Creamy Dairy-Free Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
Creamy dairy free chicken pot pie orzo is a one pot recipe perfect for any night of the week. This 30 minute pasta dinner made with chicken, orzo pasta, and coconut milk is a comforting dish you will want to make time and again.
I have always been the kind of person that is drawn outdoors as the days get longer. From longer walks on the trails to more time at the park, the last place I want to be is in the kitchen making meals.
So in order to soak up the most of the spring I am making an effort to keep my meals quick and filling. This dairy-free chicken pot pie orzo is equal parts easy, flavorful, and comforting.
Why This Chicken Pot Pie Orzo Recipe Works
With all of the flavor of a traditional chicken pot pie, this simple one pan dinner is a quick and easy take on a comforting classic.
- 30 minute meal. This is one of those dinners that you can whip up in 30 minutes or less with time to wash the dishes too.
- Toddler approved. My three year old eats this by the bowl full.
- Complete meal in one dish. Loaded with protein, vegetables, and carbs, this one pan dinner is a complete meal you can feel good about serving for supper.
Dairy-Free Changes to Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
There are a number of different chicken pot pie orzo recipes out there. I was inspired by I Am Baker’s Chicken Pot Pie Orzo Recipe and made a few tweaks to keep it dairy free.
For starters I replaced the butter with olive oil. You could also use a dairy-free butter substitute but I also wanted to keep the dish to whole ingredients.
Then I replaced the use of heavy cream in the recipe. I have tested this recipe a number of times using various heavy cream alternatives. Here are the ones I think work best in this recipe:
- Full fat coconut milk. I like to use this as my go-to heavy cream replacement in this recipe for a number of reasons:
- Easy to find at the grocery store
- Whole food option
- Lower cost
- Heavy cream alternatives such Silk or Country Crock plant cream. If you already have these on hand or do not like the flavor of coconut milk I would recommend using one of these.
- Unsweetened oat milk. For a thicker plant-based milk without an added flavor, you might need to adjust the salt in the orzo because I do find oat milk to be a touch sweeter than the other options.
Finally, I opted to omit the parmesan cheese at the end. You could sub it for a vegan alternative like Follow Your Heart Parmesan but I honestly didn’t miss it in the dish.
How to Make A Dairy Free Creamy Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive Oil– Use your favorite olive oil for cooking to help cook down the vegetables.
- Onion– A diced white or yellow onion will work beautifully.
- Celery– Chopped small.
- Peas + Carrots– You can use a frozen blend of peas and carrots or if you want to go fresh that works well too.
- Garlic– I like to use fresh grated garlic in this dish.
- Orzo Pasta– Uncooked, this quick cooking pasta helps this dish come together in 30 minutes.
- Broth– Vegetable or chicken broth work best in this dish. I used a low sodium option when testing, if you choose to go full sodium you might want to start with less salt (1/8 tsp) and then adjust up as needed.
- Cooked Chicken– This is perfect for a rotisserie chicken or if you meal prep chicken (oven baked chicken breasts work great in this recipe) at the beginning of the week you can chop up 2 cups to toss into this dish.
- Coconut Milk– Used as a heavy cream replacement. You can also use a heavy cream alternative or an unsweetened oat milk.
- Spices– Salt, pepper, and thyme add just a touch of seasoning to the dish.
Step-by-Step Directions for Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
- In the base of a dutch oven or a deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add vegetables to the olive oil and cook roughly 5 minutes or until soft.
- Next stir in the garlic and cook about 1 minute.
- Add remaining olive oil and orzo pasta. Stir to coat the past in the olive oil and cook about 3 minutes or until the orzo is golden brown.
- Pour the broth into the pan and stir to coat. Bring the liquid to a simmer stirring as needed.
- Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and cook about 10-12 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Check the pasta to make sure it is cooked through before adding the chicken, coconut milk (or heavy cream alternative), and the seasoning.
