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.
My friend Maria Alifonso made this Spanish Orzo Salad for me once and I fell in love with it. 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.
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.
Katie Crenshaw, Maria Alifonso, and Amanda Lopez
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.
How to make Spanish Orzo Salad with Sazon Goya
Making this Spanish Orzo Salad with this delicious Sazon Goya citrus dressing is easy! Follow these steps:
- Cook Orzo according to directions.
- Add in crabmeat, tomato, cucumber, onion, and green olives to the orzo.
- Mix together Sazon Goya, lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil in a separate bowl.
- Add to pasta combination. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste.
- You can serve immediately, but for best results, refrigerate an hour or more before serving.
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!
Are you looking for more Spanish inspired recipes? Try some of these:
- Spanish Garlic Shrimp
- Sofrito
- Rice Cooker Coconut Rice with Cilantro and Lime
- Moroccan-Style Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Manchego
- Mussels with Sofrito
- Pomegranate Sangria
- Jalapeno Chimichurri
Spanish Orzo Salad with Sazon Goya Citrus Dressing
Ingredients
- 16 oz orzo
- 14 oz imitation crabmeat shredded
- 1½ Cups tomato diced
- 1½ Cups cucumber diced
- ½ Cup onion finely chopped
- 8 oz 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 oz orzo according to directions. Drain and set to aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in 14 oz shredded crabmeat, 1 1/2 cups diced tomato, 1 1/2 cup diced cucumber, 1/2 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, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, and 3/4 cup olive oil.
- Add vinaigrette to pasta combination. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate an hour or more before serving. Serve cold.
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Susan says
Yummy, very simple recipe. This Spanish Orzo Salad with Citrus Sazon Goya Dressing looks delicious.
Thanks for sharing this!
ann shaw says
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.
Tamara says
This orzo salad looks and sounds lovely! I have seen this spice mix on the shelf in our Spanish foods section, and was curious. Now I’ll have to give it a try.
Aish Padihari says
Looks so colorful and fresh.
Lisa @garlicandzest.com says
This sounds like a delicious salad! I love the olives — it makes it so Mediterranean! Sazon seasonings are everywhere here in South Florida. I have several boxes in my pantry as well!
Oriana @Mommy's Home Cooking says
This sound simple to make and super delicious!! I bet it tastes as good as it looks. Bookmarking to try soon.
Jenn @ Peas and Crayons says
Oh the best friends are the ones that cook for us! Love this colorful salad!
Katie says
Awe! That is so awesome Tez!! Thank you!
Tez @ Chile and Salt says
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!!
Judy at My Well Seasoned Life says
This looks like the perfect summer salad. Can’t wait to try it out.