• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Fork's Tale
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Reviews
  • Projects
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Reviews
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Reviews
    • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Spanish Orzo Salad with Citrus Sazon Goya Dressing

    June 17, 2019 Updated: January 24, 2022 By Katie Crenshaw 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    This Spanish Orzo Salad is loaded with imitation crabmeat, green olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a Sazon Goya citrus dressing. It is simple to make and full of flavor. #orzosalad #pastasalad
    This Spanish Orzo Salad is loaded with crabmeat, green olives, and Sazon seasoning. It is simple to make and full of flavor.

    This Spanish Orzo Salad is loaded with imitation crabmeat, green olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a Sazon Goya citrus dressing.

    It is simple to make and full of flavor.

    spanish orzo salad

    My friend Maria Alifonso made this Spanish Orzo Salad for me once and I fell in love with it.

    Katie Crenshaw, Maria Alifonso, and Amanda Lopez
    Katie Crenshaw, Maria Alifonso, and Amanda Lopez

    Her Spanish Orzo Salad is made with a flavorful lemon Sazon Goya dressing.

    Mixing the citrus dressing with the olives and crabmeat make this pasta salad absolutely delicious!

    I make it for parties and potlucks. Everyone always asks for more.

    Watch how to make

    Ingredients

    You will need to have the following ingredients to make Spanish Orzo Salad.

    • orzo
    • imitation crabmeat-You can use real crabmeat, but it is much more expensive. Therefore, the imitation is a good substitute. You can also replace the crabmeat with salad shrimp.
    • tomatoes
    • cucumber
    • onion
    • Spanish green olives with the pimentos
    • Sazon Goya
    • lemon juice
    • white wine vinegar
    • olive oil
    step by step how to make Spanish Orzo Salad

    Steps to make Spanish Orzo Salad

    Making this Spanish Orzo Salad with this delicious Sazon Goya citrus dressing is easy! Follow these steps:

    1. Cook Orzo according to directions.
    2. Add in crabmeat, tomato, cucumber, onion, and green olives to the orzo.
    3. Mix together Sazon Goya, lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil in a separate bowl.
    4. Add to pasta combination. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste.
    5. You can serve immediately, but for best results, refrigerate an hour or more before serving.
    Orzo salad in white bowl set on a magazine place setting.

    What is Sazon Goya?

    Maria introduced me to the wonderful seasoning called Sazon from Goya.

    Sazon is a seasoned salt found in the Spanish and Mexican Markets.

    The salt is combined primarily with cilantro, achiote, and garlic.

    It is typically added to meats, fish, poultry, and stews.

    It is the key ingredient to this orzo salad and is what gives it that amazing flavor.

    I generally do not have a hard time finding Sazon Goya in the International Section in most grocery stores to include Harris Teeter and Food Lion.

    I am told it is a wonderful to add in beans. 

    What is orzo?

    Orzo is a pasta that has a similar shape to rice.

    Although it looks like rice, it does not taste like rice because it is a pasta.

    Orzo is made with flour and is cooked like any other pasta.

    You can serve it hot or cold. It is wonderful in this pasta salad.

    What is a good substitute for orzo?

    I love the texture and size of the orzo in this Spanish pasta salad.

    However, my husband does not like orzo at all.

    If you don't have orzo on hand or need a substitute for orzo, pick a smaller sized pasta. Some great pasta ideas include:

    • farfalle
    • macaroni
    • penne
    • rotini
    • small shells
    • fusilli

    This orzo pasta salad is perfect as a meal in itself, but it also makes a great side dish for cookouts and family gatherings.

    Try it out! I know you will like it also!

    spanish orzo salad with imitation crabmeat

    Are you looking for more Spanish inspired recipes? Try some of these:

    • Spanish Garlic Shrimp
    • Rice Cooker Coconut Rice with Cilantro and Lime
    • Moroccan-Style Crispy Roasted Potatoes
    • Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Manchego
    • Pomegranate Sangria 
    • Jalapeno Chimichurri

    Please leave me a comment below if you make these Spanish Orzo Salad, and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.

    Also post your picture of your Spanish Pasta Salad on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

    spanish orzo in white bowl with fork and spoon to the side

    Spanish Orzo Salad with Sazon Goya Citrus Dressing

    This Spanish Orzo Salad is loaded with imitation crabmeat, green olives, and a Sazon Goya citrus dressing. It is simple to make and full of flavor.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Save Recipe Saved! Rate
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Spanish
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    refrigerate: 1 hour
    Total Time: 52 minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 393kcal
    Author: Katie Crenshaw

    Ingredients

    • 16 ounces orzo
    • 14 ounces imitation crabmeat shredded
    • 1½ cups tomato diced
    • 1½ cups cucumber diced
    • ½ cup onion finely chopped
    • 8 ounces Spanish green olives with pimento drained
    • 2 packets of Sazon Goya
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • ½ cup white wine vinegar
    • ¾ cup olive oil
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Assemble the pasta salad:

    • Cook 16 ounces orzo according to directions. Drain and set to aside in a large mixing bowl.
    • Add in 14 ounces shredded crabmeat, 1 ½ cups diced tomato, 1 ½ cup diced cucumber, ½ cup chopped onion, and 8 oz green olives (drained from juices) to the orzo.

    Make the Sazon Goya Citrus Dressing:

    • In a seperate small mixing bowl, mix together 2 packets of Sazon Goya, ¼ cup lemon juice, ½ cup white wine vinegar, and ¾ cup olive oil.
    • Add vinaigrette to pasta combination. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste.
    • Refrigerate an hour or more before serving. Serve cold.

    Video

    Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.

    Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 740mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 155IU | Vitamin C: 9.7mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1.5mg
    Tried this recipe? I want to see it!Mention @aForksTale or tag #aForksTale!

    More Salad

    • Italian pasta salad in a brown bowl with spoon out to the side
      Italian Pasta Salad Recipe
    • mediterranean quinoa salad in white bowl
      Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
    • tomato cucumber onion salad in a white bowl
      Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad
    • bacon pea salad
      Bacon Pea Salad Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Tez @ Chile and Salt

      April 18, 2016 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Katie, what a great & simple recipe!! I took this to a pot luck bbq over the weekend & it was a huge hit! Thanks for all the awesome recipes!!

    2. ann shaw

      June 20, 2019 at 11:14 am

      5 stars
      This salad is amazing. My first taste of it was at a friend’s house and I knew after my first bite that I needed the recipe. It’s lite but full of flavors and so easy to make. I brought it into work for our team meeting and everyone loved it. This is definitely a dish I’ll be making more often to share with friends.

    3. Susan

      June 22, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy, very simple recipe. This Spanish Orzo Salad with Citrus Sazon Goya Dressing looks delicious.

      Thanks for sharing this!

    Primary Sidebar

    Katie Crenshaw-A Fork's Tale

    Hi, I'm Katie!

    Thanks for stopping in!! I am a foodie and I LOVE to eat. I am so excited to share my recipes and adventures with you! My recipes are simple and easy for the modern cook.

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy

    Subscribe

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Katie Crenshaw is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to A Fork's Tale at www.aforkstale.com to Amazon.com.

    creator expertise banner  for a fork's tale

    Copyright © 2020 A Fork's Tale