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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 am SO excited to try this. A friend recommended your page to me and I was instantly obsessed! For this recipe is there a substitute I can use instead of the white wine?
Hi Danielle,
You can use broth in place of the white wine. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
IMPORTANT NOTE-
Do not use apple cider VINEGAR like me! It calls for Apple Cider- like in the gallon jugs, a nice fall drink. Ding bat over here. ?
I’m excited to try it again though. I did it in the instant pot and I can tell this will be great when it doesn’t have a strong vinegar taste. ?
Hey Jenny,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry about the vinegar! xTieghan
Haha I should have read the comments first I did this too. Ugh haha still edible but won’t make that mistake again
Thanks for giving the recipe a try Jennifer! xTieghan
For the stovetop version am I adding the orzo into the Dutch oven with the chicken?
Hi Andrea,
The orzo is added in step 2. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious! I made the stovetop version and used chicken broth and it turned out great! The chicken was so tender and the orzo had great flavor from the Dijon mustard and white wine. I was a little nervous that the orzo wasn’t fully done but by the time everyone sat down at the table it was PERFECT. Will definitely be making this one again!
Hey Kay,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
Followed the recipe and it was overwhelming with apple cider. I would definitely not recommend. The broccoli and orzo was also not cooked.
Hi there,
So sorry this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
My first HBH recipe, and it was delicious! The only adjustment I made was to add mushrooms in addition to broccoli. I love a good one pot meal for weekdays – this will definitely go into our rotation!
Hi Lindsey,
Thank you so very much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This one was pretty good! I followed the Instant Pot instructions exactly, instead I used 2 cups of chicken broth instead of wine + broth/cider. My chicken came out a bit dry, so next time I will try only 5 minutes under pressure. If using your IP, make sure to remove chicken before cooking the orzo/broccoli in the broth to eliminate even more overcooking, then just plate the chicken and the orzo together at the end. With these slight modifications I will definitely make again, especially because I’m a big fan of one-pot dishes.
Hey Blayre,
Thank you so very much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
I made this with the apple cider vinegar and the final product was very sour. It’s all I could taste. I would def do with chicken broth next time.
Hi Jen,
The recipe does not call for apple cider vinegar, just apple cider. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi, I am planning on making this for dinner tonight but the recipe did not say how much salt and pepper to use. Please help! Thanks
Hi Preeti,
Salt and pepper to taste. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I made this but subbed mushrooms instead of broccoli. i couldnt keep my daughter from eating it right out of the crock pot. Making it for the second time and excited because i know the rest of the family (visiting for the holidays) will love it. This is perfect to put in the crock pot and let it cook while we put away the ornaments.
oops i forgot to mention i did not use vinegar and very happy with results.
Hey Dawn,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
I have made dozens of HBH recipes this year and loved them all, but unfortunately this one was a total miss. I regret not reading the comments beforehand.
I made it in the slow cooker and I used apple cider and followed the recipe exactly. I don’t know if it was the wine, or the lemon juice, but the orzo was somehow bland and yet sour at the same time. The flavors in the orzo might have been okay cold in a pasta salad but as a warm risotto type dish it was just bizarre. The texture of the chicken was not great. I think taking them out of the slow cooker and having them sit for 30 minutes didn’t help. We ended up just tossing the whole thing. Perhaps the recipe needs some adjustments?
I’m still a HBH Stan, but definitely won’t be making this one again.
Hey Lauren,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
We thought this turned out well! The chicken wasn’t overcooked as some people experienced, and the orzo was fine, although I did have to cook it for around 15 minutes instead of 6-8 as the recipe says. We also liked the flavor combination of the apple cider/white wine/lemon juice (from half, not a whole, lemon).
Also, since it isn’t possible to review it on this site, I just wanted to say the Al Pastor-style Beef Enchiladas from your Half Baked Harvest Cookbook are out of this world! Anybody who follows this site but doesn’t have your two cookbooks should get them — they’re full of excellent recipes.
Hey Helen,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
The flavor was great. Couldn’t get the texture of the orzo right and ended up throwing it out. Very disappointing. Next time will make chicken in skillet and cook rice separately
Hi Rachel,
So sorry to hear this, thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! I’m a huge fan of yours and have made various meals of yours throughout the years! I liked this recipe a lot! I made the stove top version and it turned out well! I felt like the stove-top instructions were a little vague so I was nervous but this is an easy recipe to add things to, if needed. I pan seared the chicken/mustard/herbs separately and then made the orzo/broccoli/shallots in a dutch oven. It turned out really yummy! I didn’t think the chicken was dry at all (I used chicken breast that was thinly sliced). I did have to use additional chicken broth with the orzo (which I planned for after reading the reviews). And I chopped the shallots instead of leaving them whole. Overall I thought this was really good and would make again!
Hi Lauren,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
I’ve made quite a few of your recipes, Tieghan, but sorry to say, this is the first one we were a little bit disappointed with! I made the Crockpot version and use broth, and like many others commented, the chicken breasts were dry and the orzo was kinda rubbery. So instead of plating the entire chicken breast over the orzo mixture. I cut the chicken into slices and stirred it back into the orzo mixture in the Crockpot. Then I served it like that. It wasn’t a visually appealing dish either, BUT it did taste good.
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. xTieghan