Name: Spicy Cheddar Chicken & Broccoli Orzo for Two
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 8 oz. boneless, skinless Chicken Breast (or Chicken Thighs); 3 cups Broccoli Florets; 1 small Jalapeno (thinly sliced (see notes)); 1 tbsp. Butter (quartered); 1 tbsp. Avocado Oil; 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika (divided); 1 tsp. Garlic Powder (divided); Salt & Cracked Black Pepper; 1 tbsp. Butter; 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion (yellow or white); 1 clove Garlic (minced); Salt & Cracked Black Pepper; 1/2 cup dry Orzo; 1 cup Vegetable or Chicken Broth; 2 tbsp. Whole Milk; 1 tbsp. Sour Cream; 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese; Everything Seasoning (for garnish)

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Cheesy, spicy, and packed with flavor, this quick and easy Spicy Cheddar Chicken and Broccoli Orzo recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal. It’s made with simple ingredients that you hopefully already have on hand, and it comes together in just 40 minutes. The chicken and broccoli are roasted for ultimate flavor, then piled onto creamy, cheesy orzo for a delicious and satisfying meal.

This orzo recipe is like a grown-up cheddar mac and cheese with chicken and roasted broccoli. It’s got a LOT of flavor, and the broccoli is clearly present so we can feel like we’re getting a serving of veggies, like the responsible humans that we are.

I love to make small batch recipes that feed two people, so this is a small batch recipe that makes two servings. You are welcomed to double or triple it as needed, and it will still come together in just over 30 minutes.

Ingredients

For the Spicy Chicken and Broccoli:

8 oz. Chicken Breast
3 cups Broccoli Florets
1 small Jalapeno, thinly sliced (see notes)
1 tbsp. Butter, quartered
1 tbsp. Avocado Oil
1 tsp. Smoked Paprika, divided
1 tsp. Garlic Powder, divided
Salt & Cracked Black Pepper

For the Cheddar Orzo:

1 tbsp. Butter
1/4 cup finely chopped Onion (yellow or white)
1 clove Garlic, minced
Salt & Cracked Black Pepper
1/2 cup dry Orzo
1 cup Vegetable or Chicken Broth
2 tbsp. Whole Milk
1 tbsp. Sour Cream
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
Everything Seasoning, for garnish

Ingredient Notes

Chicken Breast: Boneless skinless chicken breasts OR thighs work for this recipe. If you’d prefer to use rotisserie chicken, that also works. However, you won’t need to roast it along with the broccoli. Instead, shred the rotisserie chicken (I recommend 1 1/2 – 2 cups), then stir it into the orzo along with the milk, sour cream, and cheddar cheese before serving so it will warm through.

Jalapeño: The jalapeños are totally optional here, and they do pack a punch. I remove the seeds and most of the membranes (the thinner part inside of the slices), but they can still be pretty spicy. If you’re not into that, leave them out. The recipe will still be delicious without them! OR if you’re into just a little bit of heat but not wanting to commit to an entire jalapeno’s worth of heat, throw in 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper when you pour the broth into the orzo before bringing it to a simmer. This will add subtle heat, but not too much. 🙂

Chicken / Vegetable Broth: If you’re using chicken broth, grab a low-sodium version. I’ve been using this Better than Bouillon Seasoned Vegetable Base for my orzo recipes lately, and it’s SO good. It feels a little pricey when you’re buying it, but it lasts forever and makes over eight quarts of broth. (For reference, you only need 1/38th of a jar for this recipe.)

Whole Milk: Can be replaced with half and half or heavy cream for added creaminess and flavor. If you prefer to use a lower fat milk, that works, too. The purpose of adding milk is to create a creamier texture, so I don’t recommend skipping it.

Cheddar Cheese: Mild, medium, or sharp cheddar work for this recipe. I always recommend buying a block of cheese and grating it, rather than using a bag of shredded cheese. Bagged shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent that prevents it from sticking together after it’s packaged, so it doesn’t always melt into the orzo as well as cheese that is grated from a block of cheese. You can also use gouda, any Jack cheese (like Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack), or your favorite soft cheese that you have on hand!

Everything Seasoning: Honestly, this is optional, but it adds a nice pop of crunch and flavor. I make my own small batch blend of everything seasoning, but you can find it nearly anywhere these days. Trader Joe’s sells a great version, and I’ve recently seen it at Target, too!

The cheddar orzo reminds me of a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese. It’s melty, cheesy, and really flavorful! The chicken and broccoli help to balance out the entire dish, and the jalapeños bring a whole level of heat that you can either love or leave out.

A white bowl full of cheesy orzo, baked chicken, and roasted broccoli with a spoon place into the center of the bowl.

