Meal Prep
Cajun Chicken Orzo
Cajun Chicken Orzo is what happens when comfort food and meal prep stop pretending they can’t work together. You’ve got juicy Cajun-spiced chicken, creamy orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, Parmesan, and just enough heat to make this feel way more exciting than another sad chicken-and-rice situation. Rich, smoky, and somehow still packing 64 grams of protein per serving, this one is absolutely built for repeat appearances in the lunch rotation.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
- Prep Time
- 15 mins
- Cook Time
- 30 mins
- Total Time
- 45 mins
Equipment
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Ingredients
Ingredient links open Walmart products from our grocery planner. Links marked “Walmart search” need your product choice. Confirm package details and local availability at Walmart.
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, Cajun seasoning and salt. Stir until well-combined.
2 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breast, 2 tbsp Cajun seasoning, ¼ tsp salt
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan and pan fry the chicken until it starts to color. You will need to do this in two batches or two separate pans to not crowd the skillet.
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp butter
Add the onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook over low heat for six minutes, frequently stirring.
1 onion, 6 cloves garlic, 4 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, 3 tbsp tomato paste
Stir in the orzo, cooking for a minute or so before adding the chicken broth.
8 oz Orzo pasta, 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently. Orzo quickly absorbs liquid so keep an eye on the pan and add a little extra broth if the pan gets too dry.
Uncover the pan and test the orzo- it should be tender but with a little crunch to it. Stir in the spinach until it wilts.
2 cup shredded spinach
Stir in the cream & grated Parmesan. You should have a delightfully creamy & cheesy Cajun sauce. Give it a try & add salt & pepper to taste. Separate into four equal servings. Enjoy!
¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Nutrition
Per servingEstimates for one serving. Changing the recipe yield scales the ingredients and keeps these per-serving amounts the same.
- Calories
- 703 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 54.5 g
- Protein
- 64 g
- Fat
- 24.6 g
- Saturated Fat
- 8.9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2.63 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 9.25 g
- Trans Fat
- 0.38 g
- Cholesterol
- 198 mg
- Sodium
- 725 mg
- Potassium
- 1,353 mg
- Fiber
- 4.3 g
- Sugar
- 6.5 g
- Added Sugar
- 0 g
- Vitamin A
- 232 mcg RAE
- Vitamin C
- 11.35 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.28 mcg
- Calcium
- 149 mg
- Iron
- 4.35 mg
Estimated ingredient cost
$2.36 per serving · $9.43 for this batch
Estimated US grocery prices for the amounts used, including purchase waste and discarded marinade. Your store, brands, and package sizes may cost differently. Buying full packages can cost more. Price sources and methodology.
Ingredient costs and assumptions
Quantities without exact weights use the nutrition library’s portion estimates. Purchase yields are estimates. Separate citrus ingredients are costed independently; reusing the same fruit for juice and zest can lower your cost. Labor, utilities, and delivery are excluded.
- raw boneless skinless chicken breast: $5.14
907.2 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
Authored ingredient weight. Variable-weight pack priced per pound, raw boneless skinless breast.
Walmart: Freshness Guaranteed Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast · Price checked 2026-09-21
- Cajun seasoning: $0.19
12 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 2 g; Editorial ground-spice blend estimate: 2 g/tsp, not a claimed package-label weight. Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Slap Ya Mama Original Blend Cajun Seasoning, 8 oz Canister Bold Louisiana-Style Spice for Everyday Cooking · Price checked 2026-09-21
- salt: $0.00
1.5 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tsp = 6 g Iodized table salt reference; not a kosher salt price.
Walmart: Great Value Iodized Salt · Price checked 2026-09-21
- olive oil: $0.36
27 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 13.5 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 17 fl oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- butter: $0.12
14.2 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 14.2 g Salted butter reference; unsalted uses this as a substitute estimate.
Walmart: Great Value Salted Butter · Price checked 2026-09-21
- onion: $0.20
122.2 g purchased · Editorial purchase-yield estimate: 90% usable; includes discarded peel, shell, or core.
1 onion = 110 g; size=medium Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Fresh Yellow Onions, 3 lb Bag · Price checked 2026-09-21
- garlic: $0.32
18 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
3 clove = 9 g; USDA SR Legacy household weights used as an approximate physical conversion for the current ingredient profile; nutrition remains from its own mapped record. Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Spice World Fresh Peeled Garlic, 6 oz, Pouch · Price checked 2026-09-21
- sun-dried tomatoes: $0.55
13.5 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 54 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Bella Sun Luci Premium California Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Julienne Cut, Ready-to-Use Pouch, 3 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- tomato paste: $0.26
48 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 16 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Tomato Paste, 6 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- Orzo pasta: $0.62
226.8 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
Authored ingredient weight. Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Orzo Pasta, 16 oz · Price checked 2026-09-21
- chicken broth: $0.49
311.3 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 249 g Liquid carton treated as 32 US fl oz; stock uses the broth reference where applicable.
Walmart: Great Value Gluten-Free Chicken Broth, 32 oz Carton (Shelf-Stable) · Price checked 2026-09-21
- shredded spinach: $0.42
60 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup = 30 g Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Marketside Fresh Spinach, 10 oz Bag (Fresh) · Price checked 2026-09-21
- heavy cream: $0.38
59.5 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 cup (fluid) = 238 g; phase=fluid Representative product for this ingredient; your brand and package size may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Heavy Whipping Cream, 16 oz Carton · Price checked 2026-09-21
- grated parmesan cheese: $0.37
30.4 g purchased · Uses the reviewed ingredient quantity before cooking or marinade losses.
1 tbsp = 7.6 g Shredded Parmesan reference; grated products and brands may differ.
Walmart: Great Value Finely Shredded Parmesan Cheese · Price checked 2026-09-21
Make it yoursRecipe notes & meal-prep tips
Macro breakdown
- Protein64g37%
- Carbs54.5g31%
- Fat24.6g32%
Per serving · Share of calories from macros
Calculated using 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs, and 9 for fat. Rounding and fiber can affect the listed calorie total.Triple B's Meal Prep Notes
Orzo looks small, but it can turn a loose sauce into a very thick lunch once it sits. Keep some broth available while cooking and stop cooking while the orzo still has a little bite and the sauce is loose enough to stir. Slightly undercooking it on prep day leaves room for the softening that comes with storage and reheating. The sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste provide plenty of flavor; you do not need to cook away every bit of moisture to concentrate them. This is one of the pasta meal preps where a little extra attention to sauce consistency pays off later.
Dice the chicken evenly and brown it in batches if necessary, then use the same pan for the onion, garlic, and orzo. Get the spinach, cream, and Parmesan measured while the orzo simmers so you can finish promptly. The one-pan approach keeps cleanup manageable, but it still needs stirring along the bottom so the pasta does not catch.
When you open a chilled container, expect the orzo to look firmer than it did in the skillet. Add a little water or broth before heating rather than immediately adding more cream. For a refrigerated serving, microwave on high for 90 seconds, stir, then heat for another 45 seconds. Use that as a starting point and continue in short intervals as needed until the food reaches 165°F throughout. Break up the dense center with the stir and check the chicken pieces as well as the pasta. If you want to change the heat, adjust the Cajun seasoning before cooking and check whether your blend already contains salt.
Notes from your kitchen
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From the community
★★★★★
I built this recipe to get bold Cajun flavor into a single pan without overthinking it. Orzo was the perfect vehicle. Let me know if this was your kind of dinner!