If you are making a new recipe and it calls for orzo, you might get to try a new ingredient. However, it might be something you’ve never heard of or something you don’t know how to find.
If you are using orzo for the first time, you might ask yourself, where is orzo in grocery store?
Orzo can be found in the pasta section of the grocery stores such as Walmart, Target, Safeway and Kroger. Orzo is pasta, but can behave like rice or grain when it’s cooked. Because orzo is technically pasta, it’s usually with other pasta in the store.
The first place to look in any grocery is in the pasta aisle. If it’s not organized by size, alphabetical order, or popularity, orzo might be near the specialty pasta.
In certain cases, orzo can be found with rice, couscous, or other grains. Sometimes it is confused for a type of rice because the pasta noodles are so small. It’s often near the top or bottom of the aisle. If there is no orzo in the pasta aisle, try the world foods aisle and look near rice or couscous.
However, if your store doesn’t have orzo with the pasta, there is likely no orzo in that store. It’s not an incredibly common type of pasta and isn’t likely to be restocked as often as angel hair or cavatappi noodles. While most grocery stores stock orzo, you might have to look elsewhere for it.
Where to buy orzo near me
If you’re looking for orzo and haven’t bought it before, you want to be sure you’re going to the right store before making the trip.
Check which stores are near you and look on their websites to see if orzo is in stock before heading out.
Walmart
Every Walmart store stocks orzo. They have a Walmart Great Value brand as well as the Barilla brand of the noodle, and it is kept in the pasta aisle with the rest of the noodles. The pasta aisle usually shares an aisle with world foods. However, not every Walmart is the same.
With Walmart’s app, you can enter your store’s location and search for a product. It will give you a map of that specific store and the aisle number of what you are looking for. The Walmart app can give you a precise location of the orzo that you need.
Target
Target was originally a clothing and department store. However, the brand has recently added a grocery brand, Good and Gather. Good and Gather offers many staple grocery items, including pasta. Orzo is stocked by most Target stores. It’s more likely to be in a super Target, but almost every Target now has a grocery section and will carry the pasta.
Safeway
Safeway is another large grocery store chain. In addition to its brand, Safeway carries Barilla orzo pasta. You’ll be able to find it in the pasta aisle. However, Safeway’s stores vary in layout, so ensure you know your location before looking up the inventory on the website. You can see whether they have orzo, but the location might vary.
Kroger
Kroger is the third-largest grocery chain in the United States. It’s one of the most widely available grocery stores and carries orzo in all of its stores. If you live near a Kroger you can find the pasta in the aisle with the rest of the Italian pasta, sauces, and cheeses.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is known for organic and health-focused foods. Although it might be a pricier store, it’s often a great place to go for specialty items. If you need gluten-free or organic orzo, you are more likely to find it at Trader Joe’s than at the other stores on this list (although Walmart has a large selection of gluten-free pasta).
Trader Joe’s also has several orzo-based pasta salads. Because orzo isn’t as long as other pasta, it works well in Mediterranean-style dishes. Trader Joe’s has an Orzo Mediterranean Pasta Salad that comes pre-made and works well as a side dish.
How to buy orzo online
If you don’t live near one of these stores or can’t make it out of your house, you can always order your ingredients online. Many grocery stores offer delivery or curbside pick-up and you can take advantage of these features. However, you can also simply order boxes of orzo through the mail and wait for them to arrive.
If you order pasta through the mail, you have to be prepared to wait a day or two. Here are some of the top options for ordering orzo online:
- Amazon Groceries
- Walmart (pick up or delivery)
- Instacart
- Target online store
- Thrive Market (grain-free orzo)
- Whole and Natural online store
What can i use instead of orzo?
Of course, we don’t always have time to wait for a package to arrive, and sometimes we can’t make it to the grocery store.
If you need a substitute for orzo now, use one of these three options from your pantry. However, be aware that orzo alternatives will change your recipe somewhat.
Acini de Pepe
Acini de Pepe is a tinier version of orzo. If you have to substitute anything for orzo, this pasta is the best option. It works in a very similar way and won’t change your recipe much. Other small pasta can be used as well. Try ditalini, oriecchette, or arborio instead. Using pasta is the best way to substitute orzo in a recipe.
Couscous
Couscous is as close to pasta as you can get without using pasta. It is made from wheat and has many of the same qualities as orzo. However, couscous has a different texture and sticks together more than orzo. It is slightly different from pasta and will behave differently in a recipe.
Rice
Although it’s not ideal, rice will work if you don’t have any small pasta to use instead of orzo. It doesn’t have the same glutinous properties and will make your dish less sticky.
If you use rice instead of orzo, add a little rice starch to make the grain stick better. Short grain brown rice is the best option.
