Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Chicken & Orzo
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This Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Chicken and Orzo is creamy, comforting, and incredibly easy to make in the crockpot. It’s an easy, no-fuss crockpot meal with hearty flavors that will please the whole family.
If you love using your crockpot as much as I do, you’ll really enjoy my Slow Cooker Creamy Beef Stroganoff, and saucy Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala. If creamy, cozy dinners is your love language, I’ve got you covered with my one-pot creamy Garlic Chicken and Potatoes, Creamy Tuscan Parmesan Chicken, and Creamy Mushroom Garlic Chicken.
Why This Recipe Works
Great cold-weather recipe — 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…and all I can think about is this slow cooker parmesan herb chicken and orzo. It is the quintessential fall dish — hearty, warm, easy, comforting — all in one.
Simple ingredients — Chicken breasts, some seasoning, chicken broth, orzo, a few mushrooms and onions, that’s basically all you need to create this delicious chicken and orzo dish.
Easy — 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. Plus, this dish is as easy as putting it all in the slow cooker, cooking on low for a few hours, and then shredding the chicken and adding cheese. Talk about no muss, no fuss!
Parmesan — Is there any dish that can’t be made better with the addition of parmesan? I didn’t think so! So nutty and buttery, topping this slow cooker chicken dish with parmesan is the perfect way to round out its delicious flavor.
Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts — You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you like.
- Italian Seasoning — A dash of Italian seasoning is all you need, or you can substitute Herbs de Provence if you like as well (my personal favorite swap for Italian seasoning).
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth — Use low-sodium, then add salt later to taste. Much easier to add salt than remove it.
- Orzo Pasta — I love orzo in this dish but you can also use a larger pasta if you like, see below for note.
- Butter — Melt the butter ahead of time to pour right into the slow cooker.
- Mushrooms — I LOVE mushrooms and think they add so much amazing flavor and texture to this orzo chicken in the slow cooker. But you can eliminate them if you wish.
- White or Yellow Onion — Finely chop an onion to add to the slow cooker.
- Minced Garlic — Mince the garlic by hand or scoop it from a jar — either way, it’d delish!
- Salt & Pepper — Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Shaved or Finely Shredded Parmesan Cheese — Add that delicious parm at the end for a yummy, cheesy topping.
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper And Herbs — I am a garnish girl. For this slow cooker parmesan herb chicken and orzo dish, I finely chopped thyme and parsley to sprinkle over, along with a few cracks from my pepper mill.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Orzo
This recipe is so easy! All you have to do is:
- Season chicken with a bit of the Italian seasonings and salt and pepper on both sides. Then cook in a large nonstick skillet on the stove over medium-high heat 1-2 minutes on each side until browned on the outsides.
- Next add the chicken to a prepared slow cooker, and add on top of it the chicken broth, butter, mushrooms, onions, garlic, remaining Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for about 1-2 hours or low for 3-4. Stir in the orzo (see note if using something other than orzo) and cover and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes on high.
- Take the lid off and use a fork or tongs to remove the chicken breasts. Give the orzo a good stir, then add the chicken back to the slow cooker, right on top of the orzo.
- Sprinkle the top of the dish with the parmesan and cover one last time for a few more minutes to let it melt and get all gooey and cheesy on top. Serve with fresh herbs and fresh cracked black pepper.
FAQs
You do not have to cook pasta first before you put it in a slow cooker, however you should wait till the rest of the ingredients are nearly done cooking before adding it, otherwise it will get way too mushy.
Another key is to make sure there is enough liquid in the crock for the pasta to cook in. If not, add some water or chicken broth when you add the pasta as well.
Generally speaking, it’s better to cook chicken in a slow cooker at a lower temperature for a longer period of time because low-and-slow cooking results in a more tender and juicy meat.
However, if you add liquid to the slow cooker and cook it on high then it will still be pretty tender and tasty as the liquid helps keep the chicken from drying out as it cooks.
Expert Tips for Perfect Crockpot Chicken Orzo
- If you’re worried about “mushy” orzo from adding it to the slow cooker, you can cook the orzo separately and simply stir it in at the end of your cooking time, when you add the chicken back in. If you are cooking the orzo separately, you should only add 2 cups of chicken broth in the crockpot with the chicken and throw out any remaining broth at the end.
- Pro tip: Cooking the orzo in chicken broth gives it much more flavor than cooking it in water.
- This slow cooker parmesan herb chicken and orzo dish will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Orzo Recipes to Try
- Orzo is such a versatile kitchen staple! I love this variation for One Pot Greek Chicken and Orzo, it somehow feels bright and comforting at the same time.
- This Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup is the perfect light and fresh soup for Spring and Summertime.
- Creamy Parmesan Spinach Orzo is one of my favorite side dishes – ever! It goes great with any cozy chicken dish to make a delicious, complete meal.
When you make this recipe, snap a photo and tag me on social – I love connecting with you and seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
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 or tongs 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.
i just made this today on high for 2 hours and have the same comments as others – very liquidy and orzo was mushy. But the flavor was great and the chicken was very moist. I will try it again with a few tweaks – not so much chicken broth and I won’t put the orzo until maybe the last 15 minutes.
I’m in the middle of making this and the recipe says to season the chicken with a bit of the Italian seasoning. What do you do with the rest of the Italian seasoning?
