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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
Echoing some others. Followed to a T with chicken on low in slow cooker and way too much liquid left over. 🙁
I’m so sorry about that, thanks for letting me know! xTieghan
I really wanted to love this recipe. I made this in the crockpot and the chicken was great although the mustard flavor didnt really come through. I think the lemon really took over. The orzo turned into glue. I dont know if I did something wrong but I think next time I would cook the orzo separately on the stovetop. I ended up making a side of rice and broccoli instead. Since the orzo was inedible as is, I actually scooped some out and pan fried it like potato pancakes and they were delicious! So not a complete fail.
Hey Shannon, I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t work out! I really appreciate the feedback. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I wanted to love this recipe but it just wasn’t it for me :/ Every other HBH recipe I’ve tried has been amazing! I used the slow cooker (on low) method and the chicken was fantastic but unfortunately my pasta wasn’t on the same level. The sauce never seemed to come together for me and was very soupy, so that was a bummer. It was also a little bit too acidic/tangy for me. Not bad! But not great 🙁
Hey Audrey! I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t work out, I really appreciate the feedback xTieghan
The flavors are good, but the chicken was very dry. I did the dutch oven version. It seems like the chicken should be removed before the orzo goes in. By the time the orzo was cooked, I ended up with what tasted like ‘boiled’ chicken. All the flavor was in the orzo and sauce.
Hey Carole, I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out the way you’d hoped. Thanks for the feedback! xTieghan
We had this for dinner last night and it was delicious made per the recipe. I made it in the crockpot and had no difficulty with the chicken being too dry or the orzo too mushy or soupy as others have reported. I will change a few things the next time I make it because we like a little more bold flavors. I am planning to add a little more mustard and think that adding salt to everything other than just the chicken will help meld the flavors a little better. Thanks Tieghan for another delicious meal!
Happy Thursday! So glad this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xTieghan
I was a little hesitant because of the reviews, but man am I glad I made this! HBH has never led me astray. I made the slow cooker version and it’s PHENOMENAL! I used chicken broth because I didn’t have apple cider on hand. Absolutely wonderful.
Happy Thursday! So glad this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xTieghan
Made this last night using my Dutch oven on the stovetop. Pretty good! I didn’t add as much cream Because I made the orzo separately using a can of chicken broth. I also roasted the Brocoli in the oven for a bit of texture difference. Flavors were excellent!
Happy Thursday! So glad this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xTieghan
I cooked mine on the slow cooker on high. Did anyone else have issues with the pasta being to watery/soupy? The chicken turned out fabulous! flavors did not mix well in my opinion
Hey Nicole, thanks for the feedback! xTieghan
Followed the crock pot recipe, not impressed at all.
Hey Todd, I’m really sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you, is there anything you did differently? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I really liked some components of this recipe, while others did not quite work out for me. I used the stove top method, but after Step 1 I removed the chicken and cooked the orzo and broccoli in the liquid on its own to 1) avoid overcooked chicken and 2) my pan was too small. I did end up needing to add about 3/4 c more water to the orzo as it was cooking to al dente. The orzo came out perfect and creamy and the chicken and broccoli were cooked perfectly tender. The flavor, however, was not as I had hoped. All of the wonderful mustard and herbs from the chicken did not shine through, and the orzo was incredibly acidic. I’m thinking an entire cup of white wine plus the entire lemon was too much. I would like to try the recipe again, but probably salt the chicken before rubbing on the mustard and herbs. Reduce the wine/lemon (I would try 1/4 c wine, 1-2 tbsp lemon at the end), add more water as needed for the orzo, and stir in more chopped herbs into the finished orzo. Those would be my suggestions to anyone looking to make this for the first time.
Hey Liz! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I really appreciate the feedback and hope it was still enjoyed! xTieghan
I used boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breaststroke but otherwise followed the recipe as written for the crockpot method. It was outstanding!
Chicken breasts – lol. Darn auto correct.
Hey Jodi! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
Can you sub risotto or couscous for the orzo?
Definitely 🙂 xTieghan
The orzo in this is so rich and creamy!!! I overcooked my chicken a bit, but I think my crockpot runs a bit hotter than most. My husband and I stood around the pot just eating bites of creamy pasta. Delicious!!!!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xTieghan
Was worried after reading all the previous reviews but so glad I still made this. This was so easy and delicious! I was a bit worried about chicken breasts drying out when cooking this way so used boneless skinless thighs instead via the stovetop method and it was amazing!! Would definitely make this again! A perfect fall weeknight meal!
Hi Julia! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xTieghan
Enjoyed this recipe! Cooked in our le creuset Dutch oven. Used broth and apple cider vinegar because I didn’t have apple cider, also at the end I broiled the chicken thighs so they would be crispy. Had to stir constantly so the orzo wouldn’t burn but very satisfied!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xTieghan