Orzo in the Rice Cooker Recipe

Cook orzo in the rice cooker for delicious and fluffy pasta, in the push of a button! This rice cooker hack is great when you want to quick orzo quickly to add to soups, salads, or dinner recipes.

After making your rice cooker orzo, you can transform your orzo into a delicious and creamy side dish. Drizzle with lemon juice and a sprinkle of parmesan for a next-level side to serve with your favorite protein.

This rice cooker orzo recipe is easy, hands off, no stir, and makes absolutely perfect and tender orzo!  A fast and easy way to cook your tiny pasta. This recipe is simple, tasty, and the rice cooker does all the work for you.

Orzo is one of my favorite past shapes!  I love it in salads, soups, risottos, pilafs, by itself, you name it and I will probably love it.  I’ve always cooked orzo on the stovetop in the past… but I had my rice cooker out on the counter yesterday and decided to give my orzo a try. 

I love trying out new ways to use the rice cooker aside from just plain old rice.  A few months back I tried Lentils in the Rice Cooker and was hoping that the orzo would turned out just as good! Spoiler alert: it is.

This Rice Cooker Orzo Recipe Is:

• Foolproof
• Simple
• Consistent
• Perfect Every Time
• Light
• Tender
• Plant-based, Gluten Free, and SO Good!

Pre-Cook Your Orzo Before Adding to Soups

Whenever I make soup with orzo, I cook the pasta separately from the soup broth. If you add dried or cooked orzo directly to a hot soup, you run the risk of having the dried orzo soak up all the broth and overcook the noodles (turning it soup into a mushy mess). I’ve found that cooking the orzo separately in a rice cooker, then serving the broth over the noodles in a bowl works best. I allow the soup to cool, then add the cooked pasta after. That way you’ll have perfectly cooked orzo that holds it shape and a delicious brothy soup.

This will definitely be my go-to cooking method for orzo from now on!  Just follow the 2:1 water to pasta ratio, and add a little seasoning if you want – its a perfect candidate if you want to double the recipe for weekly meal prep.  I’d like to experiment with adding other herbs, veggies, or garlic in the future while cooking.  But for now, here is the basic recipe.

One of the BEST Pantry Staple Pasta Recipes

This easy rice cooker orzo is a fantastic pantry-staple side dish!  It uses ingredients you may have in your dry pantry or cupboards like dried pasta and olive oil.

By stocking up on whole ingredients you can cook delicious recipes without a trip to the store!

What’s In This Rice Cooker Orzo?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

• Orzo Pasta – I absolutely love this fun orzo pasta shape, it goes great with this bright and fresh salad. I used regular orzo for this pasta, but if use a gluten free version if needed.
• Water or Low Sodium Vegetable Stock – I like to use low sodium vegetable stock for my recipes because it has great flavor… without all the salt. I always use low sodium or no-salt-added broth or stock to start, and then I can add salt or other spices later if needed.
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon & Parsley – for serving after, optional but delicious.
• Sea salt and black pepper

How Do I Make Orzo in the Rice Cooker?

1. Add the orzo, water, and olive oil to the rice cooker, and set it on High (or ‘Quick Cook’ setting which mine has) for 18 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes, check on the orzo. All the water should be absorbed – if not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
3. Fluff with a fork, dress with lemon juice and chopped parsley (optional!) and enjoy.

Use This Rice Cooker Orzo In These Delicious Recipes

• Avgolemono Soup with Orzo Recipe
• Lemon Orzo Salad Recipe
• Orzo Soup with Spinach and Lemon Recipe
• Greek Orzo Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette Recipe
• Tomato Soup with Noodles Recipe

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Orzo in the Rice Cooker

Kelly Jensen

Cook orzo in the rice cooker for delicious and fluffy pasta, in the push of a button! This rice cooker hack is great when you want to quick orzo quickly to add to soups, salads, or dinner recipes. After making your rice cooker orzo, you can transform your orzo into a delicious and creamy side dish. Drizzle with lemon juice and a sprinkle of parmesan for a next-level side to serve with your favorite protein.

5 from 1 vote

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Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 18 minutes mins

Course Pasta, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 207 kcal

Equipment

• Rice Cooker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup orzo
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 lemon juiced, optional
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, optional
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese optional

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Instructions

 

• Add the orzo, water, and olive oil to the rice cooker, and set it on High (or ‘Quick Cook’ setting which mine has) for 18 minutes – and start the rice cooker.
• After 18 minutes, check on the orzo. All the water should be absorbed – if not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork, dress with lemon juice, parmesan, & chopped parsley (optional!) and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 7gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 155mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 241IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 1mg

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