A healthy light summer meal you’re going to love! This chicken orzo salad is packed with flavor & delightly refreshing. Made with fresh juicy peaches, sweet corn, mozzarella & sliced basil all tossed in a sweet & spicy hot honey vinaigrette.
Ready to have the best dish at your next barbecue? This orzo pasta salad is it! It’s sweet, spicy, savory and refreshing all wrapped up in one.🤗
I’ll be the first to admit – I’m obsessed with hot honey. I put it on everything; pizza, avocado toast, fresh fruit, baked brie, etc. And this obsession has lead me to create some of the best summer recipes. (Like my Grilled Hot Honey Chicken with Fresh Peach Salsa – it’s unreal!) Today I’m sharing another delicious addition – Peach & Basil Chicken Orzo Salad with Hot Honey Vinaigrette!
Where to start with this one?! The salad itself is loaded with peak summer ingredients including fresh corn, juicy peaches and sliced basil. It’s then tossed with savory seasoned chicken (for added protein) and creamy mozzarella. It’s equal parts healthy and indulgent with the true star being a sweet and tangy hot honey vinaigrette! (Trust me – you’ll want to drizzle that vinaigrette on EVERYTHING!)
Ingredients You’ll Need For The Salad
Orzo: A type of small, rice-shaped pasta that’s often used for salads, soups and other dishes.
Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken breast or chicken tenderloins all work for this recipe. (I personally love using chicken tenderloins for mine – they cook fast and are a little more forgiving.)
Peaches: Use ripe or slightly underripe peaches for the best results. (Overripe peaches tend to become mushy after being mixed with the rest of the salad.)
Corn: I love using fresh corn for this salad! (You just can’t beat it’s naturally sweet flavor and plump texture.) Canned corn can be used instead.
Fresh mozzarella: Mozzarella pearls are the perfect size for this orzo salad. (You can also use a large ball of fresh mozzarella and cut it into cubes.)
Onion: Red onion adds subtle onion flavor and a slight crunch to your salad. I’d recommend keeping the onion slices pretty thin so they don’t overpower the other ingredients.
Fresh basil: A MUST! I just love the freshness this adds – feel free to use as little or as much sliced basil as you want.
Ingredients You’ll Need for The Vinaigrette
Olive oil: Used as the base for your vinaigrette. I always recommend using a mild tasting olive oil so it won’t muddle the other flavors. (We use Bertolli’s Light Tasting Olive Oil for ours.)
Hot honey: Use your favorite storebought hot honey brand!
Apple cider vinegar: One of my favorite vinegars for salad dressings! This adds a necessary tang to the dressing while also complimenting the sweetness from the hot honey.
Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice works the best! (Bottled lemon juice tends to have additives in it that can alter the flavor of the vinaigrette.)
Dijon mustard: Use smooth dijon mustard for the best results. (A little mustard goes a long way here!)
Garlic: You’ll need 2 minced galric cloves for the vinaigrette.
Seasonings: Salt and cracked black pepper are needed to season the vinaigrette.
How To Make A Summer Chicken Orzo Salad
1. Prepare the orzo. Boil the orzo according to the package’s directions then drain it and set it aside to cool completely. Once cool, add it to a large mixing bowl.
2. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the olive oil, hot honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, dijon mustard and salt together in a small jar or bowl. Season it with cracked black pepper to taste then set it aside.
3. Cook the chicken. Generously season chicken thighs (or tenderloins) on both sides with smoked paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper. Then saute the chicken in a pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. (Alternatively, you can bake or grill the chicken – feel free to use your preferred method.) Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and set them aside to cool.
4. Toss. Add the diced chicken, peaches, corn, mozzarella, red onion and fresh basil to the bowl with your orzo. Pour your desired amount of vinaigrette over the top and toss the salad until it’s coated to your liking.
5. Garnish & serve. Garnish with extra basil and serve immediately. (Or cover the salad and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.)
Variations
If you’re like me and always looking for ways to switch things up, I’ve got you covered! This salad’s sweet and spicy flavors make it highly adaptable with so many delicious options.
- Go meatless! Leave out the chicken & serve this salad as a delicious barbecue side dish.
- Switch up the protein! Replace the chicken with cooked salmon or shrimp.
- Add some crunch! Toasted pinenuts or pistachios would be a great addition!
- Swap the cheese! Use tangy goat cheese or crumbled feta instead.
- Did someone say bacon? Add crispy bacon bits or even better – crispy proscuitto to elevate it one step further!
Storing Leftovers
The hot honey vinaigrette can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Store your orzo salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for 3-5 days.
Prepping this salad for a party? I’ll usually leave out the peaches and add them right before serving to keep them looking fresh.
Why you’ll love this orzo salad recipe!
- A light summer meal! Using orzo gives this salad a lighter feel than traditional pasta salad + it’s loaded with fresh fruit & veggies!
- Peak seasonal ingredients! Made with the best produce summer has to offer – fresh peaches, corn & sliced basil all tossed in a vibrant hot honey dressing!
- Great for summer barbecues! It’s filling yet refreshing & it’s ingredients hold up well in the heat!
