Pesto Pulled Chicken Orzo
with Spinach, Peas and Cheese
- Cereals containing gluten
- Wheat
- Nuts
- Cashew nuts
- Milk
- Egg
- Peanut
- May contain traces of allergens
Not to be confused with rice, orzo is actually a type of pasta. Our Pesto Pulled Chicken Orzo uses basil pesto to flavour the orzo, with fresher flavours coming from spinach and peas.
Ingredients
2 unit(s)
British Chicken Breasts
2 unit(s)
Garlic Clove
1 sachet(s)
Central American Style Spice Mix
120 grams
Orzo
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Wheat)
20 grams
Chicken Stock Paste
40 grams
Baby Spinach
120 grams
Peas
30 grams
Basil Pesto
(Contains: Nuts, Cashew nuts, Milk, Peanut, May contain traces of allergens)
40 grams
Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese
(Contains: Milk, Egg)
Not included in your delivery
600 milliliter(s)
Water for the Sauce
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Heat a large saucepan on medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil.
Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 mins on each side, until browned all over. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw chicken and its packaging.
Once cooked, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
While the chicken fries, peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press).
Once you've removed the chicken from the saucepan, add the garlic and Central American style spice mix to the pan with a drizzle of oil if needed and season with salt and pepper. Fry for 1 min.
Add the orzo to the pan and stir until coated, 1 min.
Pour the water for the sauce (see pantry for amount) into the saucepan. Add the chicken stock paste and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to medium.
Return the chicken to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid. Simmer until the chicken is cooked, 15-20 mins, stirring halfway. IMPORTANT: The chicken is cooked when no longer pink in the middle.
Once the chicken and orzo are cooked, add the spinach to the pan a handful at a time until wilted and piping hot, 1-2 mins.
Next, stir in the peas.
Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate. Use two forks to shred the chicken into small pieces.
Add the pulled chicken back to the pan. Stir in the pesto and hard Italian style cheese.
Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Share your pulled chicken and pesto orzo between your serving bowls.
Enjoy!
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Aug 2026- Flavour: The pesto and garlic notes come through well for many, though the Central American spice mix can overpower the basil pesto flavour. Reducing the spice mix or adding extra pesto helps bring the dish closer to the fresh, herby profile you might expect.
- Ease of prep: This is a straightforward one-pan meal that most find easy to put together, even for less experienced cooks. Some found the instructions unclear in places, particularly around the orzo cooking steps.
- Suggestions: Several cooks found 600ml of water too much, resulting in a soupy consistency; try reducing to around 450-500ml and consider removing the lid for the last few minutes to help the sauce thicken. Stirring more frequently can also help prevent the orzo from sticking or overcooking into mush.
- Next-day meals: Portions are generous and the dish keeps well, with some getting three meals from a single batch.
- Customisation: Those who prefer a milder, more Italian-style flavour found the dish worked well with less spice mix and a little more pesto stirred in at the end.
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