14 Orzo Recipe Ideas... If Your Grocery Store Isn't Already Sold Out of It (2024)

Maybe you’re not a fan of rice but love the creamy waves of risotto. What if orzo was made in the same way? This orzo is slowly cooked in chicken broth, and the starch is gradually released, creating creamy saucy goodness in this bright orzo al limone recipe.

Get the Orzo Al Limone recipe.

Move aside plain ol' pasta salad—orzo is here to shake things up. Though it looks a bit like rice, orzo isn't a grain. It's pasta! While we love it in comforting, warming dishes (we're looking at you, creamy Tuscan orz0), it also makes for a great salad base. You can toss in any veggies, cheese and dressing you like, but this easy, fresh recipe is filled with all of our favorite bright Mediterranean flavors and mix-ins, like sweet tomatoes, briny olives, cucumber, and tangy feta. Take it to the park for a light picnic lunch, or as fresh summer side to your group potluck.

Get the Greek Orzo Salad recipe.

The weeknight dinner hall of fame is full of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but we’d argue that salmon fillets deserve a spot too. When you’re in the mood for a one-pan dinner that delivers on the comfort food factor, this recipe with creamy orzo and sun-dried tomatoes is the one to turn to.

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Silky and rich, this lemony orzo is inspired by a Greek soup called avgolemono. To achieve a creamy sauce, the orzo is simmered on the stovetop rather than boiled like pasta, making it totally worth an extra stir or two for the perfect texture. Paired with minty-turkey meatballs, this all-in-one meal is actually quite simple to pull off for a simple weeknight dinner or dinner party.

Get the Baked Minty Meatballs With Lemony Orzo recipe.

If you love creamy risotto, but not the time it takes to make it, this Italian-inspired orzo recipe is for you. It all comes together in one pot, with starch from the miniature pasta helping to thicken the sauce to great effect. The prep here is minimal and cleanup is easy, but the payoff makes this dish totally dinner party-worthy, all year round. Best part? It only takes about half an hour to cook from start to finish.

Get the Creamy Tuscan Orzo recipe.

A dish this easy and good doesn't come along everyday. It's creamy and spicy with all of the comfort and ease you crave for a weeknight dinner. It comes together in just about 30 minutes, and the cleanup is even faster, which means you can make this even on those night you feel you have no time to make a satisfying dinner.

Get the One-Pan Cajun Orzo with Sausage recipe.

Not all great dinners need to be complicated to make. This one-pot meal makes cleanup a breeze, but it's real victory is how simple everything is from start to finish. Simple ingredients come together to make a flavorful salmon dinner in less than an hour. A squeeze of lemon brightens the whole thing while the tangy feta keeps you going back in for more.

Get the One-Pan Salmon and Orzo recipe.

Serve as a side or all on its own on a bed of salad greens, this creamy orzo "risotto" is a more herbalicious version of cacio e pepe. The best part of this recipe: It all takes place in just one pot, which means more flavor and fewer dishes to wash.

Get the Orzo Pasta recipe.

Having easy, one-pan dinners in your back pocket is the key to looking like a hero come mealtime, especially on busy days. This dish is the perfect example: Chicken, orzo, spinach, and feta come together into a complete meal that’s quick enough for a weeknight, but beautiful enough to serve to friends at a dinner party. It’s easy and delicious and, best of all, won’t load up your sink with a ton of dishes.

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This spring-y, one-pan dinner is inspired by the classic American pasta dish, but with a cheesy twist. It turns out that the creamy, subtly sweet flavor of fresh mozzarella plays very nicely with similarly delicate spring produce like shallots, sugar snap peas, and oyster mushrooms. Paired with al dente orzo and a light cream sauce, this hearty dinner is the perfect way to celebrate the return of longer days and warmer temperatures.

Get the Primavera Baked Orzo recipe.

This bright, hearty soup is a quick and easy alternative to chicken noodle, perfect for weeknights when you’re craving something homey. Filled with a mix of veggies, chicken, beans, and orzo, there’s a lot of room in this recipe for improvisation.

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This easy one-pot chicken dinner has got it all: protein, carbs, and fresh veggies all in one skillet for a complete dinner. The flavors in this recipe take their cues from shawarma, the popular Levantine dish that features thin cuts of seasoned meat. Shawarma is roasted in a cone-like shape on a rotating skewer and sliced to serve in pita or bread with veggies. The spice mix here is a shortcut to those delicious flavors, including coriander, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon. Each bite of flavorful chicken is nicely balanced by the tomato-cucumber-feta salad and chewy orzo.

Get the One-Pot Shawarma Chicken and Orzo Skillet recipe.

One-pot meals are true dinner goals. Case in point: This Tuscan butter-chicken and orzo dish is as easy as can be and ready in no time, while still packing in some serious flavor. The power move that makes it possible? Cooking the chicken from frozen means no more stress about forgetting to thaw it out—and no more waiting for it to defrost, period. Exclamation point!

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You better believe it; We just turned your favorite party dip into an indulgent one-skillet dinner, because we don't play by the rules. 😎

Get the Spinach Artichoke Orzo recipe.