Easy Creamy Chicken Orzo & Leek {Slow Cooker Recipe}

This creamy chicken orzo pasta recipe with leek in the slow cooker is a delicious twist on an Italian risotto. And the great news is that it's easy for weeknight dinners and healthy for the whole family.

If you're looking for a delicious, creamy but healthy chicken dinner, then I urge you to try this easy chicken orzo in the slow cooker.

It's a tasty classic Italian dish with small pieces of pasta cooked in broth that resemble risotto rice. Then tossed in a cream cheese and teams perfectly with crusty bread, salad or as a side.

And the best part? There's no babysitting required with our easy slow cooker recipes! Just sear the chicken and throw it in the pot with the vegetables, then orzo and cheese later.

Jump to:

• ✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
• 🛒 Ingredient Notes
• 📋 Instructions
• 👩‍🍳 Substitutions
• ⚖️ Variations
• 🔪 Equipment
• ❄️ Storage
• 💡Pro Tips
• 🍽️ Serving Suggestions
• ❓ FAQ
• 🍽️Pairing
• ➕ More Chicken Dinners
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Here are a handful of reasons why we think this chicken orzo recipe will become a family favorite:

• No skills required
• A cozy meal for colder days
• Made with simple ingredients
• Easy weeknight dinner or side dish
• Quicker cooking than traditional risotto rice
• Makes a large pot full that's great for batch cooking
• In a healthy creamy sauce without calorific heavy cream
• Choose your own cooking time in one pan, slow cooker or Instant Pot

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.

Cooking oil spray - this is to make it low calorie, fat and unofficially Slimming World friendly. Or you can use olive oil to brown the chicken for healthy fats

Chicken breasts - for lean protein. Or use boneless chicken thighs which are juicier

Leeks - sliced, to add a light onion flavour and texture, or you can swap for 2-3 large chopped onions

Carrots - peeled & diced into small chunks. They offer vitamin A, K1, B6 and potassium

Mushrooms - washed and sliced. Nutrition tip: leave your mushrooms out in the sun for 15-120 minutes to create vitamin D, which isn't destroyed while cooking

Garlic cloves - minced and cooked at the same time as the chicken, or you can use garlic powder

Seasoning - this is sea salt and ground black pepper)

Mustard powder -

Chicken stock - made up with stock cubes or stockpots and boiling water, or homemade chicken broth

Herbs - fresh or dried thyme and rosemary

Red wine vinegar - for a touch of sweet acidity or add swap some stock for ½ a glass of white wine as I do in this Vitel Toné recipe

Cheese - I use Extra Light Laughing Cowl cheese triangles, or you could use low fat Philadelphia cream cheese

Dry orzo (AKA risi or risoni) - this is rice shaped short-cut pasta that looks similar to risotto. It is also a good source of folic acid (vitamin B9). If you can't find it in the grocery store, I recommend any large grain of rice

Optional ingredients - runny honey, mustard and lemon juice

📋 Instructions

Garnish - To add sweetness at the end, stir in the honey, mustard and lemon zest and juice

👩‍🍳 Substitutions

Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make:

• Orzo - swap for grains such as couscous, pearl barley, quinoa or long grain rice. Use a gluten free option if needed
• Chicken - you can substitute with diced turkey, pork or vegetarian plant based meat
• Leeks - swap for onions, spring onions (scallions) or shallots
• Chicken stock - use low sodium, gluten free or vegetable stock of vegetarian/vegan if needed
• Herbs - instead of adding dried herbs while cooking, try adding fresh basil or basil pesto at the end of cooking
• Cheese triangles - any soft cheese works perfectly like Philly cream cheese, blue cheese or brie. Also a garnish of Parmesan tastes so good!

⚖️ Variations

Here are some different ways you can enhance and truly personalise this recipe:

Italian - add Italian seasoning to infuse

Lemon orzo chicken - garnish with lemon wedges or slices for a stronger citrus flavour

Mediterranean vegetable orzo - add vegetables like courgettes (zucchini), aubergines (eggplant), mushrooms and red bell peppers, for a taste of this cheesy ratatouille recipe

Extra fresh spinach - while stirring in the uncooked orzo and cheese, you can also wilt a large handful of baby spinach for extra iron

Spicy - if you like some heat, add some red pepper flakes

Deluxe - add some crispy bacon or pan fried lardons, toasted pine nuts and a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or sesame seed oil for a nutty flavor

🔪 Equipment

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Cast iron large skillet - any large frying pan will do for frying the garlic and chicken pieces until golden brown. If preferred, you could make it a one-pot meal on the stove top instead

Slow cooker - this is a 3.5 litre pot, which doesn't require any babysitting. Alternatively, you can use an Instant Pot or stove top.

Chopping board and sharp knife - this is to dice the chicken and chop vegetables, which is really the only time you need to spend on this pasta dish

Weighing scales and jug or measuring spoons and cups.

Garlic press - or grated

❄️ Storage

Storing - we prefer eating this recipe freshly cooked, but it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Freezing - cool to room temperature and again, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and microwave until piping hot, or on the hob or stove. You may need to add a splash of water to loosen again

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Here are a few different ways you can enjoy this healthy creamy orzo:

Orzo salad - serve with a delicious salad of leafy greens, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, sweetcorn, cucumber, feta cheese and lots of fresh parsley

Bread - mop up the cheesy sauce with some crusty garlic bread, pizza rolls or this no knead cheesy cob loaf

Vegetables - serve with a side of roasted vegetables like asparagus, carrots, onions and more for a main dish

Wine - enjoy with a crisp glass of white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or sangria mocktail

❓ FAQ

🍽️Pairing

These are my favorite dishes with this chicken orzo recipe:

➕ More Chicken Dinners

Looking for more easy recipes with dinner? Then here are some of our most popular you might like too!

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📖 Recipe