A note from Julie: this recipe is the same as when it first published in July 2013. The photographs have been updated for your viewing pleasure.
I came up with this one-pot creamy orzo chicken sausage recipe one night randomly, as most dinner sometimes seem to be.
It’s usually me opening up the fridge and pulling out ingredients and seeing whether or not they would work together.
I remember when I first made this recipe, back in 2013, chicken sausage was still not really a thing yet.
It was just starting to hit the market but by no means was it popular yet.
I remember I was sent chicken sausage by a company (that now sells at Whole Foods!) to try because they were new to the market. I thought it couldn’t hurt to try.
That was how my love of chicken sausage came to be.
And also how this recipe for one-pot creamy orzo with chicken sausage came to be!
Can I make this with another pasta or grain?
Farro would be awesome with this or even making this with risotto/arborio rice.
Can I add different veggies to this?
Yes, absolutely.
I made this in the summer so I used a lot of seasonal/summer vegetables.
You can use whatever vegetables you like.
What kind of chicken sausage should I use?
Use pre-cooked chicken sausage. Not fresh.
It can be any flavor!
Can I use a different kind of sausage?
If you want to use another kind (such as beef or pork) of pre-cooked sausage, sure.
I can’t have dairy
Sure, no problem. You can omit the heavy cream.
The orzo gets fairly creamy standalone but the heavy cream just gives it an extra splash of decadence.
Is this spicy?
No, but you can make it spicy if you want by adding crushed red pepper flakes to it.
My orzo is crunchy
That means it hasn’t cooked through yet. Keep cooking it!
My liquid is all gone but my orzo hasn’t finished cooking
Add a little more chicken stock/broth, cover, and let it keep cooking.
One-pot creamy creamy orzo with chicken sausage goes great with these side dishes:
One-Pot Creamy Orzo with Chicken Sausage
Ingredients
- 1/2 large zucchini, sliced into round discs then quartered
- 4 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 3 fully-cooked chicken sausage links, sliced into round discs then quartered, any brand
- 1 1/2 cup orzo
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
- 7 oz canned diced tomatoes
- Splash of heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, over medium high heat, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and add in the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onions and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sausage. Cook until mushrooms have reduced in size, about 2 minutes.
- Add the orzo to the pot and toast it for about minute, stirring constantly. Gently add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and cover and cook for 10 minutes, or until orzo has cooked through. Stir in the diced tomatoes and add the splash of cream (about 1 tbsp). The mixture should still be creamy because of the starch from the orzo. If it is still a bit runny, you can cover and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Photographs by Jesse Reilly
lol only you would have that issue at the grocery store. I guess that’s the downfall of dresses and skirts huh? PS pass me a big bowl of this? I’m starving!
Lol, so funny, sorry! Been there, done that, but summer is so worth it, isn’t it!
Summer is SUCH a gift! Can it just never end please? Love how quickly this comes together–more time outside for us!
Lovely dish!
I am with you, I am in love with summer! It is the best!! I am also in love with this pasta. I love orzo and the spicy chicken sausages? YUM! What a great quick and easy summer meal!
Finally beautiful weather in Smalltown, IN! Off to farmer’s market tomorrow morning for zucchini and whatever looks like something that might look good on the grill. This is a definite side dish on our table this weekend. I truly love orzo! I need to search this site for a good zucchini bread recipe!
i am loving the long days and so much time as well. hope it stays like this forever…funny you mentioned that skirt incident, I saw a lady the other day same situation except that it was by the ice cream truck and little kids were there. I felt so bad for her. I always tie the ends of my flowy dresses. On a different note, i have never had orzo before and the pictures are inviting me to try it.
I have been feeling spoiled with summer this year too! In Seattle there is still light in the sky at 10PM! I love it. This pasta looks wonderful and comforting no matter what the weather!
so into this for dinner!!
Gaby,
This is on the menu for tomorrow night. Send the orzo vibes! How about a little salad of arugula with some lemon and olive oil?
Oh my, I need to eat lunch. Pavlovian response is kicking in.
Summer rocks!
That salad sounds great!!
girl, i know how you feel!
I only started wearing dresses two years ago. Im a plus size woman so gettin me in a dress required much coaxing. I finally gave in with the condition that I would wear spanx underneath. Now i love dresses and have some really cute ones for hte summer. One dress in particular that I have been wearing flares out quite a bit. I never understood why i felt cold every time I passed the turnstile of the train or the office… until boyfriend told me the bar of hte turnstile flipped my dress up as it was turning revealing my nude spanx covered behind.
To make matters worse, when he made this discovery I was walking down a flight of stairs to catch a train that was coming into the station. The gust of wind sent my dress above my waist letting all of chinatown see my spanx.
I might be retiring the dress. lol.
What a tasty sounding dish – I’ve never seen chicken sausage for sale here but I’m definitely going to look out for it!
That almost happened to me last week in front of my 9 year old…I would have been mortified! Quick question…what do you think about grilling the sausage first and adding it at the end?
I am adoring the long days, too. I’ll be so sad when they’re over – I love being out walking at 7:30pm in the sunshine.
This Orzo looks so delicious and super comfort-foody but for summer. That made sense, right? Either way, it looks like a flavour sensation :)
The recipe looks fantastic, just one question, it looks as if the diced tomatos were drained. Is this correct? Thanks for all the great recipes here!
Hi Krista! I actually didn’t drain the diced tomatoes. I used half a regular 14 oz. or 15oz. can (varies by brand) of diced tomatoes and just poured in half of it.
Oooo I am digging the creamyness
Such a great looking meal ~ I always love sausage!
The word “creamy” always pulls me in… and it looks so.. well, creamy! Really yummy!
