25 Easy Orzo Recipes

This orzo salad combines cooked orzo pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, briny black olives, and salty feta cheese tossed in a homemade lemon vinaigrette. Light, refreshing, and simple to make, this recipe is perfect for potlucks, barbecues, or a quick lunch.

Caprese Orzo Pasta Salad has everything I love about summer: cherry tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. It also has all the beautiful colors of the Italian flag. This simple make-ahead side dish is my favorite recipe for easy entertaining.

This pesto orzo salad includes tender orzo pasta tossed with homemade pesto, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, shallots, peppery arugula, and fresh herbs. The fresh, simple ingredients and bold pesto make it a standout option for summer meals or light lunches.

This orzo pasta salad utilizes fresh spring vegetables like asparagus and a homemade lemon dijon vinaigrette. It packs on the flavor with the addition of cooked chopped bacon, making it an absolutely delicious salad or side dish everyone will want more of.

If you are short on time, this Orzo pasta salad cooks in just three minutes in the pressure cooker. With sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, capers, red onions, and balsamic vinegar, it's perfect when you need a salad in a hurry and do not want to spend time cooking orzo over the stove. 

This asparagus orzo salad is a great way to enjoy Spring produce. Tender but crunchy asparagus, bright green peas, fresh parsley, mint, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese create this fresh and filling salad.

This delicious salad combines cooked orzo pasta with chopped fresh vegetables, fresh basil, mint, and pine nuts. Toss it all with a delightful homemade Greek dressing with red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil for a tangy and crave-able meal.

This orzo salad is tossed with fresh spinach, chives, snap peas, asparagus, creamy feta, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette infused with garlic and Dijon mustard. This salad's unique textures and flavors create the perfect side dish for spring and summer.

This Chicken Florentine Soup is a cozy bowl of comfort made with tender shredded chicken, earthy baby spinach, and a rich, creamy broth. The soup gets its luscious texture from chicken broth, heavy cream, and a touch of parmesan cheese, while garlic and onion add warm, savory depth. Finished with fresh herbs, it's a quick and flavorful recipe perfect for chilly days.

This Vegetable Orzo Soup is a hearty, feel-good bowl filled with tender orzo pasta, carrots, celery, and great northern beans, all simmered in a light vegetable broth. A squeeze of lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley keep this soup light and fresh. 

This Turkey Orzo Soup brings together shredded cooked turkey, orzo, carrots, and celery in a warm chicken broth infused with thyme and a splash of white wine. Ready in about 30 minutes, it's a simple, one-pot meal that's easy to pull together on busy evenings, and the leftovers are even better the next day. Serve it with crusty garlic bread to soak up its delicious flavors.

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup sets itself apart with a final squeeze of fresh lemon juice and fresh dill that adds a sunny finish you don't usually find in traditional chicken soups. Shredded leftover rotisserie chicken, orzo, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and chicken broth, all simmer in one pot until everything is tender and spoon-ready. It's a quick method that makes a simple combination of ingredients taste irresistible.

In this delicious recipe, orzo toasted in olive oil and butter is combined with chopped onion, garlic, and chicken broth, simmered until it reaches the perfect texture, and topped with fresh parsley. This easy side dish is one of the easiest to make and is absolutely delicious when served with grilled chicken. Even picky kids can't get enough of this simple recipe.

This one-pot Spinach Parmesan Orzo starts with green onions and garlic sautéed in butter. Then, the garlic, onions, and orzo are simmered with milk until al dente and finished with chopped spinach and parmesan cheese until creamy. Serve it with a side of crusty bread, or add your favorite protein.

Butternut squash is roasted until soft, caramelized, and blended until smooth to create a luscious sauce. Orzo, garlic, and shallots are cooked in vegetable stock or chicken stock for an added depth of flavor. Once the orzo is done, it's combined with the butternut squash puree, parmesan cheese, and fresh sage for a delicious side dish perfect for fall.

Mushrooms and orzo are cooked in one pot and treated like risotto, allowing the pasta to absorb the chicken broth. Adding sour cream and parmesan gives it an incredibly velvety texture. I love serving this fantastic recipe with roasted chicken and a side salad.

Heavy cream and parmesan cheese give this orzo side dish its creamy, luxurious texture, while the light flavors of lemon, basil, and garlic keep it fresh. This recipe is the perfect side to serve with grilled steak or fish during the summer.

This Lemon Basil Orzo with chicken simmers orzo in broth before mixing it with chicken, fresh basil, and a squeeze of lemon for a simple, fresh flavor. With simple steps, it's a great recipe for beginners looking for an effortless but impressive main dish.

This creamy chicken orzo begins by sautéing onion and garlic, then shredded chicken and orzo in a tomato-based broth until tender. Cream cheese and parmesan cheese melt in at the end, creating a comforting meal. The best part about this recipe is that everything happens in one pot, making it an easy, cozy dish to whip up whenever you need something warm and satisfying.

This one-pot lemon chicken with orzo keeps things simple by cooking everything together in one pan, so there's less cleanup and more time to relax. After browning the chicken, add the orzo, lemon, and broth, then let it simmer until everything's tender. Finished by stirring in spinach, cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves, keep this recipe fresh and easy.

This recipe starts by sautéing shrimp, zucchini, and bell peppers until they're nicely tender. Cooked orzo, lemon, and dill are stirred in with a sprinkle of feta. This recipe has just a few simple steps, keeping things easy and fuss-free.

Chicken is first sautéed until golden brown and set aside to rest. Garlic and onions are then sautéed until the pan is deglazed with a splash of white wine. The orzo and chicken are cooked together in broth and finished with heavy cream, tomato paste, and parmesan. This recipe is fuss-free and great for beginners who want to impress.

Beef stew meat and orzo are slowly cooked together in a rich tomato broth with aromatic vegetables and become a match made in heaven in this delicious Greek dish. This dish is packed full of flavor as the pasta absorbs all the incredible flavors from the sauce as it cooks.

Creamy Tuscan Chicken orzo is perfect for a weeknight or entertaining because it comes together in less than an hour and is a complete meal. Chicken breasts cooked with orzo in a creamy sauce with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, and white wine create a decadent meal perfect for beginners.

This dish is very similar to cheesy broccoli and rice but uses orzo instead. It's straightforward to make, comes together in 30 minutes, and is a fantastic way to use fresh broccoli. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end adds an unexpected and fresh taste that cannot be beaten in this easy orzo recipe.