Have a lot of leftover pesto in the freezer or pantry? This creamy pesto orzo with chicken couldn't be any easier. Featuring basil pesto (which can also be homemade pesto), pan seared chicken, and orzo pasta, all it takes is 30 minutes from stove to table and dinner is served.
From sandwiches to pasta, like my cheesy pesto tortellini bake, my caprese pesto panini, or this delicious pesto shrimp pasta, there's a lot of reasons why pesto is amazing and different uses for it. It's a staple in my household and I know you'll love this pesto orzo with chicken.
TL; DR Summary - Pesto Orzo with Chicken
- 👩🏼🍳 Cook Level: Easy/Beginner
- ⏱️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 📖 Dietary Info: Gluten, dairy, poultry
- 😋 Taste: Garlicky, herbaceous, creamy, savory, a little salty.
- 💖 Why You'll Love: This pesto pasta recipe is simple to prepare, holds up well as a meal-prep option, and is versatile for a variety of different add ins.
- 🍽️ Best Served With: Make this pesto orzo pasta with a deliciously fresh cabbage salad with chickpeas or a simple shaved Brussels sprout salad. For even more herby flavor, make my herbed garlic bread.
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Jump to:
- TL; DR Summary - Pesto Orzo with Chicken
- Trusted Tips and Reminders
- The Main Ingredients
- Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- How to make pesto orzo with chicken
- Mistakes I've Made (to avoid!)
- Pesto Orzo with Chicken FAQs
- Looking for more yummy carbs? Try out these other satisfying pasta dishes:
- Pesto Orzo with Chicken
Trusted Tips and Reminders
- When stirring in the pesto, be sure to use enough to coat the pasta and keep it creamy. You might think you are adding in too much of the sauce, but trust me, you want it creamy and you want the pasta to be coated well and not dry out.
- Don't rinse the drained orzo, as rinsing the pasta will wash away starch which actually helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Cook the orzo al dente. This prevents the pasta from breaking and becoming mush when mixing with the chicken and the pesto sauce.
The Main Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is what I used for this dish.
- Pesto: Jarred works great! If you're looking for nut free, you can make my homemade nut free basil recipe.
- Orzo Pasta: I love using orzo from Trader Joe's, Delallo, Barilla, but you can easily find a favorite at any grocery store!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: the olive oil is one of the main components of this dish as it's used for sautéing the chicken but also in the pesto itself if you choose to make homemade pesto.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- Chicken: If you're vegan, you can swap out the chicken for a plant-based chicken for added protein or use chicken sausage instead (similar to my cajun chicken sausage pasta).
- Pesto: use a vegan pesto if you'd like. I know a lot of people LOVE the Trader Joe's Vegan pesto, so go for it!
- Pasta: whole wheat, gluten-free orzo is a great swap here too. If you are not an orzo fan, you can use different pasta shapes that you prefer.
- Vegetarian: Toss some finely chopped peppers, onion, some corn, and peas into a large pan with olive oil and sauté until fragrant. Toss together with the orzo and the pesto (you can make my recipe but substitute the cheese with nutritional yeast), and you've got a veggie-packed, nutritious dinner.
How to make pesto orzo with chicken
Step 1: Pat dry the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and dice into small pieces then add to a medium bowl. Season with either adobo or salt and pepper, then set aside.
Step 2: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente.
Step 3: While the orzo cooks, sauté the chicken with olive oil on medium heat, cooking on all sides until the pieces of chicken begin to lightly brown and are cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
Step 4: Once the orzo is finished cooking, strain the cooked orzo and add back to the pot. Dollop a few spoonfuls of the pesto directly into the cooked orzo. Add the cooked chicken to the pesto and orzo, then stir to incorporate the chicken and coat with pesto.
Transfer to a large bowl, then top with fresh parmesan shavings and serve.
Mistakes I've Made (to avoid!)
- Do not overcook the orzo! It will fall apart when tossing together with the pesto and the chicken. Cook the orzo until just al dente.
- In one of my tests, I did not use enough pesto and the entire recipe turned out dry. The pesto should be enough to coat all of the chicken and the orzo.
Pesto Orzo with Chicken FAQs
Add the leftovers to an airtight container and set in the fridge. This recipe will last in the fridge for up to four days. If you have leftover pesto, add any remaining pesto to a small container and either place in the fridge, or put in the freezer.
Add the pasta to a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. This will stay for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm up in the microwave when serving.
Yes! The only other oil I would suggest is using an avocado oil as it's great for high heat cooking and is very neutral in taste.
You can definitely use boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken sausage, ground chicken or turkey, or even tofu.
Looking for more yummy carbs? Try out these other satisfying pasta dishes:
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Pesto Orzo with Chicken
Equipment
- 1 pot large enough to cook the orzo
- 1 frying pan
- 1 cutting board
- 1 slicing knife
- mesh strainer I like using a mesh strainer to catch orzo so that we don't lose any pasta in the holes of a regular pasta strainer.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced into cubes
- 2 tablespoon adobo seasoning or salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 jar pesto or you can make your own!
- 1 ½ cups dry orzo
- parmesan cheese optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat dry the boneless, skinless chicken breasts and dice into small pieces then add to a medium bowl. Season with either adobo or salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente.
- While the orzo cooks, sauté the chicken with olive oil on medium heat, cooking on all sides until the pieces of chicken begin to lightly brown and are cooked through, approximately 10 minutes.
- Once the orzo is finished cooking, strain the cooked orzo and add back to the pot. Dollop a few spoonfuls of the pesto directly into the cooked orzo. Stir to combine the orzo with pesto, adding in more pesto as desired.
- Add the cooked chicken to the pesto and orzo, then stir to incorporate the chicken and coat with pesto. Transfer to a large bowl, then top with fresh parmesan shavings and serve.
Colleen Grant says
I had to come here and share that this pesto orzo was incredible. I used shrimp instead of chicken, because I forgot I didn’t have chicken so shrimp it was BUT the homemade pesto… WOW! I can’t wait to make it again.
Abigail says
This is one of my favorite recipes to make during the week. I love that it’s a recipe but it’s also great for a family with a pantry that makes it easy for me to feed my family quickly. The chicken makes this dish!!
Melissa says
i LOVE pesto. This recipe was so good even my five year old son asked for more, and he is picky!!! I will be saving this one for my weekly rotation thank you!
Brian says
Pesto is my favorite sauce, so when I saw this a few days ago, I knew I had to make it asap. We loved how easy the nut free pesto recipe was, and that it was nut free. We have family who can't eat nuts, so this was great.