One-Pot Thai Red Curry Chicken Orzo

Red curry chicken orzo in a pan with a spoon.

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One-Pot Thai Red Curry Chicken Orzo

Saucy, creamy, and ridiculously easy, this Thai red curry chicken orzo turns the flavors of the classic curry into a gorgeous one-pot dinner. Everything cooks on the stovetop in just 30 minutes, making it a fabulous better-than-takeout option for any day of the week.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, pasta

Cuisine: asian

Keyword: chicken orzo, red curry

Servings: servings

Calories: 645kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (500g), ideally free-range
1 tablespoon neutral oil
3 tablespoons red curry paste
1 -inch piece of ginger grated (or use ginger paste)
3 garlic cloves crushed
1 ½ cups orzo (250g)
1 ½ cups chicken stock hot (heat it on the stovetop or in the microwave)
1 can coconut milk 14oz or 400ml
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 heads pak choi washed and chopped
1 lime sliced into wedges
2 tablespoons chili crisp or chili oil
A handful of fresh cilantro leaves (coriander), to serve

Instructions

Brown the chicken thighs.
Dice your chicken thighs into roughly 1-inch pieces. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large, high-sided pan set over high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden.
The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked at this point - it'll continue cooking in the orzo later.
Cook the curry paste.
Reduce the heat to medium, then add 3 tablespoons of red curry paste, ginger, and crushed garlic. Add a little more oil if needed, then stir for a couple of minutes. You want the curry paste to darken a little and for it to look a bit drier.
Add the orzo and stock.
Pour the orzo into the pan and mix through the curry paste. Pour in the coconut milk, 1 ½ cups of hot chicken stock, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Stir to combine, then add the chicken back into the pan, stir again, and bring to a simmer.
Simmer the orzo.
Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, to stop the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan, for about 10 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente (cooked, with a little bite to it) and the sauce has thickened nicely.

PRO TIP: The orzo will continue to absorb liquid as it sits - but if it's very thick at this point (different pans, hob temperatures, and brands of orzo can impact this), add a splash of water or stock to loosen it up.

Add the pak choi.
Scatter the chopped pak choi into the pan, and stir it through the orzo. Squeeze a wedge of lime juice into the orzo, stir, then taste and add more lime juice if needed.
Garnish and serve.
Remove the pan from the heat. Drizzle with the chili oil, then scatter over the cilantro leaves. Divide between bowls and serve while hot and saucy. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.

Notes

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Once cooked, it will keep well for at least 3 days, stored in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, adding a splash of water to the orzo to loosen it up (it will keep absorbing liquid as it sits in the fridge).

SUBSTITUTIONS: I recommend swapping cilantro for mint, Thai basil, or flat-leaf parsley. If you're worried about spice (or making this for kids), skip the chili flakes and serve the chili oil and sweet chili on the side.

ADDITIONS: To bulk out the meal and add more greens, you can throw in chopped broccoli, asparagus, bok choi, pak choi, spinach leaves, or cavolo nero when you pour in the stock. The greens will cook in the stock with the orzo. I love to serve this with ginger scallion sauce too (also great if you're not a fan of chilies!)

Nutrition