One-Pan Chicken Sausage Orzo
A creamy and delicious one-pot dinner. This chicken sausage orzo skillet is a high-protein recipe that’s ready in under 30-minutes.
This post may contain affiliate links.
Easy clean-up. Minimal time. And a delicious, creamy texture that will leave you feeling satisfied and excited to eat your leftovers. This chicken sausage orzo recipe is the perfect simple dinner for busy weeknights.
This viral one-pot dinner recipe has over 3 million views on Instagram! Scroll down to learn how to make this easy meal, a few ways to cut corners, and expert tips to perfect the texture every time.
Want more healthy one-pan dinners? You’ll love my skillet stuffed peppers, one-pot hamburger helper, or lemony salmon orzo.
Why you’ll love this dietitian-made recipe
- 30 grams of protein per serving to keep you full and satisfied
- Made in one pot for minimal clean-up
- Minimal chopping to save time on busy weeknights
- Creamy texture and delicious Italian-inspired flavors
- Great for meal prep since leftovers taste great
Ingredients in chicken sausage orzo skillet
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and detailed recipe.
- Olive oil — you could also use cooking spray or avocado oil
- Chicken sausage — you’re looking for smoked/fully cooked chicken sausage (the kind in the vacuum-sealed plastic packages, not the kind sold with raw meats)
- White onion — you could also use yellow onion or cooking onion
- Bell pepper — any color works!
- Garlic
- Chopped Calabrian chilies — you could also use about half the amount of red pepper flakes if you can’t find Calabrian chilies, but both are optional
- Italian seasoning
- Orzo pasta
- Water — if needed, swap water + bouillon with broth or bone broth
- Better Than Bouillon — I love the flavor of Better Than Bouillon instead of broth, you could also combine water with powdered bone broth if desired
- Baby spinach
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh lemon juice
- Salt and pepper — to taste, I don’t think it needs a lot since sausage is usually heavily seasoned
Want an extra protein boost?
Use chicken bone broth instead of water and bouillon for an extra 10 grams of protein per cup.
Make it easier
Use these convenience foods to make this recipe even more effortless on busy days:
- Frozen peppers and onions
- Pre-minced jarred garlic
- Pre-grated parmesan
- Bottled lemon juice
- Full baby spinach (don’t chop it!)
Dietary restrictions
Reduced sodium: Use reduced-sodium bouillon or broth. Compare labels on chicken sausages and choose one with less sodium. Omit any extra salt.
Higher protein: Use chicken bone broth instead of bouillon and water. If desired, add an extra two chicken sausages.
Vegetarian: Use vegetable bouillon or broth, and swap chicken sausage for vegetarian sausage.
Dairy-free: Omit the parmesan cheese and stir in 1-2 Tbsp of plant-based butter instead. You could also sprinkle with nutritional yeast.
How to make one-pan chicken sausage orzo
Step 1: Add chicken sausage to a pan with olive oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, untouched, until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until brown.
Step 2: Add your onion and bell pepper, and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and peppers begin to soften.
Step 3: Add garlic, Calabrian chilies, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until just fragrant.
Step 4: Add orzo, water, and bouillon, and stir. Let simmer for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is cooked through.
Step 5: When orzo is cooked, turn off the heat. Add spinach and parmesan. Stir until spinach is wilted.
Step 6: Add lemon juice and stir. Serve and enjoy!
What’s the best chicken sausage to use?
You can use any flavor of pre-cooked chicken sausage. I use Sweet Pepper flavor by the brand Gourmet (it’s Canadian!), but Italian or Feta would work great too. Just make sure you’re using fully cooked chicken sausage — the kind sold near the hot dogs, not the kind sold with raw meat.
I’m not particular about brands. Compare labels and choose the option with the most protein and least sodium. You could also compare calories too, especially if you’re working on weight loss.
Expert tips
- Adjust water and time. The exact amount of time and liquid needed depends on your pot/pan size and exact cooking temperature. If things look dry, add 1/4 cup extra liquid as needed. If your orzo isn’t fully cooked, add 1-2 minutes more cooking time and taste again. It always comes together, so don’t fret!
- Use cooked chicken sausage. Make sure you’re using fully cooked chicken sausage. If you don’t know how to find it, it’s the kind in vacuum sealed packaging, usually sold near the hot dogs. It will say “fully cooked” or “smoked” on the packaging.
Common questions
Yes! This chicken sausage orzo skillet makes the perfect meal prep dinner or lunch. Prepare as normal and store in single-serve food containers. Heat in the microwave or stovetop with an extra splash or water of broth to re-hydrate.
If you don’t love chicken sausage, I would highly recommend using mild or hot Italian sausage meat (turkey or pork), removed from its casing. Or, you can use any ground meat you like and add extra Italian seasoning. You could also use vegetarian sausage for a fully meat-free meal if preferred.
More easy dinner ideas
If you liked this chicken sausage orzo recipe, you’ll also love:
Spinach artichoke bake
One-pot cheesy orzo
Ground turkey fried rice
Ground beef stir fry
Slow cooker creamy chicken chili
Philly cheesesteak pasta skillet
One-pot healthy hamburger helper
Did you try this recipe?
Leave your rating and review below! And don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, and tag me @real.life.nutritionist.
One-Pan Chicken Sausage Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 smoked chicken sausages, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
- ½ white onion, diced small
- 1 bell pepper, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 tsp chopped Calabrian chilies, or ½ tsp red pepper flakes, both are optional
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 ¼ cup dry orzo pasta
- 2 ¾ cup water
- 2 ½ tsp Better Than Bouillon chicken base
- 2 big handfuls baby spinach, chopped if desired
- ⅔ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ lemon, juiced, more as desired
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 1 large sauté pan or pot/Dutch oven
Instructions
- Add olive oil to pan and heat to medium.
- Add chicken sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes, untouched, until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip your sausage and let cook for 1 more minute.
- Add your onion and bell pepper, and stir. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and peppers begin to soften.
- Add garlic, Calabrian chilies, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until just fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add orzo, water, and bouillon, and stir. Let simmer for 8-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is cooked through. If the pot starts to boil, reduce heat to medium-low. Add extra liquid as needed until your orzo is cooked al dente.
- When orzo is cooked, turn off the heat. Add spinach and parmesan. Stir until spinach is wilted.
- Add lemon juice and stir. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if desired Serve immediately with extra parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Recipe will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days
- Recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months
- Re-heat in the microwave or stove-stop with a splash of water or broth to re-moisten your chicken sausage orzo
This dish is AMAZING! I used spinach feta chicken sausages from Aldi (I used two packs as these will be my lunches this work week) and two bell peppers instead of one. I cannot begin to describe how delicious this was. I think the lemon juice at the end really amps up all of the flavors. Another win from this nutritionist!!
I loved this recipe. It was so quick to throw together and so yummy. I didn’t have spinach so I diced up a zuzzhini and cooked it with the bell pepper. So good.
So easy. I did cherry tomatoes instead of bell peppers. Turned out great!