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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 wish I’d read the reviews… I made the slow cooker version and ended up with very dry chicken breasts. Using apple cider was way too sweet for me – I’d recommend chicken broth instead. Really wanted to like this, but not a winner for me.
Hey Arin,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
This wasn’t a big hit in our house. The flavors were just off for our taste. It ok, plenty of other recipes from this cook that we love.
Hey Andrea,
Sorry to hear the recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was really really good! We did the slow cooker method. My slow cooker required more time (30 minutes) to cook the orzo on high but I think that is because my slow cooker is old. Other than that, followed the recipe to a T and wouldn’t change a thing!
Hey Katie,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
The shining star of this dish is the orzo, the flavor is amazing. This dish is great for sneaking more veggies into your meal!
I doubled the mustard for more flavor and ended up using rosè cause that’s all I had.
Hey Amy,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
We made this evening, I subbed gluten free pasta for the orzo, and it cooked well. I stuck to the recipe, but next time I’ll go back to chicken thighs….the breasts were a little dry after 4 hours of cook time. Otherwise it was very tasty! We roasted the broccoli and added it to the top which gave it a nice crunch
Hey Allison,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
Good in theory. Chicken was dry after slow cooking on low for 3 hours. The orzo was very sticky and my kids didn’t like the taste. Next time I’ll omit the wine altogether.
This is the second HBH recipe for made and both were a fail. I must be doing something wrong!!!
Hey Tara,
So sorry the recipe wasn’t enjoyed, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
That’s very rare!! I have made so many HBH recipes and they are 99% our family’s favorites!!
I made this for dinner last night using the stovetop method. The chicken started out looking tasty with all the herbs and mustard, however all that seemed to seep into the liquid and orzo while cooking. The orzo was delicious! However the chicken was over cooked and tasteless!
Hey Susan,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
I’m excited to make this recipe tomorrow but was wondering, if I want to make a pound of orzo (4 cups) how much water should I add?
Hi Victoria,
I would double the broth. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
My god … this is incredible. The smell alone with the fresh sage and thyme and apple cider is just phenomenal. Better than a fall candle! The orzo is so creamy and chicken cooked perfectly. I didn’t broil it because I used thighs that were already pretty cooked.
I might add mushrooms next time! Such a favorite — will go on the fall/winter cozy rotation!
Hey Emily,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
User-error–Was making in a rush and used apple cider vinegar. Big mistake. HUGE. Otherwise, would have been amazing, easy, and flavorful! Will def try again! 🙂
Thanks so much for trying the recipe Shannon!! xTieghan
Oh my word, I just did the same exact thing. It’s in the slow cooker now…I am so sad! I might try to empty liquid, and start again. What a mess.
I made this once already and it was amazing!! I’d be interested if you think the orzo would taste the same if I made it without the chicken? Seems like the perfect side dish for a work event!
Hey Katherine,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! You would want to reduce some of the liquid if you skipped the chicken, I am unsure what the best measurements would be. xTieghan
This dinner was excellent! I followed the recipe exactly for using the slow cooker. Even my kids loved this. Quick and easy.
Hey Lauren,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best day! xTieghan
I made this last night. It was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect. I will definitely be making this again.
Hey there,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try. I hope you have an amazing week! xTieghan
Hey Carlyle,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best day! xTieghan
I made this tonight 11/11/21 in the crock pot. I added mushrooms and left out the white wine ( I didn’t have any on hand because I forgot to add to shopping list ). I added a cup of chicken broth instead. A very good dinner. Warm and comforting on a cold night.
Hey! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Monday ? xTieghan
The recipe calls for an additional cup of water when you add the orzo, but I think that should be omitted as my dish came out watery (even though the orzo was fully cooked) and it diluted the flavors. I will try it next time on the stove as the chicken seems overcooked in the slow cooker. I used the low temp for 3 hours.
Hey Krista, I’m so sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know xTieghan