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A skillet on a stovetop filled with creamy pasta, chunks of chicken, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. The dish sits against a patterned tile backsplash.

Creamy Boursin Chicken Orzo (Easy One-Skillet Recipe)

This creamy Boursin chicken orzo cooks diced chicken, uncooked orzo, heavy cream, spinach, and grape tomatoes in one skillet with Boursin cheese for an easy creamy chicken orzo dinner ready in 35 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 to 3 chicken breasts diced
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • Salt black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups orzo uncooked
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth plus more as needed
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 oz fresh spinach
  • 12 to 15 grape tomatoes
  • 1 package 5.3 oz Boursin cheese
  • Grated Parmesan optional for serving

Method
 

  1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook until cooked through. Remove and set aside if desired or leave in the skillet.
  2. Add the uncooked orzo, chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, spinach, grape tomatoes, and Boursin cheese directly to the skillet with the chicken.
  3. Stir everything together until combined. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes.
  4. Remove the lid and stir well making sure the Boursin is fully incorporated into the sauce.
  5. Continue cooking uncovered for another 15 minutes stirring occasionally until the orzo is tender and the sauce has thickened. Add a splash of extra chicken broth if the orzo gets too dry before it's fully cooked.
  6. Serve immediately topped with grated Parmesan if desired.

Notes

  • Serve this creamy chicken orzo immediately while the sauce is still loose and creamy. The orzo continues absorbing liquid as it sits and the sauce thickens significantly within just a few minutes of coming off the heat.
  • Keep extra chicken broth nearby during the uncovered simmer. Different orzo brands absorb at slightly different rates and having broth ready means you can add a splash whenever the skillet looks too dry before the orzo is fully tender.
  • Make sure the Boursin is fully stirred in after you remove the lid at the 15-minute mark. It melts into the sauce but needs a good stir to fully incorporate and produce that uniformly creamy, silky texture throughout.
  • Dice the chicken into even pieces so everything cooks through at the same rate. Uneven pieces mean some dry out before others are done.