I have the same question. Just now making it, and guessed and put it in with the broth and other seasonings. Hope it works out!
Same question here. Did anyone figure it out?
I made this for dinner last night and it was sooo good! not sure why some are saying the chicken is dry and the meal being ” gross” but I can assure you my chicken was crazy moist and sure my orzo expanded but that’s due to my slow cooker being way too awesome on the low setting..lol We still loved it and it will be added to our slow cooker menu rotation!
I am wondering if the orzo could be added later on..maybe into the 2 hour mark or so for those who don’t want it to be mushy? even though it was on the soft side the meal was in no way a failure of any kind. Perhaps cooking the mushrooms up front might help. I went ahead and cooked until they released their juices and ended up using 2 cups since we love mushrooms in this house.
Anyway, thank you so much for a wonderful recipe that we all loved and will be eating again for sure!
I love mushrooms too, however I have only grilled them. HOW DID YOU COOK THE MUSHROOMS BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE CROCKPOT? THANKS!
Hi Molly..I dried fried them in a pan..I just put the mushrooms in there with nothing else added until they released their juices. I allowed them to cook down until they became nice and browned. Hope that helps!
I was so excited to try this recipe, because the photos looked so good and so many other recipes from this site are so phenomenal. Unfortunately, this one didn’t pan out. Like other reviews, the orzo was total mush. Like oatmeal. The chicken was OK, but on the dry side and not super flavorful. During dinner (while I was griping), my husband pointed out “It’s not gross,” but that’s hardly a sign of a successful dinner.
hi,
I have cooked this dish twice. The first time, i misread the recipe and cooked on high for 4 hours!! orzo was mush.
The second time….I cooked it on low…checked after 2 hours and still had plenty of liquid left and the orzo was already over cooked. Not sure what i am doing wrong?!
Your not suppose to put the Orzo in until the last 30 or 45 mins. That’s why it’s mushy
I made this last night to have lunches ready for us to grab for a couple days. I did the 2 hour cook time on high and my orzo went to mush as well. It smells delicious and I’m sure the flavors will be great but sadly was not nearly as pretty as the pictures were! Thought I did something wrong as well, but looks to be similar to some other comments about mushy orzo. I never cook with orzo so how much less broth would you recommend for this recipe?
I love all of your recipes and always look forward to getting new emailed menu ideas!
I like orzo, and the picture was yummy looking, so I made it tonight. I cooked it on low for 3 1/2 hours and then checked it. I checked it before the 4 hour mark because of Ginger’s review. But, just like Ginger said, the orzo even at the 3 1/2 hour mark, was mushy and looked nothing like the picture. The orzo was the consistency of stuffing.
Tiffany, did you cook yours on high? I’m thinking that maybe the shorter 2 hour cook time might work better even though it’s on the high temp?
If I make it again, it won’t be in the crock pot.
TO KATHY & GINGER: The reason for this is because chicken parts, (& also whole chickens) are being injected with a huge amount of water & sodium…. and only heaven knows what else! That’s why you had excess liquid. It wasn’t anything you did wrong, it was the lousy chicken which we’re now forced to buy! The only way to avoid this, is to purchase Organic Chicken, and yes….it costs a LOT more per lb. I used to roast a 4 – 5 lb. chicken in the oven with no problem. When I recently roasted a chicken in the oven, there was about 8ozs. of liquid left in the roasting pan….that never happened before, and I’ve been cooking for many years. I’m almost afraid to roast my Thanksgiving turkey this year, since it might braise, instead of roasting. I hope this info was helpful to you.
Well, no, that wasn’t my problem since I always buy organic chicken for the last few years now. And my chicken thighs were pretty small—which organic usually is, since they aren’t all plumped up with salt water.
So maybe 3 cups of chicken broth is too much for only one cup of orzo?
My guess is that it was too much broth …. or maybe trying to do the 2 hour cook on high might work better? I do plan to try again some time, because yours turned out and looks so good.
A point well taken, so I’ll try it again by using less broth. Thanks.
The reason your orzo is mushy is because you’re putting it in at the wrong time and it is cooking for too long. The directions state to put the chicken, mushrooms, onions, etc in your slow cooker then cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours or on low for 3-4 hours. AFTER THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, you stir in the orzo, cover and cook for another 30-45 minutes on high. Try it this way and you should have perfect orzo. 🙂
You are totally right. The whole family will love today’s dinner ! 🙂
I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly. I cooked it on low for four hours. At four hours, when it was time to take the chicken out and stir the orzo, there was really a lot of liquid, and the orzo had just about turned to mush. The result was a very tasty dish, but the orzo was really mushy. I think the next time I make it, I will do it either on top of the stove or in the oven. For me, the longer cook time didn’t work for the orzo.
U dont add the orzo until after chox is done 1-2 hrs on high or 3-4hrs on low than add orzo cook for 30-45mins on high than take chix out and stir orzo. Add cheese lef melt and than serve
It was really good
If you out the whole package of orzo it doesn’t get mushy. I did 30 min on high when I put the orzo and ten min with the cheese on top
Thanks for your feedback!
Andrea, it calls for 1 cup of orzo and you add it in with the rest of the ingredients on top of the chicken. I have this dish in my crock pot right now. 🙂
Thank you. When I originally posted orzo wasn’t listed, but I see that she’s updated it now!