Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Chicken & Orzo
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Slow cooker parmesan herb chicken & orzo is an easy, no-fuss crockpot meal with hearty flavors that will please the whole family.
The slow cooker is constant around our house! If you’re loving yours too, try Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff Soup, Best Easy Slow Cooker Ribs, and Slow Cooker Mediterranean Chicken.
It’s feeling very Fall-ish around here. The air has definitely cooled off, the leaves are every shade of red and orange you can possibly imagine, and a huge rain storm just rolled through over the past couple of days giving me the perfect excuse to pull out my favorite grey wanna-be-Hunter rain boots. (Scored those babies for a steal of a deal from Nordstrom Rack last Spring, pretty much lived in them until Summertime came and in typical Utah desert fashion, a lack of rain storms.) It’s feeling like Fall inside my house though too, or rather smelling like Fall. Between the pumpkin harvest candle burning non-stop (thank you Target) and something yummy in the slow cooker all day long, it’s a little slice of heaven up in here.
I’m a little bit obsessed with this simple crockpot meal. Chicken and buttery orzo made all together in your slow cooker with herbs and garlic and melty parmesan cheese?? It just doesn’t get better than this. All you have to do is brown your chicken on the stove for a couple of minutes, then throw it int he slow cooker with your orzo, liquids, mushrooms, and seasonings, and let it cook for a few hours.
A few minutes before you’re ready to eat, just stir the orzo and sprinkle parmesan cheese all over the top. Cover it for about 5 more minutes so it gets all melty and ooey gooey delicious and then serve it up! Put it on your menu for this week, you will be so glad you did.
What people are saying about this Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Chicken & Orzo
“We had this tonight for dinner. My picky eater hubby LOVED IT!! His exact words were “It’s pretty good. You have to keep this one. Its really good. I really like it. ” The only thing I didn’t do was add mushrooms because I don’t like them. He said next time I make this to add the mushrooms. So thank you for this recipe we thoroughly enjoyed it. 
” – Milihn
“My boyfriend has never been one to try new recipes or even let me cook. Sunday I made this dish and it was a huge hit and success. So much of a success that my boyfriend asked me to make it again so it is currently cooking. This is an amazing dish!” – Carol
“I just have to say this recipe is a WIN! My fiancé is incredibly picky. Literally he eats all of my cooking but never comments, and this one did the trick! I’m surprised by all the reviews saying the orzo was soggy, mine was perfect. Wish I could try it with mushrooms, I’ll have to plan a girls night soon so I can. This is probably THE best crock pot recipe I’ve ever used. Thank you for sharing, this will be a regular in my home!” – Katie
“Made this last night – it was perfect. SO good. I fried the mushrooms in butter and added them at the end for a super great extra taste. Thanks for the great recipe! (The orzo was perfect, adding it about 45 minutes before we ate!” – Kayleigh
Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Chicken & Orzo
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, OR 4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 3 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups orzo pasta , (see note)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup sliced, mushrooms
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt , (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper , (or to taste)
- ½ cup shaved or finely shredded parmesan cheese
- freshly cracked black pepper and herbs (such as thyme or parsley) for garnish
Instructions
- Season chicken with a bit of the Italian seasonings and salt and pepper on both sides. Cook in a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes on each side until browned on the outsides.
- Transfer chicken to a greased slow cooker. Add chicken broth, butter, mushrooms, onions, garlic, remaining Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours or on low for 3-4 hours. Stir in orzo, cover and cook for another 30-45 minutes on high.
- Uncover and use a fork to pull chicken out of the slow cooker. Stir contents of slow cooker, then return chicken to slow cooker, on top of the orzo mixture.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese over chicken. Cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 5-10 minutes. Serve with fresh herbs and cracked black pepper if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Not a hit for me. My chicken breasts were large so I cooked them in the slow cooker for two hours on high. The chicken came out tough so I don’t know what I will do with that. I cooked the Orzo separetely then placed in the crock pot for a few minutes. The Orzo was delicious. Too bad about all that chicken.
I’m sorry this happened. It seems like you may not have had enough liquid in your slow cooker. You can shred the chicken and put it back in the slow cooker with some broth or sauce. Cook on low for another 1–2 hours to let the meat relax and absorb moisture. Or you can do it on the cooktop and simmer gently covered with added broth for 20–30 minutes.
Unfortunately my husband and I found this recipe to be very bland. I followed the recipe to the letter except for cooking the orzo separately in chicken stock. It tasted like boiled chicken over plain pasta. We had high hopes, but sadly, will not be making this recipe again.
This is one of our favorite recipes to make again and again. I do not add mushroom and never found the orzo to be mushy when cooked this way. Guessing it comes down to personal preference.
My husband loved it but did say after supper when I asked for a review that he felt the orzo was mushy, as was “warned.” I did not add mushrooms, wondering of others who found it mushy also did not?
All told, great, easy, tasty recipe!
Thank you,
Sue
It was fabulous. I substituted olive oil for the butter. Cholesterol healthy substitute !