A single dish is all you need to fix this flavorful one pot enchilada orzo and make it an instant family favorite.
Want similar dishes? Try my Instant Pot Spanish Sausage and Rice, Super Easy Mexican Rice (Spanish Rice), and Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa.
This is my comfort food. This one pot, Mexi-flare, 30 minute yumminess. For some people it’s bread, for some it’s mashed potatoes, other’s it’s creamy Italian pasta. For me? Cheesy, saucy, enchilada-inspired goodness I can heap into a bowl, top with all of my favorite fixins, and douse with hot sauce galore.
No but really. Hot sauce G A L O R E.
I would curl up in my sweat pants on the couch with a ginormous bowl of enchilada orzo and watch Grey’s Anatomy re-runs every single night if I wasn’t feeding people besides myself. Because other people seem to get sick of eating the same thing over and over and over. So weird…..
I’m not completely unreasonable, I’d swap out the avocado slices for guacamole on night three if that helps??
Leftovers are my plan B. This recipe makes a pretty sizable batch of enchilada orzo and if you’re feeding only 2-3 people, like I am, you’ll have leftovers for a couple of days which means >LUNCH PLANS< for you.
If you’re feeding a larger group, you likely won’t have leftovers – sorry but it’s just too good, no one will give up their portion for your said lunch plans. But this dish is so darn easy, with hardly any prep and only one pot to clean up, you won’t mind one little bit putting it on the weekly rotation.
What people are saying about this One Pot Enchilada Orzo
“I made this last week while my husband was away (he hates Mexican food which makes no sense to me because I LOVE Mexican food!) Anyways, this was SO good. It had really good flavor, and I loved the leftovers! I will definitely be making this again!” – Emily
“I just made this for dinner and it was so good!! I usually don’t enjoy leftovers but I can’t wait to eat this again tomorrow!” – Stephanie
“I made this last night and I am blown away by its simplicity. It’s a super delicious, cheap, easy one-pot meal – what more could you ask for?! My only deviation from the recipe is that I cooked mine at a bit of a higher temperature since low-medium wasn’t cooking the orzo well in the 25 minutes (I think it’s my stove). Overall, I loved it though and will definitely make it again!” – Britt
“This is now a staple in our house. it has all the flavors of enchiladas without all the work, sometimes we throw in some chicken or just eat as is. Thank you!” – Caitlin
One Pot Enchilada Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth - (sub vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- 2 15-ounce cans mild or medium red enchilada sauce
- 1 15-ounce can yellow corn - drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can black beans - drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ½ cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- optional toppings: avocado, tomatoes, chopped cilantro, olives, sour cream, cottage cheese, salsa
Instructions
- Combine orzo, broth, enchilada sauce, corn, beans, and seasonings in a large nonstick (or well-greased) pot and sitr to combine. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 20-25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and orzo is tender.
- Uncover, stir, and sprinkle cheese over the top. Cover again and allow to cook 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted. Add any desired toppings and serve.
I thought this was great! I meal prepped it a few times now. I added chicken and this week I am going to try replacing the orzo with quinoa, just an experiment.
This is so perfect for weekly meal preps! It’s great reheated and delicious. Amazing recipe!
This is now a staple in our house. it has all the flavors of enchiladas without all the work, sometimes we throw in some chicken or just eat as is. Thank you!
I made this tonight and it did not turn out anything like the picture. I follow the recipe to a t and it turned out more like soup!!! 2 15 oz can of enchilada sauce is a lot of sauce…nearly a litre…plus 2 cups of broth?! i knew it was going to end up soupy…thats like 6 cups of liquid to 1 cup of orzo….something isn’t right….it tastes good enough, but i had to cook another cup of orzo so that i had something to put this soupy mixture onto.
Same here, what the heck? I added an extra 1/2 cup orzo and cooked it higher than the medium-low specified after reading the comments here but it’s still soupy/mushy. plus, shouldn’t it be much more red than her picture after 2 cans of enchilada sauce? bummer. Not making this one again.
This was super delish, but like some other comments have said, this recipe calls for waaaaaay too much liquid. I added a ton more orzo and ended up with lots of leftovers… not mad, but just a warning.