This recipe changes heat setting halfway through, and the reason is the orzo. Three hours on Low gets the chicken to temperature; the switch to High is what actually cooks a cup of dry pasta in twenty-five to thirty-five minutes.
By the time the orzo is tender it has absorbed most of the three cups of broth. The cream, Parmesan and spinach then go into what is left, which is why the finished dish is creamy and plated rather than served in a bowl with a spoon.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cutting the thighs into large pieces means they cook in three hours and still hold together in the finished dish.
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes bring both acidity and fat, and they season the broth from the start.
- Orzo releases starch as it cooks, thickening the remaining broth before any cream is added.
- Spinach goes in last for five to ten minutes, long enough to wilt and short enough to stay green.
Ingredient Notes
- Dry orzo
- One cup, added dry at the High stage. It cooks in the broth and thickens it as it goes.
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Half a cup, chopped and drained. Oil-packed rather than dry — they need to be soft from the start.
- Baby spinach
- Five ounces, which looks like far too much until it wilts down in the last few minutes.
How to Make It
Cook the chicken on Low
Add the chicken, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for about 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Switch to High for the orzo
Switch to High and stir in the orzo. Cover and cook 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once, until the orzo is tender.
Cream, Parmesan, spinach
Stir in the cream and Parmesan, then fold in the spinach for the final 5 to 10 minutes until wilted.
Serve
Serve as a creamy plated chicken-and-orzo dish, not soup.
Low, Then High
The method has two heat settings and a strict order. Each stage owns a run of the steps, and the switch between them is the hinge of the whole recipe.
Stage 1 of 3
The LOW stage - cooking the chicken
Steps 1–1 of 4
Chicken thighs in large pieces go in with 3 cups of broth, the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. About 3 hours on LOW brings the chicken to 165F and, just as importantly, turns plain broth into a seasoned cooking liquid.
- Cook the chicken on LowAdd the chicken, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for about 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stage 2 of 3
The HIGH stage - cooking the orzo
Steps 2–2 of 4
A cup of dry orzo goes straight into that liquid with the cooker turned to HIGH. Twenty-five to thirty-five minutes, stirring once, until it is tender. The orzo drinks most of the broth and its starch thickens the rest.
- Switch to High for the orzoSwitch to High and stir in the orzo. Cover and cook 25 to 35 minutes, stirring once, until the orzo is tender.
Stage 3 of 3
The finish - off the boil
Steps 3–4 of 4
Half a cup of cream and half a cup of finely grated Parmesan stirred into what remains, then 5 oz of baby spinach folded through for the last 5 to 10 minutes. It is served plated, not ladled.
- Cream, Parmesan, spinachStir in the cream and Parmesan, then fold in the spinach for the final 5 to 10 minutes until wilted.
- ServeServe as a creamy plated chicken-and-orzo dish, not soup.
Success Tips
- Do not add more broth. Three cups is measured against one cup of orzo, and more turns this into soup.
- Stir once during the orzo stage so it does not settle and stick to the base.
- Grate the Parmesan finely so it melts into the sauce rather than clumping.
Serving Ideas
Six servings plated as a creamy chicken-and-orzo dish with the sun-dried tomato and spinach visible and a Parmesan dusting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add more broth?
No. The broth is measured to be absorbed by the orzo. More liquid makes it a soup, which this is not.
Can the orzo go in at the start?
No. It goes in on High after the chicken is cooked, for 25 to 35 minutes.
Can I leave out the sun-dried tomato or spinach?
No. Sun-dried tomato, spinach, Parmesan and orzo all have to be present.