Directions

How to Make Spicy Chicken, Cheddar, and Broccoli Orzo

For the Chicken and Broccoli:

Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Cut the chicken breast into small bite-sized cubes, about 1″ in size. Toss the chicken with 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread the chicken out onto a small rimmed baking sheet and place the cubes of butter on on top. Set aside.
Toss the broccoli florets with avocado oil, 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Spread broccoli out onto a separate small rimmed baking sheet.
Once the oven is hot, pop in the chicken and broccoli and set a timer for ten minutes. After ten minutes, carefully toss the sliced jalapenos with the chicken, and place back into the oven. Roast for another ten minutes.

For the Cheddar Orzo:

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for 4-5 minutes until onions start to brown. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in dry orzo and toast the orzo for 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer (still over medium heat). Cook the orzo in the broth for about 7-8 minutes until the broth is absorbed. Stir frequently so the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once the orzo is fully cooked and all of the broth is absorbed, turn the heat off from underneath the pan. Stir in whole milk, sour cream, and shredded cheese until completely mixed together.
Divide the orzo between to shallow bowls, then divide the chicken, jalapeños, and broccoli over the orzo. Serve warm with a sprinkle of everything seasoning.

Step-by-Step Directions

See below for step-by-step photos and directions. These directions are a little more specific, and walk you through the entire process of making this Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Orzo recipe.

To Make The Chicken and Broccoli:

A bowl of broccoli florets and a bowl of seasoned, cubed chicken breast rest near each other with a small bowl of sliced jalapenos next to the bowl of chicken.

Prepare the Chicken and Broccoli: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized cubes, about 1″ in size. Toss the chicken with 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss the broccoli florets with avocado oil, 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Two small sheet pans resting next to one another: one full of broccoli florets, and the other full of cubed seasoned chicken with dabs of butter resting on top.

Transfer the chicken to a small rimmed baking sheet and top with dabs of butter. (For the butter, I took one tablespoon of unsalted butter and cut it into four cubes.) Transfer the broccoli to a separate small sheet pan. I use 1/8th sized sheet pans for a lot of my small batch recipes! It’s probably because I’m just weird, but I love to use them. If you would rather use a large sheet pan, that works, too! Just separate the chicken and broccoli, placing the chicken on one end of the and broccoli on the other end of the sheet pan.

A small sheet-pan full of cooked, cubed chicken and sliced jalapenos.

Two small sheet pans resting next to one another: one full of broccoli florets, and the other full of cubed seasoned chicken and sliced jalapenos.

Cook the Chicken & Broccoli: Once the oven is preheated, pop in the chicken and broccoli and set a timer for ten minutes. After ten minutes, carefully toss the sliced jalapeños with the chicken, and place back into the oven. Roast for another ten minutes. (Leave the broccoli in the oven the entire time if you’re using two separate sheet pans. If you’re using one larger sheet pan, it’s okay to have the broccoli out of the oven while you toss the chicken with the jalapeños.)

To Make the Cheesy Cheddar Orzo:

(Make this cheesy orzo while the chicken and broccoli cook so everything will finish at the same time!)

Dry orzo being poured into a stainless steel saucepan.

Cook onions and garlic, then add orzo: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in chopped onions and a pinch of salt, and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to brown. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the dry orzo.

Dry orzo being stirred into cooked onions and garlic in a small stainless steel pot.

A glass measuring cup pouring broth into a small saucepan full of dry orzo.

Toast the orzo, add the broth: Stir the orzo into the onions and garlic, and let it cook (“toast”) for two minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth.

A saucepan with cooked orzo resting in the bottom being stirred by a wooden spoon.

Cook orzo: Cook the orzo in the broth for 7-8 minutes until the broth is totally absorbed and the orzo is cooked through. Stir the orzo often as it simmers in the broth to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Shredded cheddar cheese being added to a saucepan of cooked orzo.

Shredded cheddar cheese being stirred into a saucepan of cooked orzo.

Stir in flavor: Turn the heat off from underneath the pan. Stir in the whole milk, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

A pot of cheesy cheddar orzo being stirred with a wooden spoon.

The orzo will be creamy and cheesy at this point. Time to plate the orzo with the chicken and roasted broccoli! You can divide the orzo between two bowls, then divide the chicken and broccoli over the top of the orzo. OR you can stir the chicken and broccoli into the orzo and divide it between two bowls once everything is combined. Sprinkle a little everything bagel seasoning over the top for extra crunch and flavor, and serve!

This really does make an awesome meal, and the serving time is pretty true to what a true serving should be. Read: it’s not huge. If you want to double or triple the recipe, do it! I recommend doubling it if you’re really hungry (or feeding someone who is), and tripling it if you want to have leftovers for another night.

Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, and reheat in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Stir the orzo frequently so it heats evenly, too. It may be a little spicier as leftovers because the jalapeños will have a chance to interact with the other ingredients, but it will still be delicious!

More Orzo Recipes to Try:

If you make this Spicy Cheddar Chicken and Broccoli Orzo and love it, I would love a rating and review in the comment section below! Be sure to snap a photo of your lemony orzo and tag me on Instagram @aflavorjournal and/or #aflavorjournal. And as always, feel free to email me with any questions you have!

xx Sara