Orzo pasta and shredded chicken in a spicy, creamy, cheesy sauce baked until bubbly and served on warm corn tortillas, Cheesy Adobo Chicken Orzo Bake is a warm and satisfying, dish for any day of the week.
It’s so hard to find recipes my whole family will eat, and this Cheesy Adobo Chicken Orzo Bake is on regular rotation in my house! Everything goes into one baking dish, so it’s an easy, no-fuss recipe that has minimal prep time and easy cleanup. Plus, it’s not only hearty and filling, but I always have leftovers!
Is Orzo Considered Rice?
Orzo is a type of pasta that looks like rice but is actually pasta made from whole grain, semolina, or white flour. It looks like rice, but it’s actually just cut into tiny pieces to look like rice. It’s commonly used in Italian recipes and they call it risoni or pastina, meaning small pasta.
What to Eat With Cheesy Adobo Chicken Orzo Bake
We love to eat this orzo baked served on warm corn tortillas, but you can also have it by itself. To make it extra yummy, add some sour cream and cilantro, and for a bit of extra protein, add some black beans! Also, you can leave out the peppers if you prefer to not add the heat.
Ingredients in Cheesy Adobo Chicken Orzo Bake
Orzo Pasta –
Chicken broth or vegetable broth – I prefer the low sodium if you can find it
Shredded Chicken – Chicken thighs will give it more flavor but rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut and has a lot of flavor!
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – make sure they come in adobo sauce, this gives it the spicy kick
Cumin
Black Pepper
Salt
Petite Diced Tomatoes – you can also substitute this for salsa
Colby jack – if you want it a bit spicier then use pepper jack
Heavy cream – can also use half and half, but the sauce won’t be as thick
Cream cheese – I use chive and onion for some added flavor, but plain works just as well
Corn Tortillas
Optional: fresh cilantro, sour cream, black beans
Instructions
- Cook Orzo according to package, drain and set aside
- In a large bowl mix together all of the ingredients except chicken, orzo, and 1 cup of cheese until well blended.
- Add the orzo to the mixture and stir, making sure the cream cheese is evenly mixed into the pasta
- Stir in shredded chicken and top with remaining cup of cheese
- Pour into a 9X9″ baking dish and bake in the oven covered at 375 for 25 minutes, remove covering, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Optional: Serve on top of warm corn tortillas
Cheesy Adobo Chicken Orzo Bake
Ingredients
- 1 box Orzo Pasta
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 cups Shredded Chicken
- 3-4 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp Cumin
- Black Pepper
- Salt
- 1 14 oz. can Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 2 cups shredded Colby jack
- ½ cups Heavy cream
- 1 cup Softened cream cheese
- 6-8 Corn Tortillas
- Optional: fresh cilantro, sour cream
Instructions
- Cook Orzo according to package, drain and set aside
- In a large bowl mix together all ingredients except chicken, orzo, and 1 cup of cheese until well blended.
- Add the orzo to the mixture and stir, making sure the cream cheese is evenly mixed into the pasta
- Stir in shredded chicken and top with remaining cup of cheese
- Pour into a 9X9" baking dish and bake in the oven covered in foil at 375 for 25 minutes, remove foil covering, and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until bubbly
- Serve on top of warm corn tortillas
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