This one pot beef orzo is rich, saucy and loaded with flavour. Made with ground beef, tender orzo and a delicious tomato sauce, it’s 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)
One Pot Beef Orzo
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Pot & Wooden Spoon
- Jug (for stock)
- Fine Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- drizzle of Olive Oil
- 1 medium White Onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 1lb / 500g Ground/Minced Beef (see notes)
- 1 heaped tbsp Tomato Paste/Puree
- 1/3 cup / 80ml Dry Red Wine (see notes)
- 1x 1.5lb/700g jar of Tomato Passata (pureed/strained tomatoes)
- 2 cups / 480ml Beef Stock
- 1/2 small bunch of Fresh Basil, finely diced (1 small bunch is typically 1oz/30g)
- 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp Salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Sugar, Black Pepper, or to taste
- 10.5oz / 300g uncooked Orzo
- 1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve if desired
Instructions
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- Stir in the parmesan, then check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve with extra parmesan and basil, then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
