Boursin Orzo with Chicken – Easy One-Pot 30-Minute Dinner

Boursin Orzo with Chicken is a creamy one-pot dinner that brings together tender chicken, toasted orzo, fresh spinach, and softened Boursin cheese in a rich, flavorful sauce. The cooking process is similar to making risotto, but the orzo makes it much simpler. Onion, garlic, and butter give the orzo a flavorful start before chicken broth is added and the pasta gently cooks until al dente. Boursin creates the creamy finish, while spinach and cooked chicken are stirred in at the end. Ready in about 30 minutes, this creamy chicken orzo is an easy choice for a comforting weeknight dinner.

Quick Recipe Snapshot

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Servings: 6
• Method: One Pot
• Category: Dinner

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One-pot preparation: The orzo, sauce, spinach, and chicken come together in one pot.
• Ready in 30 minutes: The recipe has just 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking time.
• Creamy without complicated risotto techniques: Orzo gives the dish a risotto-like texture with an easier method.
• Uses cooked chicken: Chopped or shredded cooked chicken is stirred in near the end.
• Easy to finish: Fresh chopped chives add a simple garnish if desired.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 (5.2 oz) package Boursin cheese, softened
• 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh chives, chopped, optional and to taste

Ingredient Notes

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta, not rice. The recipe specifically uses uncooked orzo. If you decide to make the dish with rice instead, the liquid measurements and cooking time may need to be adjusted.

How to Make Boursin Orzo with Chicken

1. Sauté the onion

Add the olive oil, butter, and chopped onion to a pot over medium-high heat.

Sauté the onion for 3–4 minutes, allowing it to soften and cook in the butter and oil.

2. Toast the orzo

Stir in the minced garlic and uncooked orzo.

Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring fairly often.

This step helps infuse the orzo with flavor and lightly toasts the pasta.

3. Cook the orzo in broth

Pour in the 2.5 cups of chicken or vegetable broth.

Once the mixture starts to bubble, continue cooking uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring quite often.

Turn the heat down to medium or even medium-low as needed. The goal is a gentle bubble rather than a rapid boil.

Keep an eye on the liquid. It should not reduce too quickly before the orzo is cooked. If it looks like the liquid is disappearing too quickly, add a splash more broth as needed.

At the end of this step, most of the liquid should be absorbed and the orzo should be al dente.

4. Add the Boursin

Stir the softened Boursin cheese into the cooked orzo until the cheese is smooth and incorporated into the sauce.

5. Add the spinach and chicken

Remove the pot from the heat.

Stir in the fresh baby spinach and cooked chopped or shredded chicken.

Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 minutes.

During this time, the spinach will wilt, the chicken will heat through, and the sauce will thicken slightly.

6. Season and serve

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If desired, sprinkle chopped fresh chives over the top before serving.

Serve warm.

Important Cooking Tips

Keep the orzo gently bubbling

Once the broth begins to bubble, reduce the heat as needed. The recipe calls for a gentle bubble rather than a vigorous boil.

Stir often

The orzo should be stirred fairly often while it cooks in the broth. This helps it cook evenly and prevents the liquid from disappearing too quickly.

Watch the liquid level

Cooking times can vary between pots, pans, and stovetops. If the liquid is reducing too much before the orzo is cooked, add a splash more broth as needed.

Check the texture

At the end of the broth-cooking stage, most of the liquid should be absorbed and the orzo should be al dente.

Let it rest

After adding the spinach and cooked chicken, cover the pot for 5 minutes off the heat. This allows the spinach to wilt, the chicken to warm through, and the sauce to thicken.

What Is Orzo?

Orzo is a type of pasta shaped like grains of rice. Although it resembles rice, it is pasta, and this recipe uses it to create a creamy, risotto-like dish without requiring traditional risotto preparation.

The supplied recipe notes that if you want to replace the orzo with rice, you may need to adjust both the liquid measurements and cooking time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is orzo rice?

No. Orzo is rice-shaped pasta. This recipe uses uncooked orzo rather than rice.

Can I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?

Yes. The ingredient list specifically gives chicken or vegetable broth as options.

Can I use leftover cooked chicken?

Yes. The recipe calls for 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded, making it suitable for cooked chicken you already have available.

Why does the recipe need to rest for 5 minutes?

The covered resting period allows the spinach to wilt, the chicken to heat through, and the sauce to thicken a little more.

Can I make this with rice?

The recipe notes that rice can be used, but the liquid measurements and cooking time may need to be adjusted because rice cooks differently from orzo.

Nutrition

Per serving:

• Calories: 340
• Carbohydrates: 21g
• Protein: 18g
• Fat: 20g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0.2g
• Cholesterol: 72mg
• Sodium: 591mg
• Potassium: 255mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 2g
• Vitamin A: 1330 IU
• Vitamin C: 4mg
• Calcium: 47mg
• Iron: 1mg

The supplied recipe notes that nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation.

Final Thoughts

Boursin Orzo with Chicken makes a creamy, satisfying one-pot dinner with very little fuss. Toasted orzo cooks gently in broth before being finished with smooth Boursin cheese, fresh spinach, and cooked chicken. A short covered rest brings everything together, creating a comforting dish with a risotto-like texture in about 30 minutes.

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