Slow Cooker Chicken Diavolo With Orzo

By Sarah DiGregorio

Updated Feb. 5, 2026

Slow Cooker Chicken Diavolo With Orzo
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
5 hours 35 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
5 hours 25 minutes
Rating
5(345)
Comments
Read comments

This pantry-friendly, one-pot meal is inspired by Italian chicken diavolo, a chile-slicked grilled chicken dish. But it’s most similar to the Italian-American invention fra diavolo, a spicy, tomato sauce often served with seafood. Here, chicken thighs braise in a rich, olive-oiled mix of tomato paste, peppers and sun-dried tomatoes. There’s no need to add extra liquid because all those ingredients give off their moisture as they cook, creating enough sauce to cook the orzo that’s added at the end. Enrich with a splash of cream to bring it all together and tame the heat, just a little. If your crushed red pepper flakes are fresh, one teaspoon will yield a medium spicy result. Feel free to adjust up or down, depending on your taste. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 
  • 1(12-ounce) jar sliced roasted red peppers, drained 
  • 1red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 8garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
  • 1shallot, thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup tomato paste
  • ⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (plain or packed in oil and drained)
  • ⅓ cup jarred, drained sliced hot cherry peppers
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 1teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
  • Black pepper
  • ¾ cup orzo
  • ¼ cup heavy cream (optional) 
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

409 calories; 20 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 738 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker, combine the chicken, roasted peppers, bell pepper, garlic, shallot, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry peppers, oil, salt, crushed red pepper and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir well. Cook on low for 5 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the orzo and cook on low for 15 minutes more, until the orzo is plumped and just tender.

  3. Step 3

    Turn off the heat and stir in the cream, if using. Coarsely shred the chicken with two forks. Garnish with parsley to serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
345 user ratings
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Comments

Jan

I'm thinking that I would shred the chicken before adding the orzo for two reasons. One, so I won't have ozo clinging to the chicken thighs when I go to retrieve them and two, so that the ozo isn't sitting in the the pot getting softer during the time it takes me to shred the chicken.

J

I don’t have a slow cooker. How would you adjust the instructions for a Dutch oven?

kaela

Oh man, YUM. This recipe was the perfect combo of low effort, high reward, and maximum coziness that I really needed for dinner tonight! The only sub I made was using some pepperocinis instead of hot cherry peppers because I already had an open jar in the fridge. I might add a little more orzo next time, but otherwise this is going into the regular dinner rotation.

Mia

Some tips for using a pressure cooker instead of slow cooking: With a cup of water/chicken broth: high pressure for 12 minutes, slow release. Use the saute function to stir in the orzo for about 10 minutes instead of 15. The liquid you add is essential for pressure cooking. It does not dilute the flavor at all. As the orzo is cooking, I slowly put in another cup of chicken broth. I loved it! I thought the cream was a little much. I think next time I'll try no cream, but put cheese on top.

Patrice

I made this tonight and I followed the recipe exactly as written, plenty of liquid for the orzo. This was so delicious!!

Jennifer

This was delish, I couldn't find hot cherry peppers so used a mix of jarred banana peppers and jarred jalapeño peppers. Was perfect.

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