This one pot beef orzo is rich, saucy and loaded with flavour. Made with ground beef, tender orzo and a delicious tomato sauce, itâs the perfect easy weeknight dinner.
Because truly, who doesn’t love minimal washing up on a weeknight? Follow me…
One Pot Beef Orzo
This dish is very similar to an orzo bolognese, with its texture and cooking method being more in line with a tomato risotto. However, it’s better than both of these things:
- Bolognese – no long simmering, but still has a gorgeous depth of flavour.
- Risotto – no gradual adding of stock; because it is pasta, all of the liquid is added at once and the pasta cooks through much more quickly.
The other awesome thing about cooking everything in one pot is that the starch from the orzo helps create a luscious, thick and glossy sauce. It also soaks in all the flavours of the sauce as it cooks!
Meat sauce
The great thing about the sauce is that it only uses simple, store-bought ingredients:
- Beef – we’ll be using ground/minced beef, alongside beef stock for the sauce.
- Base – onion and garlic will provide a flavour base.
- Tomato – this comes from tomato paste and tomato passata.
- Depth – I love adding some red wine and Worcestershire sauce to offer a lovely depth of flavour.
- Seasoning – fresh basil and dried oregano really bring the sauce to life.
- Parmesan – I love stirring through fresh parmesan at the end for a final hit of flavour.
Process shots: fry onion, garlic and beef (photo 1), fry tomato paste (photo 2), simmer wine (photo 3), add passata, herbs, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning (photo 4), stir in orzo (photo 5), simmer then stir in parmesan (photo 6).
Beef Orzo FAQ
I highly recommend it if you can (or use non-alcoholic wine). Just omit if you don’t want to use it.
Rice cannot be directly substituted for orzo, since pasta and rice require different amounts of liquid to cook them through.
It’s best served fresh, but you can absolutely allow it to completely cool and tightly store in the fridge for a few days. Just reheat on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot again (add a splash of stock or water and simmer over low if using the stove).
Yes, just allow to completely cool, then tightly store in the freezer. You can then thaw in the fridge and reheat as needed, or reheat directly in the microwave until piping hot again.
How to serve Beef Orzo
If the sauce dries out before the orzo is cooked through, you can easily just add more stock or water to cook it through. The final consistency should be somewhat similar to a risotto (or an orzotto if you will). Keep in mind it’ll thicken up pretty quickly, especially as it rests.
From there, I like to go in with some extra parmesan and basil. It’s a pretty hearty dish, but you could always add some Garlic Bread if you fancy too.
For another similar recipe check out my One Pot Creamy Beef Pasta!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this beef orzo shall we?!
How to make One Pot Beef Orzo (Full Recipe & Video)
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Add a drizzle of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and fry until soft and golden, then add the garlic and fry for 20 seconds or so. Add the beef and break it up with your wooden spoon until fully browned.
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Stir in the tomato paste and fry for a minute or so, then stir in the wine and allow to simmer for a few minutes to reduce the alcohol (the pungent smell of booze should vanish).
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Pour in the passata and beef stock (I like to swill the jar out using a splash of the stock), then stir in the Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in the orzo, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the orzo is al dente, stirring somewhat frequently to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom. If the sauce thickens up too much before the orzo is cooked, just add a splash of boiling/hot water (or stock if you have it) as needed to ensure the orzo cooks through.
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Stir in the parmesan, then check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve with extra parmesan and basil, then tuck in and enjoy!
b) Wine – This adds a gorgeous depth of flavour. You’ll end up burning off most, if not all of the alcohol, but if you can’t use it, then use a non-alcoholic red wine or leave it out.
c) Orzo/Consistency – I find that different brands/sizes of orzo will absorb different amounts of liquid. I’ve never found 1 jar of passata and 2 cups of stock to be too much liquid, but if it’s not quite enough to cook through the orzo, just stir in hot/boiling water as needed (or of course more stock). If it seems a little saucy, don’t worry too much as it thickens up quite quickly, especially as it rests.
d) Calories – Whole recipe divided by 4.
Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 71.99g | Protein: 30.54g | Fat: 20.5g | Saturated Fat: 7.586g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.435g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8.206g | Trans Fat: 1.019g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 949mg | Potassium: 1116mg | Fiber: 11.1g | Sugar: 6.7g | Vitamin A: 1821IU | Vitamin C: 27.6mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 4.11mg
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