Orzo Chicken Salad Recipes

CHICKEN AND ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Combine mustard, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and basil in a bowl. Mix well.
• Substituting chicken stock for water, cook orzo according to package directions until al dente. Drain and mix with 1/3 of the vinaigrette.
• Toss chicken with 1/2 of the remaining vinaigrette. Add the orozo, almonds, red pepper, celery, green pepper, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the remaining vinaigrette and toss to mix well. Chill, covered in the refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature one hour before serving.
• Note: Crumbled feta cheese may be added to the salad before serving.

CHICKEN ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
• To a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, chicken, evenly season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and lightly golden browned. Stir and flip intermittently to ensure all sides cook evenly. I used thin-sliced chicken breasts which cook quickly. Cooking time will vary based on thickness of chicken. Transfer the chicken and cooking juices to the bowl with the orzo.
• Add the tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, parsley, basil, and stir to combine; set aside.
• To a small bowl, add 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and whisk to combine. Taste vinaigrette and check for seasoning balance; add more salt, honey, lemon juice, etc. to taste.
• Evenly drizzle the vinaigrette over the orzo bowl, stir to coat evenly, and either serve immediately or cover with plasticwrap and refrigerate before serving.

ORZO CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo and cook for 5-6 minutes or until just tender. Drain and rinse with cool water.
• Remove meat from rotisserie chicken and shred into bite size pieces. Add to a large bowl along with the orzo. Stir in chopped bell pepper, celery, red onion, green onion, and grapes.
• In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, basil, onion powder, ground mustard powder, salt and pepper.
• Pour sour cream/mayonnaise mixture over pasta and chicken mixture and mix well. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

MEDITERRANEAN ORZO CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water and drain well., In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, olives and onion. In a small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients until blended. Drizzle over salad; toss to coat.

CHICKEN WITH SPINACH & TOMATO ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 165 degrees F, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a quart of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add orzo and cook for 8 minutes. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute more. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Add cucumber, tomato, onion, feta and olives. Stir to combine.
• Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing into the orzo mixture. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the chicken and serve with the salad.

ORZO CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• Cook orzo pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water. Drain off all excess water.
• Add orzo, chicken, sliced peppers, sliced onions, cherry tomatoes and olives into a large mixing bowl.
• Place olive oil, lemon, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes into a jar or a bowl. Place lid on jar and shake vigorously until combined, or whisk until combined.
• Pour dressing over salad ingredients
• Toss lightly to combine
• Add freshly chopped parsley and toss again
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate

SPEEDY CHICKEN, FETA, AND ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Combine orzo, chicken, tomatoes, red onion, basil, and oregano in a large bowl.
• Whisk vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl. Drizzle over the pasta mixture. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with olives and feta cheese.

LEMON ORZO SALAD WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Boil a salted pot of water and cook the orzo al dente according to package directions. Once it's done, rinse it with cool water and let it drain thoroughly. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, prep all the salad ingredients and add them to the bowl. If you're not going to eat the salad right away, I suggest skipping the arugula.
• Add the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl, and whisk/shake until well combined.
• Toss the salad with the dressing. Add more lemon/oil if needed. I also add plenty of salt & pepper - there's a lot of pasta in here, so you need to salt it well so it doesn't taste bland.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN AND ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder, oregano, basil, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• In a large bowl, mix together tomatoes, olives, cucumber, chicken, orzo, and dressing. Top with crumbled feta cheese and enjoy.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE SALAD WITH ORZO PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• Mix orzo, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers in a large bowl.
• Whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, parsley, basil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; drizzle over salad. Toss to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over salad.

GREEK CHICKEN AND ORZO PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• For the chicken: In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, salt, oregano, garlic powder, pepper and lemon juice. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Slice the chicken into 1-inch-wide pieces. Set aside.
• For the breadcrumbs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium ovensafe skillet, heat the butter, olive oil and garlic over low heat until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add the breadcrumbs and salt and toss to coat. Transfer to the oven and toast until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• For the dressing: Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, oregano, pepper, garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl until combined.
• For the salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Toss with the dressing while still hot, then let cool to room temperature.
• When cool, stir in the tomatoes, cucumber and parsley. Top with the feta, sliced chicken and breadcrumbs.

ASIAN CHICKEN & ORZO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook sugar snap peas according to package directions; drain well and let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl combine orzo, water chestnuts, chicken, green onion, red bell pepper and sugar snap peas.
• In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, soy sauce and hoisin sauce.
• Pour over orzo mixture, tossing gently to coat.
• Stir in toasted almonds.
• Cover and chill until ready to serve.