Easy One Pan Chicken Orzo Bake

Name: Easy One-Pan Chicken Orzo Bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 pound Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless; 3 ½ cup Chicken broth or chicken stock; ½ cup Sour Cream; 1 cup Shredded Three Cheese Blend, divided (or Mozzarella); ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated; 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano; 3 cloves Garlic, minced; 1 Lemon; 16 ounces Orzo, uncooked; 5 ounces Fresh baby spinach leaves ((about 2 heaping cups of loose leaves)); 10 ounces Cherry or Grape Tomatoes; 1 teaspoon Salt; 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper; 2 Tablespoons Italian Parsley, chopped and divided

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This One-Pan Chicken Orzo Bake is the ultimate weeknight dinner—creamy, cheesy, and packed with bright lemon and garlic flavors. With everything cooking in one dish, you get a comforting, satisfying meal with minimal prep and cleanup!

Cheesy Chicken Orzo Bake with grape tomatoes, spinach, and a creamy sauce in a casserole dish with spoon scooping some out at the corner.

Busy weeknights call for meals that are easy, comforting, and require as little cleanup as possible—enter this Easy One-Pan Chicken Orzo Bake! Tender chicken breast pieces simmer in a creamy, cheesy broth infused with garlic, lemon, and oregano, creating the perfect balance of bright and savory flavors. Orzo soaks up all that goodness, while baby spinach and juicy grape tomatoes add freshness to every bite. And the best part? Everything bakes together in one dish, making this a low-effort, high-reward dinner the whole family will love.

If your evenings are packed with homework, activities, or just the usual chaos, this dish is a lifesaver. A quick mix, a pop in the oven, and dinner practically makes itself—no juggling multiple pots and pans! With minimal prep and maximum flavor, this Chicken Orzo Bake is here to make your weeknights easier and more delicious.

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Reasons to Love this Chicken and Orzo Bake
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
Simple Equipment for Orzo Chicken Bake
Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps
Talking Tip!
Cooking Steps for Creamy Chicken Orzo
Variations for this Chicken Orzo Bake
Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe FAQs
Want More One Pot or One Pan Recipes like this?
Easy One-Pan Chicken Orzo Bake
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Reasons to Love this Chicken and Orzo Bake

There are so many reasons busy families will love this One-Pan Chicken and Orzo Bake. It’s comfort food that truly could not be much easier.

One Pan = Easy Cleanup – Everything bakes in a single dish, so you’re not stuck washing multiple pots and pans after dinner.
Minimal Hands-On Time – A quick mix, then the oven does the rest, freeing you up to tackle homework, chores, or just relax.
Family-Friendly Flavors – Creamy, cheesy, and packed with garlic, lemon, and oregano, this dish has comforting flavors the whole family will love.
Complete Meal in One Dish – With protein, pasta, and veggies all baked together, there’s no need to make extra sides.
Great for Make-Ahead & Leftovers – Preps easily ahead of time, reheats beautifully, and makes the best leftovers for lunch.
Customizable & Versatile – Swap spinach for another green, use cherry tomatoes instead of grape, or add extra cheese—whatever works for your family’s tastes!

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Ingredients shown are used to prepare Chicken Orzo Bake.

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Chicken Breasts, boneless skinless – I bought whole breasts and cut them into pieces. You can also look for pre-cut. Boneless skinless chicken thighs or tenders will work as well. I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
Chicken broth or chicken stock – You can also use beef or vegetable broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a chicken bouillon cube or chicken base.
Sour Cream – Sour Cream is a nice creamy and tangy addition to this sauce. You can also use plain greek yogurt or marscapone. Or for a cheesier option, you can also use softened cream cheese. You could also use heavy cream.
Three Cheese Blend – I like the using a blend of cheeses, but you can use any shredded melty cheese, such as mozzarella, monterey jack, cheddar, or gruyere. Other flavorful cheeses to consider would be feta or blue cheese!
Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese adds a nutty and salty flavor.
Dried Oregano – Any fresh or dried herbs will work in this recipe. The key is that we are adding lots of flavor as orzo and chicken alone are bland to start.
Garlic – Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
Lemon – Fresh lemon adds a nice light and bright flavor for balance. This recipe uses both the zest for deep lemon flavor, as well as the juice. You can substitute lime juice and zest.
Uncooked Orzo – Orzo is a tiny pasta that almost looks like rice. It’s great because it cooks up beautifully in this recipe. You can substitute with 1 ½ cups of uncooked white long grain rice if you prefer. You could also use another short-cut pasta, like ditalini, small shells, fusilli, penne, or bowtie. You need to make sure that the pasta is submerged in the liquid; however, so for anything larger than orzo, you made need to add less pasta or more broth.
Fresh baby spinach leaves – Fresh spinach will mix in nicely and almost ‘melt’ into the casserole. You can substitute with frozen, just be sure to thaw it and squeeze the excess water out first. Then you might also want to pull it apart or give it a quick chop to ensure it mixes evenly into the casserole.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes – These are great because you can just toss them in! You can also chop vine or beefsteak tomatoes and add them.
Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped – Fresh parsley is best for added color and garnish at the end. You can substitute in other fresh herbs, such as basil or oregano.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment for Orzo Chicken Bake

