> Skip to content

Recipe  •  8 April 2025

 

High-Protein Prawn and Chorizo Orzo

This tasty pasta dish from The Good Bite is packed with 28.9g of protein and is well under 500 calories. With plump prawns, smoky chorizo and creamy orzo, it's winner of a healthy midweek dinner.

This an amazing quick-and-easy, one-pan recipe. The orzo cooks in that rich and creamy chorizo sauce, just like a risotto, with smoky paprika and gentle heat. We chuck in prawns just before serving, reminding me almost of a paella.

SERVES: 2
PREP: 15 minutes
COOK: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • low-carolie cooking spray
  • 35g chorizo, finely chopped
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 150gr orzo
  • A pinch of chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 200ml skimmed milk
  • 100gr raw king prawns, peeled
  • A handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 15gr parmesan, grated, plus a little extra for garnishing
  • 2 wedges of lemon

METHOD

  1. Heat a few sprays of low-calorie cooking spray in a large, non-stick pan and cook the chorizo on low-medium heat for 4–5 minutes, until the chorizo has released its oils and is crispy. Remove and set aside.

  2. Sauté the shallot and garlic in the chorizo oil for 3–4 minutes over a medium heat until soft, then add the orzo, chilli flakes and smoked paprika. Increase the heat to high and toast the orzo and spices for 2 minutes before adding the chicken stock, milk and cooked chorizo (reserving 2 tablespoons of chorizo for garnishing) to the pan.

  3. Bring the pan to a low simmer and cook the orzo risotto-style over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes – you want it gently simmering but not bubbling aggressively. If the sauce reduces too quickly before the orzo is cooked, add a splash of boiling water and repeat this until the orzo is cooked and you are left with a creamy sauce.

  4. Roughly 2 minutes before the orzo is fully cooked, stir in the prawns, parsley and Parmesan and cook over a low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the prawns are pink, then remove the pan from the heat. Serve immediately, garnishing with the remaining chorizo and Parmesan and serving with a wedge of lemon.

Cals: 451
Carbs: 58.6g
Protein: 28.9g
Fat: 11.1g

Feature Title

The Good Bite Lite

Keep eating what you love with 80 indulgent and delicious high protein recipes, all under 500 calories

Read more

More features

See all recipes
Recipe
High-Protein Cottage Cheese Pancakes

If you thought pancakes aren’t a high-protein breakfast option, think again.

Recipe
Nadiya Hussain’s Coffee Cake with Dalgona Coffee Cream

If anyone says you can’t have cake for breakfast, you can tell them I sent you!

Recipe
Lemon Cardamom Buns

Soft, fragrant, and perfectly sweet, these buns combine the bright citrus flavor of lemon zest with the warm spice of cardamom.

Recipe
Strawberry Sponge Roll

Some of life’s most wonderful things are formed in rolls.

Recipe
Raspberry and Rose Jam

The floral edge makes this jam special.

Recipe
Gilmore Girls Coffee Cake Cookies

This cookie is very near and dear to me.

Recipe
Jane’s Patisserie’s Rhubarb and Custard Blondies

Rhubarb and custard is an iconic flavour combination.

Recipe
Seoulful Korean Garlic Chicken

This is my take on dak-dori-tang, a Korean chicken and potato stew, reimagined as a quick and easy traybake.

Recipe
Tripoli-style Meat Pies (Lahme bi Ajeen)

These Lebanese meat pies are a staple in my parents’ home city of Tripoli, Lebanon.

Recipe
Classic Apple Pie

This is a family favourite.

Recipe
Nonna Gracie's Lasagne

This may not be your traditional lasagna, but I've been making it this way for more than 50 years.

Recipe
Cumin-spiced Lamb Chops with Roasted Squash

When you’re short on time but want something that feels a little fancy, this Indian style traybake is a lifesaver.

Looking for more recipes?

See all recipes
penguin pop image
penguin pop image