One Pan Cajun Chicken Alfredo Orzo
This creamy one-pot Cajun chicken alfredo orzo delivers comfort and spice in under an hour with tender marinated chicken and a flavorful homemade seasoning blend.
Equipment
- 1 Sauté Pan high-rimmed or pressure cooker
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Microplane Grater
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon White Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne optional
- ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts thin cutlets preferred
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1.5 cups Milk 2% preferred
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1-2 cups Water as needed
- 1 cup Orzo Pasta uncooked
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- ¼ cup Fresh Parsley chopped, to serve
Instructions
Instructions
- Mix all Cajun spices together in a bowl until uniform in color.
- Rub chicken with Cajun seasoning until fully coated and let marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a sauté pan or pressure cooker on sauté mode, heat olive oil and cook chicken 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Set aside.
- In same pan, add more oil if needed then cook minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add uncooked orzo and toast for 1–2 minutes with garlic.
- Stir in chicken broth and cream, bring to simmer.
- Secure lid and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Quick release pressure when finished.
- Slice cooked chicken and return to pot over orzo.
- Add heavy cream and mix in grated Parmesan. Stir until creamy.
- Serve immediately with fresh parsley sprinkled on top.
Notes
Use quick release to prevent mushy orzo. Thin cutlets cook quickest. Pre-grated Parmesan is acceptable if you're short on time.