One Pot Red Pepper Chicken Orzo

Published by: Tyler Marino | 01/10/2025 |

Last updated: 01/10/2025

This post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

This One Pot Red Pepper Chicken Orzo is a delicious veggie and protein packed meal! Goat cheese is our secret ingredient to this creamy orzo.

Red Pepper Chicken Orzo on a white plate with another plate on the side.

Healthy one pot meals are a weekly staple in our house. They make for easy cleanup, are quick to prepare, and taste great!

While we love one pot pasta or rice dishes, one pot orzo recipes like our Broccoli Cheddar Orzo have been on repeat lately. We love to add new flavors and twists to the basic recipe we have built. This one pot red pepper chicken orzo dish is a new favorite!

This dish has fresh diced peppers, golden brown seared chicken, and a creamy goat cheese orzo that makes it seem like this healthy recipe is almost too good to be true.

The best part is, the prep takes only 20 minutes and the actual cook time is under 30 minutes. This is quick, filled with flavor, high in protein and it has veggies!

Red pepper goat cheese orzo with a wooden spoon in it.

why you’ll love this recipe

Simple to make – We love simple and delicious recipes that can be made in one pan or pot and require minimal cleanup and preparation. This recipe is one of them
Ingredients you already have – Chicken, red peppers, orzo, goat cheese, and just a few other pantry staples.
Great for meal prep – This is super easy to meal prep and double the batch so you have leftovers all week long! Easy to reheat and store in airtight containers in the fridge.

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil
boneless skinless chicken breast – boneless chicken thighs work great as well
salt & black pepper
red peppers – we buy whole organic red peppers from whole foods
yellow onions – white onions or red onions can work too but yellow onions are ideal
fresh garlic – garlic powder can work but the fresh garlic gives this the best flavor
uncooked orzo
dried oregano
chicken stock – vegetable or beef stock work great too
goat cheese – crumbled feta cheese is a good alternative

Substitutions

Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil or butter.

Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders. We have not tried cubed pork chops or pork tenderloin but I could see these working great as well. I think this dish would also work with pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. Skip the searing of the chicken and go right to sautéing the veggies.

Vegetables: Red peppers, onions, and garlic go really nicely with the flavor profile of this recipe but if you are looking for some added veggies feel free to use asparagus, or stir in arugula or spinach at the end!

Orzo: We used organic semolina orzo in this recipe but you could use whole wheat orzo or a small shaped gluten-free pasta. Most small shaped pastas should be able to replicate the consistency of this recipe (alphabets, stelline, etc). Brown or white rice can be good substitutes also but the cooking time and amount of stock required may change. We have not tested this with rice yet.

Spices and Herbs: Dried or fresh oregano work great, fresh or dried basil, thyme, and parsley could be great additions as well! Feel free to use what’s in season and available for fresh spices.

Chicken Stock: Broth and stock are the same thing! You can use any broth or stock interchangeably. Beef Broth, Chicken Broth, or vegetable broth all work interchangeably. I always use low or no salt broth.

Goat Cheese: The crumbled or whole block goat cheese will melt nicely in this recipe. Shredded mozzarella and feta would be great in this recipe too.

How to Make One Pot Red Pepper Chicken Orzo Recipe

Heat oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add salted and peppered chicken to the pan, let it cook for 7-9 minutes. Once browned, remove and set aside.

Peppers, onion, and orzo in a dutch oven after sautéing.

Reduce heat to medium. Add peppers, onions, and garlic to the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the uncooked orzo, stirring for one minute.

Red pepper chicken orzo topped with goat cheese before stirring together in a dutch oven.

Add cooked chicken, chicken stock and dried oregano to the pot and stir. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Add goat cheese.

Red pepper chicken orzo in a dutch oven with a bowl of goat cheese on the side.

Fully stir together and enjoy!

Tyler’s Tip:

Getting a nice golden brown exterior on your pan seared chicken requires a hot pan with some olive oil and close to room temperature chicken. Let the chicken cook undisturbed for the first 4-5 minutes to give you that nice brown on the base, then stir! Browning chicken or any meat adds flavor to the sauce you are creating.

What to Serve with this Recipe:

This recipe is a meal packed with protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates but if you are looking for some other sides and options, here are a few recipes to consider: Healthy Caesar Salad, Apple Walnut Salad, and Quick Vegetables Salad.

A close up of red pepper goat cheese on a white plate.

Storage

Storing: This orzo will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this recipe. Frozen pasta tends to get a little mushy. If you need more freezer friendly recipes check out our Fill Your Freezer Ebook with 22 easy freezer meals!

Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave or on the stove. I like to add a little chicken broth to the pan when reheating to help the orzo stay creamy.