Slow Cooker Parmesan Herb Chicken & Orzo
Slow cooker parmesan herb chicken & orzo is an easy, no-fuss crockpot meal with hearty flavors that will please the whole family.
Servings:4 servings
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
**Some readers have found that the orzo is too "mushy" for their taste when cooked in the crockpot with the chicken. If you are weary of this, I recommend cooking the orzo separately and stirring in at the end. You will only need 2 cups of chicken broth in the crockpot with the chicken if you choose to do it this way and can discard any remaining broth at the end. Also, I recommend if you do cook your orzo separately to just follow package's instructions and use chicken broth instead of water as this will give the orzo more flavor.
Nutrition
Calories: 585 kcal, Carbohydrates: 49 g, Protein: 53 g, Fat: 19 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 119 mg, Sodium: 1689 mg, Potassium: 962 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 182 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 227 mg, Iron: 3 mg