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Slow Cooker Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo. Turning a classic dinner recipe into an easy slow cooker meal using white wine, creamy Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and orzo. I even added in some vibrant broccoli for added vegetables and color. This slow-cooked chicken dinner is a hearty and delicious meal to come home to at the end of a busy day. And the best part? It’s the easiest dinner to prepare. You simply can’t go wrong with a dinner like this herby chicken and creamy orzo.
Breaking out a slow cooker recipe today and it’s not even October. Yes, it may be a bit early. But I’m pretty sure that most of us appreciate a good slow cooker dinner almost any time of the year. They’re just so easy!
This is one of those dishes that I’ve been wanting to make for the longest time now. But I told myself to hold off until the autumn days started to set in. It’s just so cozy and perfect for fall. It’s creamy, herby, a touch buttery, and has the BEST flavor. I love the fact that the chicken and orzo are cooked together in the slow cooker. It makes everything come together effortlessly.
It’s loosely inspired by my French wine and mustard chicken, but it’s made with a few additions…that I think, make it even better!
This is perfect for this time when the days might be warmer, but the nights are cooler. It’s going to be great all fall and winter long. Plus, you can easily package leftovers in an airtight container to keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, you could even pop this in the freezer for a last minute meal.
Here are the details
As you can imagine, this is really simple. Just place the chicken in the crockpot and rub it with olive oil and that mustard. Then add a ton of fresh thyme, sage, and garlic.
Now, pour in the wine and apple cider, then add some shallots.
I love to use apple cider in this for a slight air of warming fall flavor. It pairs so wonderfully with the white wine, herbs, and mustard. I know it sounds odd, but trust me, the apple cider adds such a nice flavor.
At this point, just cover the crockpot and cook. You can speed things up by cooking on high, or go low and slow. Alternately, you can use the instant pot, but I do prefer the crockpot method.
When the chicken has cooked, pull it out and set it on a small sheet pan.
Now the orzo
Here’s where the orzo comes in. Add the orzo to all the yummy broth in the crockpot along with some broccoli. Now simply cover and cook a few minutes longer, until the orzo is al dente.
Meanwhile, I love to add a little butter to the chicken. Then throw it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp up. This is totally optional, but I do think it adds to the dish.
When the orzo is finished, add in a touch of cream and parmesan too.
And now serve it up!
So simple and quick with barely any clean-up and minimal hands-on time.
The simplest dinner, and so great for busy weeknights…hearty, creamy – and so freaking good!
Looking for other slow cooker meals? Here are a few ideas:
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
Lastly, if you make these Slow Cooker Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Check out our How-To Video:
Slow Cooker Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 641 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 shallots, quartered
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 cup apple cider or chicken broth (do not use vinegar)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
- 1/3 cup heavy cream or canned full fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. In the bowl of your slow cooker, rub the chicken with the olive oil, mustard thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over the wine, cider and lemon juice. Add the shallots. Cover and cook on low for 3- 4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours. 2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker place it on a baking sheet. 3. Crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Stir in the orzo, broccoli, and 1 cup water. Cover and cook 20-30 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. If the orzo needs more liquid, add additional water. Stir in the cream and parmesan.4. Place the butter on the chicken, then broil 1-3 minutes, until crisp. Serve the chicken over the orzo. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. Set the instant pot to sauté. Rub the chicken with the olive oil, mustard thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the instant pot and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Pour in the wine, cider and lemon juice. Add the shallots and butter. Cover and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.2. Once done cooking, release the steam. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Stir in the orzo, broccoli, and 1 cup water. Cook 6-8 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the cream and parmesan.3. Serve the chicken over the orzo. Enjoy!
Stove-Top
- 1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Rub the chicken with the olive oil, mustard thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the wine, cider and lemon juice. Add the shallots and butter. Cover and cook 10 minutes. 2. Stir in the orzo, broccoli, and 1 cup water. Cook, stirring often, another 6-8 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the cream and parmesan.3. Serve the chicken over the orzo. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on September 27, 2021
I loved this! Super easy and perfect for a week night. Everybody really enjoyed it! I also added my chicken back into it all after broiling it just to get it covered in the sauce again and it was literally so good.
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Tried crockpot version. Cooked 3.5 hours and used cider. The chicken was very dry. Also made the mistake of adding the extra cup of water and it was soupy. Only one person in my house liked the flavor. I found it to be too sour. Too bad. It sounded so good!
