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    Home » Recipes » Main Course

    Chicken Sausage Orzo

    December 10, 2024 by christina.klapper Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This spicy chicken sausage orzo is absolutely divine! It’s packed with deep, rich flavors and comes together in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect dinner for date nights or to impress your guests at a dinner party! This dish can also be modified to be non-spicy so that your whole family, including any kiddos or toddlers can enjoy it on a busy weeknight!

    This is a top view of my spicy chicken sausage orzo in a plate.

    If you love this dish, you will also love my one pot creamy lemon chicken orzo, my one pan chicken feta orzo, which is a greek-inspired version of this dish, as well as my one pan chicken and zucchini orzo. Finally, you will absolutely love my tortellini bake with boursin and tomato as this is the dish that has had over 29 million views in the last several months!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Dinner
    • Pasta
    • Jump to: Recipe
    • FOOD SAFETY

    Ingredients

    • Chicken Sausage, Sliced: I used Whole Foods Chicken Sausage but Aidell’s Sausage Italian Style is my favorite for this recipe.
    • Red Peppers, Chopped
    • Small Portobello mushrooms, Sliced OR 1 small Eggplant, Diced (or both)
    • Dry Orzo
    • Water
    • Avocado Oil
    • Salt & Pepper, To Taste
    • Garlic Powder, To Taste
    • Smoked Paprika, To Taste
    • Italian Seasoning, To Taste
    • Spicy Tomato Arrabbiata Sauce (or Marinara Sauce of Choice): I love using Born Simple Foods Brand for this dish!
    • Optional: Fresh Parmesan, To garnish

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position.
    2. Prepare your ingredients as described above (chopping, slicing etc as needed).
    3. Add your chicken sausage, red peppers and mushrooms or eggplant to a baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil and season to taste. Toss until all of your seasonings are evenly distributed and then make sure that all the vegetables are in an even single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until your vegetables are soft and cooked through.
    4. While your vegetables are baking, cook your orzo according to the instructions on the back of the packaging.
    5. Once your orzo is cooked through, add in your spicy arrabbiata sauce or marinara (depending on level of spiciness desired). Mix and then add in your freshly baked veggies and chicken sausage. Mix and serve!

    Hint: I like to add about 1 teaspoon of avocado oil and toast the orzo for a few minutes before adding water to my orzo to add some flavor!

    Substitutions

    • Vegetables– Feel free to use all three veggies or adjust based on preferences!
    • Gluten-Free– use gluten-free orzo or rice to make this dish gluten-free.
    • Dairy-Free – skip the parmesan cheese garnish
    • Vegetarian- Use Tempeh instead of chicken sausage to make this dish vegetarian.

    Variations

    • Non-Spicy – Use marinara sauce instead of arrabbiata sauce to make this dish non-spicy.
    • Extra Spicy – add some cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes to make this dish more spicy!
    • Toddler and Kid friendly – use marinara sauce to make this dish toddler and kid-friendly. Make sure to serve the chicken sausage into bite sized pieces

    Equipment

    All you need to make this spicy chicken sausage is an XL baking sheet and a medium pot.

    If you are in the market for a nice extra large sheet pan, I bought mine off amazon and I am obsessed!

    Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links

    Storage

    Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This meal is also great for meal prep and can be pre-portioned and stored into 4 individual glass air-tight containers.

    Dinner

    Looking for other easy dinner recipes like this? Try these:

    • Slow Cooker Green Goddess Chicken & Veggies
    • Slow Cooker Lemon Herb Chicken
    • Chicken Fajita Casserole with Rice (One Pan)
    • Healthy BLT Chicken Pasta Salad

    Pasta

    These are my favorite pasta dishes you can check out:

    • Easy and Healthy Chili Mac
    • Healthy Chicken Alfredo Casserole
    • Healthy Taco Pasta
    • Trader Joe’s Fall Lentil Ragu

    Jump to: Recipe

    Chicken Sausage Orzo

    This spicy chicken sausage orzo is absolutely divine! It's packed with deep, rich flavors and comes together in under 30 minutes, making it the perfect dinner for date nights or to impress your guests at a dinner party! This dish can also be modified to be non-spicy so that your whole family, including any kiddos or toddlers can enjoy it on a busy weeknight!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 4
    Calories 433 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 XL Baking Sheet
    • 1 Medium pot

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 Package of Chicken Sausage Sliced (Aidell's Italian or Whole Foods Brand)
    • 2 Red Peppers Chopped
    • 1 Package Small Portobello mushrooms Sliced OR 1 small Eggplant, Diced (or both)
    • 1 Cup Dry Orzo
    • 2 Cups Water
    • Avocado Oil Drizzled
    • Salt & Pepper To Taste
    • Garlic Powder To Taste
    • Smoked Paprika To Taste
    • Italian Seasoning To Taste
    • 1 Container (18 Ounces) Spicy Tomato Arrabbiata Sauce (or Marinara Sauce of Choice): I love using Born Simple Foods Brand for this dish!
    • Optional: Fresh Parmesan To garnish
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat your oven to 400 F and set your rack to the middle position.
    • Prepare your ingredients as described above (chopping, slicing etc as needed).
    • Add your chicken sausage, red peppers and mushrooms or eggplant to a baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil and season to taste. Toss until all of your seasonings are evenly distributed and then make sure that all the vegetables are in an even single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until your vegetables are soft and cooked through.
    • While your vegetables are baking, cook your orzo according to the instructions on the back of the packaging.
    • Once your orzo is cooked through, add in your spicy arrabbiata sauce or marinara (depending on level of spiciness desired). Mix and then add in your freshly baked veggies and chicken sausage. Mix and serve!
    • Hint: I like to add about 1 teaspoon of avocado oil and toast the orzo for a few minutes before adding water to my orzo to add some flavor!

    Video

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Christina Klapper, RDN | Easy Dinners (@easyeatsdietitian)

    Notes

    Scroll up to see substitutions, variations and storage tips! 
    If you make this dish, don’t forget to leave a rating and review! 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 433kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 21gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 263mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 96IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword chicken sausage orzo
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    FOOD SAFETY

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    Related

    More Main Course

    • Chicken Fattoush Salad
    • Chicken Fajita Tacos
    • Gut Nourishing Soup
    • Ground Turkey and Zucchini Meal Prep

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    Hi, I'm Christina! I'm a Registered Dietitian, wife and mom that’s passionate about sharing all the tips, tricks, and recipes to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I’m a strong believer that balance is the key to success. It doesn’t need to be difficult, so come join the fun!

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