Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·Leave a Review

Introducing Boursin Chicken Orzo, a super-easy + delicious dinner idea you’ll be making on repeat! Creamy, cheesy orzo with perfectly seasoned chicken is a weeknight dinner the whole family will love!

boursin chicken orzo on a beige plate with a striped napkin

I recently tried using Boursin garlic and herb cheese as a shortcut for an alfredo-esque sauce and man, was it good and SO EASY! That’s what I’m always after when dinnertime rolls around: minimal effort.

We season the chicken breast simply with italian seasoning, then toss it with the creamy boursin orzo and top it off with lots of parm and fresh parsley for the perfect finish. Let’s make it!

This simple chicken and pasta meal has been on repeat lately because it’s so easy to make and tastes like a warm, comforting plate of home. Cheesy boursin orzo pasta with tender chunks of chicken breast and peas scattered throughout.

It’s a simple dish with lots of flavor making it perfect for busy weeknights. Boursin cheese is a little cheat for making an alfredo-esque sauce; it’s so creamy, melts beautifully and has great flavor all in one little package (we use the garlic and herb kind).

Table of Contents

boursin orzo with chicken in a cast iron skillet

Ingredients for Boursin Chicken Orzo

Boneless, skinless chicken breast – You can also use chicken tenderloins or boneless, skinless chicken thighs as well. If you are really pressed for time, you can even use rotisserie chicken.
Olive oil
Herbs/Spices – I used dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. You can use an Italian seasoning blend found in any local grocery store to season the chicken if you want. Crushed red pepper is optional (its still delicious without it) but it adds another flavor dimension that is really great.
Butter – I’ve been buying the New Zealand grass-fed salted butter from Costco recently. It’s not the least expensive butter you can find, but it is better than non-grass-fed butter for a few reasons: it’s higher in Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins and it has great flavor!
Boursin garlic and herb cheese – I use the Garlic & Fine Herbs variety for this recipe. I used the shallot & chive boursin cheese when testing the recipe and that works just as well! You can also use fresh garlic cloves for even more garlic flavor if you wish. I would add a minced clove to the pan with the butter before adding the chicken stock in that case.
Chicken stock – You can also use vegetable broth if that’s what you have on hand. Any time I buy a rotisserie chicken, I make sure to make homemade chicken stock with the bones. It has way more flavor than store-bought stock! Plus, it freezes nicely for use in all kinds of soup recipes.
Orzo pasta – Orzo pasta is a small, rice-shaped pasta that can be found in most grocery stores in the pasta aisle. It looks kind of like rice but it’s pasta!
Frozen peas – I prefer to use peas but you can try other veggies. I have some info below in the testing notes section of this post.
Parmesan cheese – I always recommend using a fresh block of parmesan, but you can also use pre-grated or shredded parmesan if needed.

What is Boursin cheese?

Boursin cheese is a soft and creamy cheese that is typically flavored with spices and seasonings, making it a very versatile ingredient for cooking or enjoying on its own. It is made from Gournay cheese, which is similar to cream cheese since it’s spreadable, but it’s more crumbly than cream cheese.

According to Boursin’s website, it was created by François Boursin in 1963 in Normandy, France. The most popular variety is Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs, which combines Gournay cheese with a mix of garlic and parsley.

Why you’ll love this recipe

There’s lots to love about this recipe! Here are a few reasons you’ll love it:

Even the pickiest eaters love it! I actually just made this recipe for dinner last night and my toddler gobbled up several helpings of it!
It’s extremely easy! This pasta recipe is easy and comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you want a hearty meal.
It is downright bursting with flavor. You’ll never know you weren’t eating a rich alfredo-style sauce. It’s indulgent and delicious enough for company and special occasions too!
It requires very few dishes. Aside from the pot for boiling the orzo, it all gets cooked in one skillet.
It calls for mostly whole ingredients you can feel good about.
It’s a tried and true recipe that’s been fully tested using a number of variations and methods.

How to make Boursin chicken orzo

Cook the pasta

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Toss a generous pinch of salt into the boiling water. Add uncooked orzo pasta and cook until al dente or according to package instructions.

Season the chicken

Start by cutting the thawed chicken tenderloins into chunks using kitchen shears. Place the chunks into a ziplock bag or container.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and place into the refrigerator to tenderize it. It’s best if you can do this up to 24 hours ahead of time for maximum flavor and tenderness, but even a few hours helps if you don’t have time or if you’re like me and you forgot…

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a splash of olive oil and a touch of butter to the pan. A cast iron skillet works great for this.

While the pan heats up, add to the ziplock bag: dried oregano, dried basil, garlic powder, crushed red pepper (if using), black pepper, and a touch more salt. Close the bag and use your hands to work the seasoning into the chicken until it’s completely coated.

Other variations

There is more than one way to do this. You don’t have to put the chicken tenders into a bag to season them; you can just put them into a large baking dish and coat the chicken with your hands. You don’t have to cut the chicken into chunks; you can cook them whole if you wish. The point is: you want to salt the chicken ahead and you want to get the seasoning onto the chicken as evenly as possible.

Cook the chicken

Once the pan is heated, add chicken breast pieces in an even layer to the bottom of the pan. It’s helpful to use tongs when cooking the chicken.

Cook chicken on both sides until browned and an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. A meat thermometer is an invaluable kitchen tool for cooking meat. It takes out all the guesswork.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Making the creamy Boursin orzo

Add chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then add the Boursin cheese and more butter. Stir and cook until the cheese is fully melted.

boursin cheese added to skillet with chicken broth

Toss in peas, stir and cook for about a minute. Add the cooked orzo and stir to coat with the cheese mixture. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and stir to coat.

boursin orzo with peans in cast iron pan

Top with more parmesan and chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!

close up of boursin orzo with chicken and peas being scooped with a wooden spoon

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe testing notes

In testing this recipe, I tried a few variations and I just wanted to share my findings. So I tested with lemon at first and thought that would go really well with the creamy, garlicky flavors in this dish but it just did not work! So if you’re like me and tempted to throw lemon on everything, I don’t recommend it here.

I tried using fresh spinach for the veggie element but I really didn’t love that either. It was just a texture thing. I think thawed, drained frozen spinach would be okay since it’s usually so soft. Broccoli and zucchini would also be yummy, you just want to chop them into small pieces.

I also really wanted to make this a one-pot recipe so I tried cooking the orzo right in the skillet (similarly to how you cook risotto) by continually adding broth and water until it was soft. However, it took a long time and also leaves more room for error/difficulty in executing the recipe so I decided to just forgo this being a one-pot.

In the end, I’m so happy with the final result. We love this dish (my two-year old included!) and it’s going to be a staple recipe in our house. It’s delicious, quick and has pretty minimal ingredients. I hope you love it as much as we do.