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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 made the slow cooker version of this last night and overall, my boyfriend and I really liked it! It also made for great leftovers for lunch today. PS I skipped the broiler part – mostly because it was getting late and I was impatient, but also didn’t think it was necessary or would make much of a different with skinless breasts. If I used skin on thighs, I’d def do it.
I *almost* made the same mistake as others and read apple cider as apple cider vinegar, but thankfully caught it at the last minute. I ended up using a cup of apple sauce as it was all I had and apparently it worked just fine.
What I love about this recipe is that it is so easy to vary and experiment with – I think next time, I may skip the mustard and instead do sundried tomato and maybe mushrooms instead of broccoli.
Definitely an easy, cozy dish for Fall and Winter which is what I am looking for! Thanks Tieghan 🙂
Hi there! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! xTieghan
I want to begin by saying that I love many HBH recipes! But unfortunately this one didn’t work for me (as I can see with some others).
I did use the slow-cooker, and I do think mine runs a bit too hot which may have been part of the problem… The chicken was too dry and somewhat flavorless (I suggest to use a bit more salt than the recipe calls for), the broccoli was hard and tasteless (20 min or so in a slow cooker is NOT enough time for tender broccoli, so I suggest cooking it separately – maybe roasting for more flavor), and yes, the orzo was gummy and lumpy and pretty inedible.
I think it might be better suited to stovetop, or even the InstantPot? I love the idea of mustard, wine, and herbs, but again, this one didn’t come together well. Maybe making each component separately and then putting together might be better.
Again, love HBH! Keep the recipes coming!
Hello, I am so sorry to hear that this recipe was not enjoyed. Thank you for the feedback and letting me know. xTieghan
I made the stovetop version of this recipe for dinner last night and it was delicious! It came together quickly and it was very simple to make. The flavors were great and my husband and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for providing a crockpot, instant pot, and stove top version of this. I’d like to try all 3 out eventually, but would definitely recommend the stovetop version to anyone. This will definitely be a staple in our house! Thank you!
Just made this last night and I unfortunately have to agree with some of the negative comments below. The flavor/smell was vomit-y, bitter. The chicken was too soft and then the orzo was really thick and mushy from the cream. We followed everything exactly, only difference was that my husband started it and left it on warm for me to finish later (1-2hrs) so I took out chicken, poured in more water and orzo, broccoli, and I had to leave it in longer since my cooker was on Warm, not Low, to get the orzo to al dente. But once I put in the cream, it was like there was thick chunky orzo clumps sitting under all this liquid. I think perhaps pouring out the liquid is the way to go? Not sure how to solve the bitter flavor though. HBH recipes are usually really flavorful and delicious, I’m not sure what went wrong. We used the cider and good wine too. Strange.
Hi there, I am so sorry to hear that this recipe was not what you thought it was! Please let me know what I can do to help you with this/improve the recipe. So sorry again! xTieghan
It needs to be tested for slow cooker. I am not alone for bad results
I have never thrown out a meal from any recipe blog. This was a first.
Hi Matt, I am so sorry this meal was not enjoyed. Is there anything I can do to help with this? xTieghan
NOPE! This recipe doesn’t work in the slow cooker. This is my first try at a recipe on this site ad it failed in every way. Does anyone test these recipes? Nothing was ready at the right times the flavors are so so but pasty orzo and over cooked broccoli. Rubber chicken. All of it was thrown out. All of it even the chicken.
Name of recipe misleading. When meal planning for a busy week ahead and I see slow cooker, I think, “Great! I’ll throw this in before work and we can all eat before 8 pm!!!!”
Nope. You’ve got to take the chicken out after 2 hrs on high, or 4 hours on low, broil it, etc , etc. Yes it’s kind of using the slow cooker, but read all the way through the recipe before you decide.
I was disappointed.
Hi Jennifer, I am so sorry this recipe was not what you thought it was! Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help improve this. xTieghan
Easily one of the best recipes I’ve made of Teagans. Beware though-the flavors are very complex. My adventurous 2 year old didn’t love it and he’ll eat raw onions no problem. You can definitely add more broccoli and it won’t effect the flavor.
Instant pot seems like the way to go for this one. If you prefer the dish less sweet, use less apple cider. Also had to add more water (about .5 cup) while cooking the orzo.
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe. xTieghan
When you are done cooking the chicken and have removed from the slow cooker, to you reserve the liquid for the Orzo? Or, do you throw it out before you add the Orzo to the slow cooker? We are making this for tonight. It looks delicious!
You can leave it to cook the orzo in! 🙂 xTieghan
This was awful. The flavors didn’t jive for us. This was the first recipe that we didn’t like. It ended up in the garbage. At least I tried. Ended up at In N Out. Sorry!!!
This dish was VERY bad! Tasted like vomit. Definitely don’t use whole wheat orzo and maybe just stay away from the whole recipe? Just an idea.
I made this recipe tonight, followed the instructions 100% for the stovetop…outstanding!
Thank youTieghan!❤️
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe! xTieghan
loved the idea of this recipe! used apple cider as it called for and found the taste had too much apple flavor not enough mustard. Also had to cook the orzo extra long to soak up the liquid.
Hi Sarah! So sorry this recipe was not what you thought it would be. Is there anything I can do to help you? xTieghan
Great flavor but the chicken breasts were a bit dry. Might try stovetop next time or just chicken thighs in the slow cooker!
I’ve made many of Tiegan’s recipes. This was first one I couldn’t even eat. In a slow cooker this does not work. Sorry!
I love your site and your recipes! This one is tasty! I love how you provided options for crockpot, instapot and stove top. That said, I think you need to clarify if you leave the chicken in or out of pan. I did stove top, cooked chicken and removed. Threw in butter and sautéed shallots. Deglazed with wine (Bc had lots of stuck bits of garlic/herbs). Added lemon juice, cider, water. Omitted 10 min cooking of shallot/butter (since I sautéed). Then we subbed TJ’s harvest grain couscous and I ended up adding closer to 1 1/2 c water. Halfway through cooking couscous I scraped the pan and added broccoli then and at this point added chicken back in for final hurrah… added parm and cream at the end and seasoned. Overall it was a super tasty, one-pot meal that didn’t take too long for a weeknight! Love the lemon and herbs and how customizable it was! Thanks Teighan!
I didn’t love this. I thought it was ok. My husband said he really liked it but mine tasted bitter. Not sure why. I used good wine (delicious, actually), chicken came out good (used a mix of thoughts and breasts), but the orzo and broccoli mix was bitter. I served it with croissants and so I had some jam out and thought it tasted better with some of the raspberry apricot jam.
I rated this 3 stars, not 5.
Hi Caitlin! I’m so sorry this recipe wasn’t enjoyed. Was there anything that you did differently? Let me know if I can help in any way. xTieghan