Chicken Orzo Salad

Chicken Orzo Salad — This chicken orzo salad comes together in under 30 minutes and is made with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, a tangy lemon vinaigrette, and more!

Chicken Orzo Salad Recipe

This chicken orzo salad is ready in under 30 minutes, makes enough to serve a crowd or for planned leftovers, can be served warm or chilled, and it’s a very flexible recipe based on the vegetables you have on hand.

Along with juicy chicken and tender orzo, I used cucumbers and tomatoes for texture along with green onions, parsley, and basil for flavor. 

Everything is tossed with a simple olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette that adds a hint of lemon, which complements the chicken and vegetables perfectly.

Feel free to substitute with zucchini, red onions, mint, add garbanzo beans, add goat, blue, or feta cheese, add mushrooms or olives, or throw in some greens like spinach or arugula.

It’s such a versatile recipe and you can use it to clean out your produce drawer or in the summer when your garden and the farmer’s markets are exploding with veggies.

What is Orzo? 

Many people mistakenly think that orzo is a type of rice, but it’s actually a short pasta!

It’s slightly chewy in texture and can be doctored up so many different ways. Because orzo is a kind of pasta, it’s not gluten-free, so if that’s something you’re concerned about make sure to buy a certified gluten-free orzo (I’m sure they exist!). 

What’s in Chicken Orzo Salad? 

For this chicken orzo pasta salad, you’ll need: 

• Cooked orzo
• Olive oil
• Chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Green onions
• Fresh parsley and basil
• Lemon juice
• Apple cider vinegar
• Honey

How to Make Orzo Salad

Cook the orzo according to package instructions, and cook the diced chicken in a little olive oil. While the chicken cooks, dice the veggies and add to a large mixing bowl along with the fresh herbs. Add the orzo and chicken to the bowl and toss to combine. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon vinaigrette, then pour over the orzo pasta salad and toss to coat. This orzo salad recipe can be served warm, or you can cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. 

Can I Omit the Chicken? 

Of course! If you don’t have chicken on hand or simply wish to leave it out, you don’t have to use it. If you don’t eat meat, chickpeas would be a good substitute for the chicken (just make sure to rinse and season them before mixing them into the orzo pasta salad). 

Can I Make This Orzo Salad in Advance? 

Yes, this orzo pasta salad will keep for up to five days in the fridge. Over time, the veggies will release some juices, but if you give everything a good stir before serving this pasta salad it’ll still taste delicious. 

Tips for Making Chicken Orzo Salad

Just like you would with any pasta, make sure to salt the orzo cooking water. You want every layer of this orzo salad to be seasoned, otherwise the pasta and veggies will taste bland despite the refreshing lemon vinaigrette that’s drizzled over top. 

As I already mentioned, this is a wonderful clean out the fridge meal. Feel free to use different veggies, herbs, and protein in this orzo salad recipe. 

For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice in the vinaigrette and not the bottled kind. You only need about one lemon for this recipe, and the fresh juice makes a huge difference! 

And for all the orzo fans, make sure to check out this Lemon Basil Greek Orzo Salad. It’s a great one to try especially when fresh basil is in season. And this Greek Lemon Chicken and Orzo is also a fan favorite!

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4.46 from 57 votes

Chicken Orzo Salad

By Averie Sunshine

This chicken orzo salad comes together in under 30 minutes and is made with juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, a tangy lemon vinaigrette, and more!

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 to 10 servings

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ 12 ounces orzo, cooked according to package directions
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ about 1.50 pounds thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• ▢ 1 ½ to 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• ▢ 1 ½ to 2 cups English cucumbers, diced small
• ▢ 1 cup green onions, sliced into thin rounds (from about 4 to 5 green onions)
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped

Lemon Vinaigrette

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

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Instructions 

• 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.

Notes

Salad will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days noting the vegetables will release water as time passes; serve warm, chilled, or at room temp.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 480kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 621mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally posted April 25, 2016 and reposted June 10, 2022 with updated text.