One Pan Creamy Boursin Chicken Orzo
Creamy Boursin Chicken Orzo is simple and satisfying, cooked in one pan for a busy weeknight dinner! Featuring garlic & fine herb Boursin cheese, orzo pasta, bites of tender chicken, tomatoes, and spinach — in a creamy, cheezy sauce that comforts and fills you up.
It couldn’t be simpler — everything is cooked in large skillet, then covered and finished in the oven. Garnished with a squeeze of fresh lemon, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper, and basil leaves, just add a crisp salad and some crusty bread and you have a complete meal that’s easy on your time.
Creamy Boursin Chicken Orzo ingredients
Boursin: I chose Boursin Garlic & Fine Herb for this meal. It’s easy to find, and makes the sauce incredible.
Chicken: About 2 chicken breasts, cubed. You could use chicken thigh meat as well. Cube into bite-sized pieces.
Aromatics: I diced a comically-large shallot for this recipe! Garlic is the other aromatic I used. You could use a quarter of a small onion (diced) if you can’t find shallots. Hint: you can make your own Italian Seasoning.
Orzo: I absolute love this orzo, because it’s a bit larger than other brands. I love that it gives a risotto-like quality to the recipe, without the fuss.
Sauce: Chicken stock and white wine make a creamy sauce when mixed with the Boursin and parmesan! Don’t want to use wine? Just use ¼ cup additional chicken stock.
Vegetables: I used grape tomatoes and baby spinach. I sometimes find that grape tomatoes go rotten so quickly, so if that happens to you, use sun-dried tomatoes instead.
Finishing the dish: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice is essential! Top with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and torn basil leaves for that Italian bistro finish. I like to also add more freshly cracked black pepper and another sprinkle of parmesan!
Protein option for Creamy Boursin Chicken Orzo
Use salmon instead of chicken! Add bite-sized cubes of fresh salmon to the pan just before putting in the oven, skipping the steps where you’re browning the chicken.
One Pan Creamy Boursin Chicken Orzo
Equipment
- Large skillet with lid (or aluminum foil)
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cubed
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups orzo pasta dry
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup dry white wine see note
- 1 package Boursin garlic & herb cheese 150g or 5-ish ounces
- 2 cups grape tomatoes cut in half
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach roughly chopped
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated, plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Juice from a quarter of a lemon
- Fresh basil leaves torn
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare ingredients
- Peel & dice shallot, mince garlic cloves, cut up tomatoes, and chop spinach. Cube the chicken breasts. Grate the parmesan cheese. Have the basil leaves, red pepper flakes, and lemon ready to go for the end of the cooking.
- In a large bowl, add the cubed chicken. Add Italian seasoning, paprika, and salt & pepper and toss well to coat.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When heated, add chicken. Cook until chicken is nicely browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through.
- Add shallots and garlic, and cook for another minute or until fragrant.
- Add white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to get all those delicious browned bits. Add chicken stock and orzo.
- When chicken stock just starts to bubble, turn off heat.
- Place the whole Boursin cheese in the centre of the pan. Sprinkle the cut up tomatoes around the pan; try to submerge some of the tomatoes in the stock. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until orzo is tender.
- Remove pan from oven and remove lid or foil. Stir everything together so melted Boursin is completely mixed in. Stir in chopped spinach and parmesan.
- Return the pan to the oven for an addition 5 minutes, to melt parmesan and wilt the spinach.
To serve
- Stir the orzo well. Squeeze lemon over the whole dish, add red pepper flakes and torn basil leaves. Add more freshly cracked black pepper and more grated parmesan, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
More delicious one pan meals to try