More salad recipes you might like:
- Grilled Chicken Orzo Salad with Cilantro-Jalapeño Vinaigrette
- Asparagus Orzo Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Grilled Chicken Avocado Corn Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing
- Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad
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Peach & Basil Chicken Orzo Salad with Hot Honey Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the orzo salad:
- 1½ cups dry orzo
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs (or chicken tenderloins)
- Smoked paprika, to taste
- Cumin, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2-3 peaches, diced
- 2 ears of fresh corn, cooked & kernels cut off (about 1½-2 cups)*
- 8 oz. mozzarella pearls
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup fresh basil, packed & sliced (or more if desired)
For the hot honey vinaigrette:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup hot honey
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the orzo. Boil the orzo according to the package’s directions then drain it and set it aside to cool completely. Once cool, add it to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the olive oil, hot honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, minced garlic, dijon mustard and salt together in a small jar or bowl. Season with cracked black pepper to taste then set it aside.
- Cook the chicken. Generously season the chicken thighs (or tenderloins) on both sides with smoked paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper.Sauté them in a pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. (Alternatively, you can bake or grill the chicken instead.) Once done, cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and set them aside to cool.
- Toss. Add the diced chicken, peaches, corn, mozzarella, red onion and fresh basil to the bowl with your orzo. Pour your desired amount of vinaigrette over the top and toss the salad until it's coated to your liking.
- Garnish & serve. Garnish with extra basil and serve immediately. (Or cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.)
Hi. How much orzo do you mean when you say to prepare a box? I usually buy bulk so would appreciate an actual measurement. Thanks
Hi Brenda – apologies for that! I used a 16oz. box of dry orzo for this recipe. 🙂 Thanks for bringing that to my attention – I’ve revised the recipe!
Now this is what summer tastes like! That combo of juicy peaches, sweet corn, and mozzarella sounds like pure sunshine in a bowl. And don’t even get me started on the hot honey vinaigrette—sweet, spicy, and totally irresistible. Can’t wait to try this chicken orzo salad for my next light lunch! Definitely a refreshing change from checking subway chicken teriyaki kalorien every time I’m craving something light but flavorful.
Can I make this a day ahead for a luncheon the next day ?
Hi Sherry, yes absolutely! I’d suggest waiting to cut/add the peaches until right before serving. (They tend to get a little mushy/discolored if they sit overnight in the salad.) Hope this helps! 🙂
Made this last night- it’s wonderful! Could do a little less orzo though- the ratio of pasta to rest of the salad is skewed towards pasta. Also would be good with a more flavorful cheese. Excellent salad though, will be making it again!
Found this completely by chance and just in time for peach season and I conveniently live in the heart of peach mania.
This gave ne an excuse to finally try out making my own hot honey and lemme tell you, I will never go back to buying it.
Absolutely great recipe and I cant wait to try it with salmon.
This is soooo yummy! Do you have a macros breakdown?
Hi there! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 Unfortunately no I don’t, I’m still working on providing nutrional info for my recipes.
Absolutely loved this recipe. Great for dinner and then awesome for lunches on days following.
Is there a protein you’d recommend in place of the chicken – just as an alternative? Maybe some sort of bean?
Thank you.
Hi Karen! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! Swapping beans for the protein is a great idea too – I think chickpeas would be a delicious option. Let me know if you give it a try!
This sounds like such a perfect summer salad 😍 the mix of sweet peaches, basil, and hot honey vinaigrette is super creative—sweet + spicy + fresh is always a win. I also like that it’s flexible with protein options and easy to prep ahead for gatherings. Definitely saving this idea for a BBQ or light dinner 👍
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This looks so good, but I am a bit confused on the amount of orzo to use as well. You say that 1.5 cups is a little too much for this recipe. But isn’t a 16 oz box about 2 cups?
Hi Colleen, I totally understand the confusion. Boxed pastas are measured by dry weight not by cup size. (Cup size is a liquid measurement.) If you were to pour out 1 box of orzo pasta, it would measure to roughly around 2.5 cups. The original recipe I created called for 1 box of orzo which was too much pasta for some people so I lessened it to 1.5 cups instead. I hope that makes sense! (You’re always more than welcome to use the entire box if you choose though!🤗)
It looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it.
Delicious!!
So happy you enjoyed it Lia! 🙂
Excellent! I made mine vegan subbing baked soy curls for the chicken and a local cashew cheese for the mozzarella. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Ooo those swaps sounds fantastic! So glad it worked for you!🤗
Delicious! The only change I made was to cut the amount of oil in the dressing by half. We thought that gave it better flavor.
Hi Jen! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
This recipe is amazing. I am dairy free, so skipped the cheese. I ended up using 2 cups of orzo because I didn’t want to leave 1/2 cup from the box, so I also doubled up the lemon and upped the hot honey to 1/2 cup and it balanced perfectly. Will be making this again for a picnic soon! Thank you!
Ooo I love this Addie! So glad it worked out for you! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
Over all I loved this fresh, healthy salad. I have one suggestion and that is less dressing. It was way too much for my personal taste, but looking at the other reviews, I seem to be alone in this.
Hi there! I’m sorry you felt there was a little too much dressing. I should probably make a note to use “your desired amount of dressing” or “to taste” becuase you’re right – the amount of dressing is definitely a personal preference. I’m glad you liked the salad over all though! 🙂
Summer in a bowl. Agreed that the heavily seasoned chicken makes a difference and am considering adding blackened seasoning next time I make this. I couldn’t wait so I ate it warm and it was delicious!!
Hi Tiffany – ooo blackening seasoning sounds amazing! Definitely let me know if you try it! 🙂
Made this recipe and it was excellent .
So happy you loved the recipe Jeff! 🙂