So this turned out perfect for me! I made 1 1/2 of the crock pot recipe. My chicken was so moist, it was falling apart. I did put a bit more broccoli in. When I added the orzo and broccoli, I didn’t add any liquid. I cooked for 15 minutes, and then stirred it and added 1 1/2 cup chicken broth and cooked 15 minutes longer. Then I added the cream and the Parmesan (I added a little more). I had no problems with dry chicken (I used boneless and skinless chicken breasts, so I didn’t broil in the oven) or too much liquid. Honestly, it was perfect. A hit with the family. Definitely will make again!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe! So glad to hear it was enjoyed ? xTieghan
Overall I think I like this one! I will say that I forgot to get cider at the store so I used a hard cider that we had on hand so I’m not sure if it really hit the mark as I have nothing to compare it to. Chicken came out just fine! I’ve found my own method of crockpot on high for a little under 1.5 hours so it worked nicely. I wonder how chicken thighs might taste in this, I might try that in the future.
Hi Jordan! Thanks for trying out this recipe, I hope it was enjoyed. I’m sure chicken thighs would be delicious in this! xTieghan
Good recipe overall. I made few changes based my preferences. Skipped the shallot, used only chicken broth and added a little more coconut milk.
Hi Kendra! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Loved this recipe. I did modify kind of a lot. First I added bacon.. because, well I had it and why not. I subbed chicken thighs for breast and used the cider/wine mixture and added Italian seasoning. I roasted broccoli in the oven and did the orzo in a skillet with the Broth from the slow cooker (plus Parm, cream and chicken Broth with herbs)
hahahaha just made this recipe and accidentally used apple cider VINEGAR instead of apple cider! so beware & read the directions carefully! will definitely have to make again correctly because it seems like it would be so good ?
Oh my…so glad I read your comment before making this recipe…I read it the same way!! Thank you for saving me!!! LOL
Oh no I am so sorry! It’s an easy mistake so don’t worry about it, so sorry for the confusion! xTieghan
oh. i legit read vinegar too and thats how it went in. lets just say regular apple cider would def have been better.
I should have read your comment! Made this today and also misread it as apple cider vinegar. I was hungry enough to still eat it while the wife opted out. In my kitchen, if you just add more parmesan cheese anything tastes great ?
I made this last night in my slow cooker. It was very good, however, the chicken was really dry. I cooked on low setting for 3 hours. Wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I will try again using the Dutch oven, and maybe chicken will be less dry! Other suggestions?
I’ve never cooked chicken in a slow cooker and had it turn out anything but dry. I will be making this one on the stove top tonight!
I want to make this recipe for two people- if I used one pound of chicken rather than two, would I have to modify the rest of the ingredients?
Thanks!
Rachel
I just made this in my crock pot and it was amazing. I used cider. This could be served to company at a dinner party but is easy enough for a weeknight meal. I’m in love.
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, so happy to hear you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Used the stove top method. Definitely need to use apple cider vs apple cider vinegar. The apple cider is delicious. I too cooked the broccoli separate in the oven for crispiness. I accidentally used coconut milk instead of cream with no issues. Will make again!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I wish I would’ve read the reviews first. We did the slow cooker method and followed the recipe exactly. Our orzo turned out gummy and had a bitter taste to it. Meanwhile our chicken was dry. I use Tieghan’s recipes all the time and this is the first one I didn’t love. Maybe try a different recipe ??♀️
Just clarifying that I did use Apple cider, not Apple cider vinegar as that seems to be a common error.
This is one of my favorite dishes I’ve made from your site! It was delicious. I mad this stovetop instead of the slow cooker, which may have something to do with my outcome. I had no issues with the orzo. We ate with a little extra broccoli to get in our greens. Will be in my weekly recipe rotation!
Hi Janet! I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out the way you hoped, please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Thanks, Tieghan! I have both of your cookbooks and use recipes on your blog often. I am not sure what went wrong here, but I am guessing something happened in the cooking process. I could not understand why our orzo tasted so bitter… I think this would have turned out much better if I used the stove top method.
This turned out so yummy! I took a tip from Kore and adjusted the cook time a bit. I did use the crockpot and cooked chicken on high for 2 hours. I put the broccoli in with 45 left and orzo in with 25 left. Took chicken out at 2 hours and broiled for a few minutes, and it came out really well. I also didn’t use apple cider, and did 1 cup Pinot Grigio, 3/4 cup chicken broth, and 1/4 cup applesauce. Also only put in 1/2 cup of water with orzo, not a full cup, and doubled the amount of Dijon and parm regg used. Next time I’ll likely roast the broccoli to give it some cronch, and add some extra garlic, s&p and herbs.
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Omg, just another one of your easy and delicious dishes with layers of flavor! You are so talented, thank you for sharing all of this deliciousness, I have probably made at least 20 of your recipes and have loved everyone!!!!! I just wish mine looked as pretty as yours! All the best, Tara Kilmer
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
We loved this meal! We did the Dutch oven on the stovetop method and it was so easy! Everything came out incredible! I used locally made Apple Cider and it gave it such a nice touch of sweetness. Definitely will be making again! 🙂