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This chicken pot pie orzo gives you all the cozy flavor of chicken pot pie with no crust and no oven! Tender gluten free orzo simmers right in the broth with carrots, celery, peas, and shredded rotisserie chicken all in one skillet. It’s on the table in about 40 minutes, and there’s a dairy free option, too!
Quick Look: Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕒 Rest Time: 5 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 40 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: One-pan stovetop
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Creamy, herby, cozy chicken pot pie comfort
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, perfect for busy weeknights
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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
I’m all about cozy comfort food that doesn’t take all night to make. This recipe gives you everything you love about chicken pot pie…without the crust, the rolling pin, or the hour in the oven. The orzo cooks right in the broth in the same skillet as everything else, so it soaks up ALL that herby flavor while it simmers. One pan, easy clean up. Can’t beat that.
It’s also a great way to use up a rotisserie chicken, no extra cooking required! It’s naturally gluten free, there’s a simple dairy free option, and it reheats beautifully for lunches (working smarter not harder here!).
For another creamy gluten free pasta dinner the whole family will love, try my creamy Boursin chicken pasta next.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card for full quantities - this is just an overview!
- Butter: For dairy free, swap in olive oil or your favorite vegan butter. It’s just for the sauté here, so either should work great.
- Sherry cooking wine: Adds a savory depth to the sauce. If you’d rather keep it alcohol-free, just omit it, no worries!
- Gluten free orzo: Jovial Brown Rice Orzo works best for this recipe. Do NOT use cassava orzo, it will be too sticky!
- Chicken broth: The orzo cooks right in it, so double-check the label to make sure yours is certified gluten free!
- Cooked shredded chicken: I used rotisserie to save time! Give the label a quick look (some seasoning blends sneak in gluten).
- Half & half: Makes it creamy without being heavy. Use heavy whipping cream for a more rich flavor, or use Original Nutpods for dairy free.
Recipe Variations
- Make it dairy free by using Original Nutpods in place of the half & half and swapping the butter for olive oil or vegan butter.
- Keep it alcohol-free by simply omitting the sherry. The broth and herbs still carry plenty of flavor.
- Want it richer? Use heavy whipping cream instead of half & half.
- Any cooked, shredded chicken should work great here in place of rotisserie. You need 2.5 cups.
How to Make Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
Step 1: Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and softened.
Step 2: Add in the sherry and stir until it is reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Step 3: Add in the orzo, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and stir so the orzo gets coated in all that flavor. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 15-16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the broth has been absorbed and the orzo is tender. The stirring keeps the orzo from sticking - don’t skip it!
Step 5: Stir in the peas and shredded chicken until warmed through.
Step 6: Add the half & half and stir. Let it sit for 5 minutes with the heat off. It will thicken up into that creamy pot pie texture, promise! Serve with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Stick with Jovial Brown Rice Orzo if you can find it. Cassava orzo gets too sticky for this recipe.
- Stir occasionally while the orzo simmers so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the skillet.
- Don’t skip the 5 minute rest at the end! That’s when it thickens into the creamy, pot pie consistency.
- Broths vary in saltiness, so taste before serving and adjust the salt if needed.
- Rotisserie chicken is the ultimate shortcut here. 2.5 cups shredded and you’re done.
- Craving more cozy comfort food classics made gluten free? My gluten free chicken and dumplings is another family favorite!
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
This keeps really well in the fridge, which makes it perfect for meal prep or next-day lunches. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and store it for up to 4 days. The orzo will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so it’ll be thicker when you reheat it (that’s totally normal). Use a little chicken broth or water while reheating to break it up.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one, cooked orzo tends to turn mushy once thawed.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This recipe uses gluten free orzo (Jovial Brown Rice Orzo is the one to grab), and the rest of the ingredients are naturally gluten free. Just double-check your chicken broth and rotisserie chicken labels to be safe.
Regular orzo should work with the same method. Keep an eye on it, since cook time and liquid absorption can vary a bit by brand.
I used rotisserie chicken to keep this quick, but any cooked, shredded chicken works. You need 2.5 cups. It’s a great way to use up leftovers!
More Cozy Chicken Dinner Recipes
Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup (30-Minute Recipe!)
The BEST Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 2 tbsp sherry cooking wine, omit for alcohol-free
- 12 oz gluten free orzo pasta, Jovial Brown Rice Orzo works best for this recipe – do not use cassava! It will be too sticky
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup peas, thawed if previously frozen
- 2.5 cups cooked shredded chicken, I used rotisserie
- ½ cup half & half, use heavy whipping cream for a more rich flavor, or use Original Nutpods for dairy free
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large skillet.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes until fragrant and softened.
- Add in the sherry and stir until it is reduced by half, about 1 minute.
- Add in the orzo, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper and stir. Pour in the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15-16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the broth has been absorbed and the orzo is tender.
- Stir in the peas and shredded chicken until warmed through. Add the half and half and stir.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes with the heat off (it will thicken) before serving with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Jovial Brown Rice Orzo works best. Do not use cassava orzo, it will be too sticky.
- Stir occasionally while the orzo simmers so it doesn’t stick.
- Don’t skip the 5 minute rest. That’s when it thickens into the creamy pot pie consistency.
- Omit the sherry for alcohol-free.
- Dairy free: use Original Nutpods in place of the half & half and olive oil or vegan butter in place of the butter.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth. Freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
