Description
Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo is an easy one-pan dinner featuring juicy Cajun-seasoned chicken, tender orzo, Parmesan, and a rich cream sauce brightened with fresh lemon. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s a flavorful, comforting weeknight meal with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken
- 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts (or 2 regular chicken breasts, butterflied in half)
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the Orzo
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Fresh thyme, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Season the chicken: Coat both sides of the chicken breasts evenly with 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning.
- Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, or until golden and the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Rest the chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and loosely tent with foil. Do not clean the skillet.
- Sauté the orzo: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter, orzo, diced onion, minced shallot, and remaining 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the broth: Increase the heat to medium and pour in the chicken broth. Scrape up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender.
- Make it creamy: Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Continue stirring gently until the Parmesan melts and the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- Finish the dish: Remove the skillet from the heat and return the chicken to the pan. Let everything rest for 5 minutes so the sauce can thicken.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh thyme and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cajun seasoning blends vary in both salt and heat. Start with less if you’re using a particularly salty or spicy blend.
- Thin chicken breasts cook quickly, so use an instant-read thermometer and remove them once they reach 165°F.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- If the orzo absorbs the broth before becoming tender, add a small splash of additional chicken broth.
- The sauce thickens considerably as it rests. If it becomes too thick, stir in a splash of warm broth or cream.
- For a milder family-friendly version, reduce the Cajun seasoning in the orzo.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main Course
- Method: Stovetop, One-Pan
- Cuisine: Cajun-Inspired, American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (¼ of recipe)
- Calories: 700 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 1050 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 43 g
- Cholesterol: 155 mg