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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 read the comments before I started and thought, these people probably weren’t doing it right. Nope! I did the slow cooker version. The flavors were there, but the chicken was SO DRY, I would have been willing to redo it with thighs. But the orzo took forever to cook, it was so gummy, it never actually cooked properly. I added more liquid and extended the cooking time while my family was waiting to eat…it just didn’t work out. Such a bummer. Next time I will just cook orzo on the stove and cook the chicken on the stove separately. Great flavors, but this was a total fail.
Hi Jessica,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear it didn’t turn out for you! Let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
This was perfect for a cold snowy night dinner in Kansas. The house smelled amazing too. The choice of cider was an incredible compliment to the mustard, fresh herbs, a good white wine, chicken and creamy orzo. I now go to your recipes when I want to bring some excitement back to cooking. Thank you!
Hey Joan,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️
Honestly one of the worst recipes I’ve tried from HBH. Way too creamy, flavor-less chicken, and the flavor was not great. Don’t recommend at all…
Hi Kevin,
Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
This was not my fav.. I usually love your recipes but this one wasn’t a hit! 🙁
Hey Ellen,
So sorry to hear this recipe wasn’t enjoyed. Was there anything that I can help with? Let me know!! xx
Any recommendations for substituting rice for orzo?
Hey Kristen,
For best results, I would recommend using arborio rice in place of the orzo. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xx
Similar to one comment, this did not work (for me) at all. I did the stovetop version and chicken breasts can be so unforgiving. The orzo took quite a bit longer to cook which means the chicken was dried out. I do think thighs would have worked better. I think more liquid than the recipe calls for would have been better as the orzo soaks up a great deal and so quickly. Also, the liquid takes basically all of the seasoning off of the chicken. Some of these are a real hit and miss. But I thank you for the recipes anyway. And thank you for allowing comments.
Hi Wendi,
So sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out well for you! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! Thanks for trying the recipe! xx
Despite what some reviews say, this was excellent! A few tips for those who had bad experiences:
1-Use chicken thighs, not breasts. Thighs are much more forgiving if accidentally overcooked.
2-It calls for apple cider, like the juice, NOT apple cider vinegar. I used chicken broth because it was what I had, but I see others have made that mistake.
3-I’d go for the high for 1-2 hours options vs low for longer – I find that these kinds of recipes work better with the shorter timeframes.
4-In the final step, the orzo will soak up the liquid QUICKLY – I found that ours was ready to go just under 20 minutes, when the recipe calls for 20-30. Keep checking it, and turn off slow cooker even if a bit of liquid remains because it will continue to cook even after shut off. Overall – great recipe, as always!
Hey Claire,
Happy Wednesday!! I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit:) Thanks for sharing your tips! xT
I did the stovetop version because I wanted to try my new Le Cruset Dutch oven and it was wonderful! I kind of blended some steps from the slow cooker version by pulling out the chicken once cooked in the broth/wine mixture putting it in the oven at 375 with some butter pats on it, and letting it get up to 165 degrees (it came out of the broth at around 140 degrees after the 10 minute tim period). I cooked the orzo/broccoli in the broth mixture on the stovetop and only had to add a little bit extra broth because it definitely does soak up all that moisture quickly! Super moist, really flavorful, and kind of low-key decadent for a weeknight, winter meal. Definitely recommend!
Hey Molly,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
I have all of the ingredients listed except I thought I had a dry white wine but I don’t. Can I use something else or just do without?
Hey Karina,
You can use broth in place of the wine:) Let me know how this dish turns out, I hope you love it! xT
Hi! In the instagram video you add the cream and Parmesan cheese in with the orzo all at once to cook, but in the directions on your blog you say to let it cook first and then add the cream and cheese. Which should I do?
Thank You! Looking forward to making this!
Hey Jelissa,
You can go ahead and follow the recipe as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xT
Another tasty meal for my Monday Night dinner crew! I did the chicken using the slow cooker method. The flavors blended together to make this a meal that I will be making again. Everyone loved it! I served it with a green salad, grilled asparagus, and bread. Two big thumbs up from all of us. Tieghan, you keep making me look good! Thanks!
Hey Joy,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
I’m glad I read the reviews after starting this recipe. I made the same mistake as others and used apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider. I thankfully had just started the crockpot and was able to get out a cups worth of liquid then added in chicken broth. Hopefully it comes out good! Won’t be making that mistake again when going over the ingredients
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! I hope it turns out okay for you! xx
Another winner in my book, turned out great in my instant pot. I added mushrooms and a half cup more broth to compensate. The orzo is delicious, just gotta stir frequently to keep it from sticking.
Hey there,
Happy Tuesday! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xx
Love this! Had to take the chicken out after adding the orzo though because it wasn’t thickening up
Hey Reanna,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
I’ve been waiting to try this recipe and didn’t have enough time to put it in the crockpot pot. It ended up being delicious but I would never cook this in the instapot again – it took forever (2+ hours) and the orzo part didn’t work at all. I ended up finishing it on the stove.
Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it didn’t work in the instant pot! Glad you were able to finish it on the stove top! xx
Definitely recommend going with the chicken broth over the apple cider vinegar it was a bit over powering. Otherwise a great recipe, love breaking out the instapot.
Hey Tyler,
Happy Sunday!🌾🌽 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! This recipe calls for apple cider, not vinegar:) xx
This whole recipe was a miss for me. I usually swear by your recipes but this was followed to the T and had to be thrown out. Dry chicken. Inedible orzo and funny tasting broccoli. 🙁
Hi Mallory,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! Thanks for giving it a try! xx
If I wanted to add mushrooms when should I add them?
Hey Corrianne,
I would add the mushrooms in step 3 with the broccoli. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe!! xx