For this chicken orzo recipe, you need a large casserole dish or baking dish that’s approximately 10×12, 12×12, 10×13 or similar.

You might have a grater or microplane already in your kitchen for using with garlic and ginger root. This same tool is great to use zesting the skin from fresh fruit. Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press, as well.

Time Saving Prep-Ahead Steps

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below)

This entire casserole can be cooked ahead! However, if you are just looking to prep ingredients in advance, there really is just the chicken, garlic, parsley, and the lemon.

Mince the garlic. Chop the parsley. Store each separately in the fridge.

1 inch pieces of chicken breast added a glass mixing bowl for Slow Cooker Satay Chicken.

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 in cubes. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days before cooking.

Zester resting on a plate with lemon zested by the lemon.

Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then juice half of the lemon. You can mix and store together in the fridge in a sealed container if doing ahead.

Talking Tip!

If you buy a bag of lemons, you can juice all of them, freeze the juice you have leftover in your ice cube trays and then transfer them to a ziploc bag to pull out when you need some again.

Cooking Steps for Creamy Chicken Orzo

Lemon juice and broth being poured into a baking dish with sour cream.

Into the casserole dish, first add the sour cream. Then whisk in the broth.

Seasonings added to the baking pan with the broth mixture.

Add the minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and pepper.

Add in the orzo, add the chicken, spinach, tomatoes, half of the parsley, the parmesan and half of the mozzarella cheese.

Spoon resting in a mixture of spinach, tomatoes, chicken pieces and cheese within the broth mixture.

Mix to completely combine and then using a spoon, make sure all of the orzo and chicken are submerged into the liquid. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 40 minutes or until the orzo is tender and cooked through.

Let the Chicken Orzo Bake rest for 5-10 minutes, so that everything sets. Garnish with remaining parsley, serve, and enjoy!

Variations for this Chicken Orzo Bake

If you love a One-Pan Orzo Chicken Bake, there are tons of ways to customize it! Here are some delicious variations to switch things up:

Greek Style – With lemon juice and oregano already in the dish, add Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese for extra Greek flavor.
Mexican Casserole – Add taco seasoning, a 4 ounce can of green chilis, sliced scallions, and even chopped jalapeno for a kick.
Spicy – Season the chicken with Cajun seasoning for a smoky, spicy kick. A can of fire-roasted tomatoes and diced andouille sausage make for even more flavor.
Low-Carb – Instead of pasta, use cauliflower rice. I suggest making your own or buying the pre-riced version in the produce section vs. frozen, as frozen will be very mushy in this casserole. Use a little less broth if you use the cauliflower option.

If you enjoy orzo, then see this cold Greek Lemon Orzo Salad on my website!

Chicken Orzo Bake Recipe FAQs

Can I use leftover or rotisserie chicken?

Yes, you can use already cooked chicken in this Chicken Orzo Bake. Simply shred it or cut it into bite-size pieces and add it as you would raw. You will likely still need the full baking time for the orzo to cook through. But you can test it at 30 minutes. Just note, since you are cooking the chicken twice in this instance, it may be a bit dried out, but hopefully the moisture from the casserole prevents this.

How do I prevent the orzo from getting mushy?

Use the right orzo-to-liquid ratio (usually about 1 cup orzo to 2 cups liquid).
Bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes to help absorb excess moisture. Also, the pasta can break down if stirred too much, so just limit how much you turn the mixture.

How can I add more vegetables to this dish?

Spinach is my favorite vegetable in this chicken bake, however carrots or butternut squash are perfect for a touch of sweetness.

Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?

Assemble everything (except the liquid) and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking. Fully cook the dish and store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in the oven or on the stovetop with a splash of broth.

Can I brown the chicken before adding it to the recipe?

Yes, you can quickly sear the raw chicken in a hot skillet or pan with a little bit of olive oil before adding it for added flavor.

Want More One Pot or One Pan Recipes like this?

If you like enjoy one-pan, high-protein meals, here are a few of my meals I recommend.

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