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If orzo pasta recipes are a win in your house, here’s another great family friendly dish. Chorizo Orzo is all made in one pot in about 30 minutes.
This Chorizo Orzo is a one-pot wonder. These kinds of dishes are hard to beat when it comes to family friendly midweek dinners.
Throw it all in, it’s ready in half an hour and it’s a big hit with the little ones as well as big.
I love recipes with chorizo for those unplanned days. It has a longer shelf life than fresh meat and you don’t have to store it in the freezer (and remember to defrost it!) There’s always so much flavour too.
Why you’ll love this Chorizo Orzo recipe
⭐️ One pan, 30 minutes = no fuss
⭐️ Convenient cupboard ingredients
⭐️ Mediterranean-flavoured crowd pleaser
Easy Chorizo Orzo Ingredients
- Olive oil – Regular type, not extra virgin!
- Chorizo – We’re using the ring sausage-style Spanish chorizo for this recipe to cut into chunks, rather than the finely sliced variety
- Garlic – If you want a shortcut, frozen, pre-prepared is perfect (it’s what I use mostly as one of my favourite shortcuts). Fresh is fine too
- Veggies – We’re using red onion and frozen peas in this recipe for a little added sweetness
- Tinned chopped tomatoes / tomato puree – Any type will work for this. I do find that better quality brands are noticeable if you can
- Herbs – Dried oregano and dried thyme for a nice
- Vegetable stock – Make up from a cube or powder. See the notes below about quantities
- Orzo – The dried kind you find in packets
- Lemon – Just the juice for a little fresh, zesty tang
- Parmesan – Grana Padano is a good, slightly cheaper alternative to Parmesan if you prefer
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – Season generously
How to make Chorizo Orzo
1. Fry your chorizo in hot oil until it releases its oils and turns brown.
2. Add the garlic and onion and fry for a few more minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs and orzo. Pop the lid on and cook according to recipe below.
4. Add in the frozen peas, mix through and cook for a few more minutes. Serve with lemon juice stirred in and parmesan.
Substitutions
- You can now buy gluten free orzo in some supermarkets, so you can make this as a gluten free meal. Make sure your stock is gluten free and always check the labels on the rest of your ingredients too.
Leftovers & Reheating
In the fridge Orzo can become a little gloopy after you’ve initially cooked it, so add a splash of water or an ice cube before you reheat it to stop it drying out.
In the freezer Orzo is always at its best when cooked and eaten immediately, but that’s not to say it won’t still be delicious if it’s out of the freezer. The texture can just become very stodgy. See the tip above for reheating.
How to stop Orzo with Chorizo from drying out
One trick to orzo recipes – and all one pot pastas – is to stir often so it doesn’t stick to the bottom, and use a large non-stick pan. (See my pan review here if you need guidance.)
Another is to be flexible with your liquid quantities. The hot stock quantity in the recipe here says to use 550ml, but this is for guidance.
Always make sure you have a little more water to hand to add in if you think the sauce is thickening quicker than it takes for your orzo to cook.
Make sure you add just a little at a time.
More orzo recipes…
FAQs
In case you’re not familiar with orzo yet, it is a type of pasta that is shaped a bit like rice.
It is known as ‘little pasta’ in Italy, where it was traditionally used in soups, but it has become a widely-used versatile type of pasta that can be used in many kinds of hot or cold dishes.
Yes! This works really well with so many one pot recipes. The internet does tend to shout at me when I do this, but I urge you to give it a go.
The results are silky smooth sauce and far fewer pans to wash up! No downsides – pasta cooked this way is even more delicious, I find.
I wouldn’t recommend it. This recipe has been tested multiple times specifically to work with orzo.
Orzo works here because it is sturdy, cooks so quickly and has a rice-like texture. Feel free to try but you will need to adjust the stock levels and cooking time.
Try my Chorizo Pasta recipe instead.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Chorizo Orzo {One Pot}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 220 g Chorizo ring
- 4 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
- 1 Red onion, Peeled and finely chopped
- 400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes, x1 can
- 2 tbsp Tomato purée
- 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp Dried thyme
- 550 ml Hot vegetable stock, Made from a cube is fine
- 250 g Dried orzo
- 1 Lemon, Juice only
- 200 g Frozen peas
- 50 g Parmesan, Grated
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper , To taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in your sauté pan over a high heat.
- Add the chorizo and fry until it starts to release its oils and go brown (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes until the onion is softened.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, oregano, thyme, stock and orzo, put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through, stirring occasionally. (If the mixture becomes too dry before the orzo is cooked, add a splash of water.)
- Before serving stir in lemon juice and sprinkle over the parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