Also I’m living in sundresses, it’s all I wear!
I love orzo, this looks mouth-watering!
Paul has been traveling so much and I’ve been pretty much living off of chicken sausage…it’s just so easy to cook with for a small portion. I love how creamy this is and I love all the veggies!
Mmmm…this looks really wonderful! I love how creamy it is. A great filling but light summer dish.
Looks delicious and definitely on the menu for next week. Can I substitute whole milk for the splash of heavy cream? I never have heavy cream but with a 2 year old I always have whole milk…
Yes, you can absolutely substitute the splash of cream with whole milk! Enjoy!
We made this with our own chicken sausage and without cream. Verdict: will definitely make again.
Having time to actually photograph your dinner is such a huge thing! I hate when the time changes in the fall (damn the time change!) and it starts getting dark at 4:30, the worst part about winter.
This looks fabulous! I love orzo. beautiful job lady.
Beautiful dish, love summer time dinner and maxi dresses too!!
I made this for dinner last night and even my picky toddler liked it. I added some parmesan cheese at the end too. Thanks for a wonderful, easy, healthy recipe!
So happy to hear this, Bridget!! Thank you for coming back and letting me know!
Julie-
I just recently found your blog. I made this recipe last night and had to let you know how FANTASTIC it was! Thank you! My picky 5 year old and 2 year old both ate their entire bowl and asked for more! Thanks again! And love your blog!
I’m so happy to hear that Rachel! Welcome to the blog! I’m glad to have you as a reader :)
Julie, I have been following your blog for a short bit thanks to my mom turning me on to it. This is the first of your recipes that I have had the chance to try and it was a total hit! I thought about skipping the zucchini as I am not usually a fan but I am glad I didn’t — it was delicious and another chance to get a little veggie in for us. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for coming back to let me know how it turned out! So glad you tried it and enjoyed it! :)
I love chicken sausage and am always looking for new ways to dress it up. This orzo looks fantastic!
I made this last night and it turned out great! Can’t wait to have it for dinner again tonight!
It’s one of my favorites!!
this orzo is sooo good! i changed up the veggies based on what i happened to have on hand and it still turned out wonderful. thank you for such a great recipe!!!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback!
I feel like as a woman, a dress/skirt flying up because of the wind is always bound to happen at least once. LOL.
This orzo looks delicious and simple, too. I would love to try this out. :)
I made this recipe a few nights ago. I don’t blog or normally post on any, but this was so good that I had to let you know! Thanks for sharing! I will definitely be making this again.
Thanks so much R! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and came back to tell me so!! :)
Just made this last night and this recipe totally rocks! But you didn’t mention one of the best parts: it’s a one-pot meal! That’s a biggie for me because when I cook, I’m known to turn the kitchen into a disaster area. Anyway, this tasted great and I’m betting it would freeze well. It’s so versatile too. I made a double batch for me and my boyfriend to take to work. I like having something I can just pop in the microwave at work rather than having something to fiddle around with and assemble. Will definitely be making this again!
Ahh, I can’t believe I didn’t mention it was one-pot! I usually strive to mention those things because I adore one-pot meals! I’m glad you enjoyed this so much :) it’s one of my absolute favorites!!
used basil and garlic diced tomatoes and finished it off with a splash of balsamic vinegar…this was delicious!!!
Made this for dinner this week and my husband is already requesting it for a dinner in the near future. Thanks for the great recipe!
This sounds like a dish I will definitely make soon! I’m going to go rogue and try it in the slow cooker. As a mom who works full time, I’m always turning to my slow cooker to help get meals ready!!
Just made this for dinner tonight! I didn’t use zucchini, and added broccoli, kale, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes and andouille chicken sausage. I also added some parmesan cheese at the end. Very delicious! My only problem is that it took about an hour to cook, and I had to take some chicken stock out of the freezer (which I warmed up before I added it in) because 2 cups was not nearly enough to cook the rice. Any thoughts? Thanks for all the great recipes!
I JUST REALIZED I USED RISOTTO!!! lol!!! Thats why it took so long. I thought when I read the recipe that it had sounded like a really short time to cook risotto!!! I guess I heard orzo, thought risotto? Well I’m glad the mystery has been solved. And let me say, it is DELICIOUS with risotto!!! Next time I will brown the sausage in a pan first! But I will be making this again!
Haha oh no! Orzo is a type of pasta :) next time it won’t take you that long but I’m glad you enjoyed it either way!
I’m just curious. Have you ever made this in the crockpot? Would you change anything, other than the time?
Hi Diana, no, I haven’t made this in the crockpot before. I don’t know if I can give advice on this because I don’t think this is a dish that you should make in a slow cooker, however, if you do try it and it is a success, please do come back and let me know how it turned out!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic!! My only concern is you might want to add that the sausage you used was already fully cooked. I bought (fresh) chicken sausage links and wasn’t sure if the recipe would cook them as written, so I cooked it in the pot and then set it aside before cooking the garlic/zucchini/onions. Just wanted to post so others could be aware. Thanks for a great recipe, it was delicious and I’m already looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll modify the recipe to note that.
Love love this dish! Really yummy!
Thought the orzo was a rice not a pasta but eventually figured it out! From one of these comments actually!
Another recipe added to the routine! I love creamy orzo! I added an extra TBS of heavy cream and topped the dish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese! I also paired it with slices of fresh bread and butter! Delish! 😋
So glad you enjoyed this!!
This is a perfect week night recipe! One of my favorites espcially when it’s chilly outside, but it’s a quick and easy dish for any season. I usually sub sliced Baby Bellas or Criminis for the white button mushrooms. Also grate in some fresh parmesan instead of the cream.