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Easy Chicken Orzo Salad

July 21, 2022 By Dawn 11 Comments

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Easy chicken orzo salad is full of fresh vegetables, chicken, orzo pasta, and an oil and vinegar dressing. Serve it with fresh fruit for a light meal.

Looking down at a bowl of chicken orzo salad.

This salad is chock-full of flavor. There is no mayonnaise in this salad. Instead, the red wine vinegar and olive oil make the perfect base for the salad. I like to use fresh herbs when I have them handy, but you can always use dried herbs if you like.

I added some cucumber, celery, and green pepper for some crunch. There is some green onion for additional flavor. I like to serve it for lunch or for dinner with a side of fresh fruit. Once the orzo and the chicken are cooked, this salad comes together quickly.

Side angle view of chicken pasta salad in a white bowl.

Helpful Tips:

  • If you don’t have orzo pasta on hand you can substitute it with macaroni noodles, couscous, or quinoa just to name a few.
  • When cooking the pasta don’t overcook. Follow the cooking directions on the box.
  • Cool the pasta completely before adding the other ingredients.
  • I used cooked chicken for this recipe, but you could use roasted or rotisserie chicken.
  • I love the green peppers in this recipe, but you could use red peppers for a little change in flavor and a pop of color.
  • Once the salad is assembled make sure to refrigerate it for at least an hour to chill and meld the flavors.
  • The salad can be made the day before you are going to serve it.
  • Before serving the salad make sure to give it a stir.
  • The salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Steps for making Easy Chicken Orzo Salad

Step one

Prepare the pasta. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.

Looking down at ingredients for pasta chicken salad.
Celery, green onions, chicken, peppers, chicken, and pasta in a bowl.

Step two

Chop the vegetables and set them aside.

Step three

Prepare the dressing for the salad.

Looking down at a mini food processor with salad dressing.
Looking down at a bowl of easy chicken orzo salad.

Step four

Add the chicken, orzo, and vegetable and mix until combined. Add the dressing and toss until all is coated.

If you are looking for additional easy salads to make check out the recipes:

  • Cheese Tortellini Italian Pasta Salad
  • Quinoa Chicken Salad
  • Easy Tuna Macaroni Salad
  • Easy Italian Chopped Salad
Looking at a side angle view of a white bowl with easy chicken orzo salad.

If you make this easy chicken orzo salad I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment and a rating.

Easy Chicken Orzo Salad

Easy chicken orzo salad is a meal all by itself includes fresh herbs from the garden.
5 from 1 vote
Print Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Easy Chicken Orzo Salad, Chicken Orzo Salad
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 371kcal
Author: Dawn

Ingredients

  • 2 cooked chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 cup uncooked orzo
  • 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
  • 2 sliced green onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 stalk celery sliced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cook the orzo according to the directions on the box. Cut the roasted/cooked chicken into bite size pieces.
  • Prepare the cucumber, green onions, green pepper, and celery. When completed put them in a medium bowl.
  • Prepare the dressing in a small food processor. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley. Pulse until the garlic and herbs are finely chopped. 
  • Add the vinegar and Dijon mustard. Pulse until combined.  Slowly add the olive oil. Mix until well blended.
  • Add the chicken and orzo to the bowl with the vegetables. Toss until well combined. Add the dressing and toss until all is coated. Chill before serving.

Notes

  1. It works well to chop the garlic and herbs before processing them in the food processor.
  2. Make sure not to overcook the pasta. Follow the directions that are on the box.
  3. The salad is best if you chill before serving it. If you like the salad can be made one day in advance.
  4. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
 
 
 
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary with the brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.8g | Protein: 15.9g | Fat: 22.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 68mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2.5g | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

This recipe was originally published on June 22, 2017. It has been updated with new content and pictures on July 21, 2022.

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Filed Under: Easy meals Tagged With: Chicken, orzo, salad

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Comments

  1. cheri

    June 22, 2017 at 8:40 am

    5 stars
    What a beautiful salad filled with your garden goodies, love all the fresh veggies and herbs. I would love a salad like this for my lunch or dinner;)

    We’ve only started having problems in the garden the last few years too but we have moles. I’m embarassed to say I even bought a mole detector…..really a mole defector, does not work…..

    Reply
  2. [email protected]'s Recipes

    June 22, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    It looks light, delicious and healthy!

    Reply
  3. Reeni

    June 22, 2017 at 3:41 pm

    Those bunnies were eating good! I hope they don’t come this year. The salad looks delicious! I’d be in a hurry to eat lunch too. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Megan | 3 Scoops of Sugar

    June 23, 2017 at 6:22 pm

    I love all of the fresh ingredients in this salad! It is so summery!! Looks absolutely delish! Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  5. Janet Rudolph

    June 25, 2017 at 3:06 pm

    Love this recipe. Will have to try this week. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Dawn

      June 25, 2017 at 3:22 pm

      We loved this recipe. Please let me know how you like it.

      Reply
  6. Jeff

    June 26, 2017 at 6:19 am

    It’s so wonderful to use stuff from your garden! I haven’t had orzo in ages, and I love it. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  7. David @ Spiced

    July 3, 2017 at 9:47 am

    Oh, I feel your pain about the rabbits eating the garden, Dawn! Rabbits just destroyed our entire crop of peas (again), so I’m thinking I might not even bother with them again next year. This salad sounds amazing, too! Perfect for summer!

    Reply
  8. Chef Mimi

    July 23, 2022 at 6:57 am

    I love this! It’s very different from what I expected!

    Reply
  9. John / Kitchen Riffs

    July 26, 2022 at 1:56 pm

    We love big salads like this during hot weather months, so this is perfect. Wonderful combo of ingredients — this looks really tasty. Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Liz

    July 28, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    Looks yummy, Dawn! Perfect for a summer meal!

    Reply

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Dawn

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My name is Dawn! I am a wife, mom, grandma and the blogger behind Words of Deliciousness! I love sharing my favorite recipes and I hope some of these become your favorites too.
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