Chicken and Sausage Orzo Pasta

The orzo pasta in this chicken and sausage recipe is cooked risotto-style. See more

READY IN 1½ hrs

Risotto with Chicken, Sausage and Peppers

Read Reviews (13)

"Orzo gets cooked risotto-style, using a flavorful stock made with braised chicken and sausage." — Chef John

Directions

Season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat in a saucepan. Cook chicken until browned, about 3-4 minutes on each side; remove from pan.
Cook and stir linguica sausage and onion in the same saucepan until the onion is just starting to become translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir in paprika, cumin, herbes de Provence, bay leaf, and parsley; cook spices in oil until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Return browned chicken thighs to the skillet, and pour in chicken stock.
Heat to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Remove all chicken pieces and sausage using a slotted spoon. Pour broth into different bowl and set aside. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones; set chicken meat and sausage aside.
Heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat in saucepan. Add red and green peppers and orzo; stir to coat with hot oil. Stir in 1-1/2 cups of hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Cook for 5 minutes, or until most of broth is absorbed.
Continue to slowly add remaining broth and stir until almost absorbed, about 15 minutes, or until tender but still slightly firm in the center of a pasta (you probably won't use all of broth). Remove from heat. Add chicken and sausage, stir and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until pasta soaks up remaining broth. You can pour in extra broth at serving time if mixture is a little dry.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 1 hr 10 mins
READY IN 1 hr 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Dec 05, 2011

This was my first attempt at risotto and I was really nervous, but I followed the directions exactly and it turned out wonderful- creamy and spicy!

—megameaghan1

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Jul 18, 2012

I made this last night and it came out amazing.. my boyfriend said it was a top dish. the only difference in this recipe is that I cooked all the veggies with the meat and I used two different sausages a spicy italian and a something else that wasnt so spicy ( a good mix) and insitead of shredding the chicken I just kept it as is. When I sauted the all of the veggies with the sausage it came it out very flavorfull. This was a very flavorfull dish.. very good

—th1gurl23

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21 Ratings

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Feb 02, 2012

Great flavors but a little too much meat. Next time I think I will add more pasta and scale back the two meats.

—TheCarl

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Jul 29, 2012

My whole family loved this! I usually try to stay true to the original recipe the first time I make it, but a few of the ingredients can't be found in my little town. I had Hillshire Farms Cheddarwurst on hand and substituted it for the linguica. I used one large jalapeno pepper, and took the others reviewers suggestion and doubled the orzo, and the flavors were amazing. Came out so good, even my picky eater cleaned his plate. Smelled so good while it was cooking as well! Thanks Chef John for an amazing recipe!

—targetswife

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May 20, 2012

This is an excellent change up from the same old boring chicken! The spices really make this dish flavorful and the red bell pepper gives it color and a texture. Browning the chicken is a must because you get those great flavors left in the pan. I didn't have a bay leaf but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. If I was to make any change at all, it would only be to pare back the amount of meat or increase the orzo. Thank you for this great recipe, this one is definitely a keeper!

—KellyC

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Mar 24, 2013

Very good recipe. All ingredients worked well together.

—janwan15

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Feb 24, 2013

Loved this, very flavorful. Made for Sunday dinner, and had 2x during the week for my lunch. Will definitely make again! Thanks!

—kim

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Feb 21, 2013

This is excellent! I used bnls/sknls thighs & italian sausage, as it's what I had on hand, and a red & green bell pepper. Wasn't sure which paprika to use, so used 1/2 hot + 1/2 smoked. Didn't have orzo, either, used risotto. Now it seems I shouldn't even be rating this recipe, since I didn't really make IT! Sorry...but the seasonings are what really made the dish, and they are great. I liked having a lot of meat in it, but I'm only feeding 2 - more pasta/rice is a definite budget stretcher. I will make this again and try orzo then. Thanks again, Chef! I love your videos & recipes!

—scootersandi

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Nutrition

Calories
739 kcal
37%

Carbohydrates
34.4 g
11%

Cholesterol
136 mg
45%

Fat
46.9 g
72%

Fiber
2.9 g
12%

Protein
43.8 g
88%

Sodium
1844 mg
74%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Risotto with Chicken, Sausage and Peppers

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 739
Calories from Fat: 422

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 46.9g 72 %
Saturated Fat 14.5g 73 %
Cholesterol 136mg 45 %
Sodium 1844mg 74 %
** Potassium 643mg 18 %
Total Carbohydrates 34.4g 11 %
** Dietary Fiber 2.9g 12 %
Protein 43.8g 88 %
** Sugars 3.5g
** Vitamin A 27 %
** Vitamin C 65 %
** Calcium 6 %
** Iron 48 %
** Thiamin 9 %
** Niacin 135 %
** Vitamin B6 46 %
** Magnesium 22 %
** Folate 58 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.