper then cook for 2 minutes until cooked on the outside (raw inside).
- Add frozen vegetables (still frozen ok) and flour, stir until flour is incorporated.
- Add 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. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 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!
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!)
This was super delicious and very easy to make. I used frozen peas, bagged shredded (but not frozen) carrots, and spinach. At the end, I added chopped fresh basil, the juice of half a lemon and the zest of a whole lemon. This definitely belongs in heavy rotation-really good!
Perfect Christine!
Delicious! Huge hit! Thank you for creating a great recipe. The cooking times were spot on! Love all the suggestions for customization. Thank you for such a quick, easy meal! ❤️
I’ve cooked this a couple of times now and boys like it. I’ve been using chicken mince instead and tastes great.
I’m so glad you loved it Janice, thanks so much for the feedback!
This was delicious! I’ve been trying to find new recipes for my picky toddler, and she loved this one. Thanks!
Wahoo, that’s great Ashley!
This was everything my daughter likes. I used minute rice instead of orzo, coconut milk, and a bunch of frozen spinach and broccoli without the chicken. She’s shovelling it into her mouth so fast and giving you thumbs up.
Cooked this tonight was very delicious whole family loved it I made a double batch so leftovers for lunches thanks Nagi for all your great recipes love them
Sounds amazing Beck!
Super tasty and easy!
I’m so glad you love it Kate!
Hi Nagi,
I got some chilli regano cheese last week. when I tried it, I thought it was very similar to parmesan and it would go well with pasta. When I saw this recipe, I had to try it. This is another truly great meal for my family.
Wahoo, that’s great to hear David!
O.M.G! I quickly made this for my husband and kids before I dashed out the door last night and figured there would be leftovers for lunch on Monday. Not so! They ate the pot clean because they loved it so much. What a winner of a chicken pasta dinner!! This will be a regular feature in the weekly menu from now on and shared with all my fellow parents. It’s a cracker!! #tenoutoften
Winner Winner Chicken dinner!!!! That’s terrific!
This is a really great recipe – quick, easy, and delicious. Thank you!! I used a bag of frozen vegetables but next time I make it I’m going to use chopped zucchini & summer squash since we have an abundance right now!
Abbey, I was curious if you tried it with the fresh zucchini and how it turned out. I wasn’t sure if the fresh zucchini would add extra moisture and how you adjusted your recipe if that was the case. Thank you!
It’s perfect to use up anything you want! I’m so glad you loved it Abbey!
Nagi, my husband believes me to be a chef. I keep saying…I just make them, Nagi actually comes up with them 😂 I’ve made a number of your recipes to date and he LOVES them. Thank you so much for increasing my confidence in cooking!
I provide the recipes, you are the creator – give yourself more praise!! I’m so happy you’re loving the recipes – N x
This is awesome. Definitely will make again. All of your recipes are the BEST!! I actually have your blog on my home screen. Thanks again Nagi!
That’s so nice to hear Karen, I’m so happy you’re loving the recipes ❤️
I am always looking for easy recipes that are also easy to chew for my elderly mother.
this seems perfect and I will make it soon!
I hope you love it Sue!
Easy to make. We loved it.
Thanks so much for the feedback Wendy!
Definitely too much liquid.. will try adding 1/2 cup more Orzo next time, or 1 cup less stock… other than that though, it was absolutely delicious 🙂
Hi Sandy, that doesn’t sound right, did you follow the directions exactly? – N x
I just made this – delicious! I’ve actually been following quite a few of your recipes. Do you think this will freeze well? Thanks!
Hi Annie, I don’t fine that orzo freezes well as it tends to dry out then gets glumly upon reheating – N x
Had a chicken breast that needed cooking, so I gave this recipe a spin. Followed it to a T, but found my stock wasn’t doing it justice. So I added a large Knorr’s bouillon cube to the thickening liquid. Perfect.
Sounds great! Sometimes the type of stock can have an impact on the dish, but I’m glad it worked for you!
This was delicious and easy! I do agree with the others, total cooking time (after I prepped and chopped everything) took me 50 minutes total. Mine was also a bit too soupy. Looking forward to leftovers after the orzo soaks in all the flavors! Next time, I will try shrimp with asparagus!!!
This was really good and tasty. I will definitely make it again. I feel though that the 15 minute prep time is overly optimistic. There is garlic and onion to chop. A carrot (s) to wash and peel, a red pepper to wash and chop, don’t forget to wash the spinach and chop it. Whoops, I forgot about the chicken that needs to be cut. None of these things are difficult in itself, but I just found that the time needed was more than 15 minutes. This is a meal that I would never make after work unless the prep work was done the morning before I left for work. Then it would be a snap to prepare. For me, this is a perfect recipe for a weekend meal. So, yes, this recipe is a keeper and I would recommend you make it, but keep in mind that it requires a bit of time and effort. Oh, btw, I did not need the boiling water either. I am going to try freezing the leftovers and I am betting that it will freeze well. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Hi Lynn! Thank you for the observation regarding the prep time, I will be sure to reassess when I add a video for this recipe! 🙂 N x
Fantastic recipe. Would you recommend trying it with beef? I think the notation of five mins preparation time is a bit on the slim side!
Sorry Terrence, I will revisit some of these older recipes!! Beef is a tough one because it either needs to be cooked super quickly or long and slow 🙂 You could use ground/mince beef but it’d need some seasoning 🙂 N x
Hello! I loove your recipes and am going to try some on weekend… can I ask what would you recommend in case I don’t have chicken broth? For this and other dishes?
Hi Luiz! Do you have chicken bouillon cubes?? I always make sure I have tons on hand as back up! N x
Can this keep well in the fridge or freezer as leftovers without making them into nests?
Yep, it reheated nicely because it’s saucy!