- Stir and cook until the coconut milk reduces and a thick, creamy chicken pot pie orzo remains (about 3-5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley or thyme.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Some of the pitfalls you might encounter making this recipe include:
- Not a sit and forget recipe. You are not going to pour the broth over the pasta and just leave the pan to cook. You need to be close by to stir every few minutes and adjust the heat as needed.
- Personally I have a cutting board to the right of my stove and I am usually chopping fruit and extra vegetables for my kids’ plates while I am cooking this creamy orzo.
- Using a sweetened heavy cream alternative. If you are using Silk, Country Crock, or Califia Farms heavy cream alternatives you might want to check the sweetness of the dish before you add salt and adjust as needed.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
Making this dairy-free chicken pot pie orzo involved a few helpful kitchen tools.
- Braiser– I love this pan for this recipe. I know that it is both wide enough to cook the vegetables in an even layer while also being deep enough to hold all of the liquids.
- Wooden spoon– Perfect for stirring everything from the vegetables to the orzo to the seasoning in this dish.
- Microplane– Used to grate the garlic for the orzo.
What should you serve with Chicken Pot Pie Orzo?
This is a great recipe for having an all in one meal packed with protein, vegetables, and pasta. That said, I sometimes find that I am still a touch hungry if I eat the pasta by itself.
This chicken pot pie orzo pairs well with:
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating Chicken Pot Pie Pasta
This is an excellent recipe to make in advance. Here are my tips for storing, freezing, and reheating the chicken pot pie orzo.
- Storing– Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps for 4-5 days.
- Reheating the next day- You can either heat individual servings of the orzo in the microwave in 30-second intervals based on your desired level of heat. Alternatively you can reheat the whole dish over low heat on the stove and add a splash more coconut milk or chicken broth to help loosen up the pasta.
- Freezing– Cool completely before placing in a freezer safe container and keeping up to 3 months in the freezer. When you are ready to serve, remove from freezer the night before re-heating.
- Reheating from frozen- Place into a large deep skillet and heat over low heat adding broth or coconut milk as needed to loosen up the pasta.
One Pot Orzo Recipes You’re Going to Want to Make Next
If you love a simple one pot orzo dinner, here are a few you might want to add to your dinner rotation.
If you tried this dairy-free creamy chicken pot pie orzo recipe please let me know in the comments below!
You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!
Looking for more delicious dairy-free recipes and tips? Sign up for my newsletter below to get the most helpful recipes, tips, and products for your life after dairy.
Creamy Dairy-Free Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
A creamy and filling one pot recipe your family is sure to love. This dairy free chicken pot pie orzo is made with chicken, orzo pasta, veggies, and coconut milk.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Olive oil (divided)
- 1 Onion, diced
- 1 Celery Stalk, diced
- ½ cup Peas
- ½ cup Carrots
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cup Orzo Pasta, uncooked
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Chicken, cooked and diced
- 1 cup Coconut Milk, or DF Heavy Cream alternative
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Thyme
Instructions
- In the base of a dutch oven or braiser, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onion, celery, peas, and carrots to the pan and cook about 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Once the vegetables have softened, add the minced garlic to the pan and cook about 1 minute.
- Pour in the remaining olive oil and then the orzo pasta. Stir to coat all of the pasta with the oil and toast lightly for about 1 minute in the pan. The pasta should look like a slightly golden color and be visibly coated in the oil.
- Once lightly toasted, add the chicken broth to the pan. Bring the broth to a simmer and then reduce the heat to low.
- On low, cook the pasta for 10-12 minutes or until cooked through and the liquid has been absorbed. Be sure to stir during this time to prevent burning the pasta.
- Once cooked through, add the chopped chicken, coconut milk, salt, pepper, and thyme to the pan.
- Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the coconut milk has been absorbed into the pasta dish.
- Remove from heat and garnish with parsley.
Notes
Recipe Adapted from I Am Homestead Chicken Pot Pie Orzo
If you do not like coconut milk you can sub in a heavy cream alternative such as Silk, Country Crock, or Califia Farms.
Some of the links above contain Amazon affiliate links. These are products and brands I use in my kitchen daily. They pay me a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you.