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One Skillet Garlic Butter Chicken and Zucchini Orzo. Pan-seared honey Dijon chicken with garlic herb butter, cooked together with orzo pasta, fresh summer zucchini, and mozzarella, for an all-in-one dinner. Then go that extra step and serve this drizzled with delicious golden brown butter made with Italian seasoning. A dinner that everyone at the table will love.
I really do love this time of year. I forget just how nice it can be with all the fresh produce and longer days. It’s such a welcomed change from the short days of fall and winter. I’m soaking up every minute because before we know it, fall will be here.
The only thing I do wish we had is a real garden full of fresh herbs, tomatoes, zucchini, and maybe even some peppers too. Living where we live, it takes a little too much tender loving care for us to have real growth. So we stuck to just herbs this year, which I do, of course, love.
Still, I’m missing the real produce of summer! Of course, we do have Whole Foods to keep me stocked. They’ve had the prettiest zucchini and yellow summer squash this season. I picked up more than I really know what to do with, so this is me using it up!
Some of the inspiration for this recipe came from an older meatball recipe of mine. This time, I went with this simple skillet chicken and orzo.
It’s going to be a staple through September. The garlic butter really makes this special!
Here are the steps
Step 1: season and cook the chicken
Toss the chicken breasts or chicken thighs with olive oil, Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, and honey. The Italian seasoning is the secret. It really adds so much flavor without having to add additional ingredients.
Now get a big oven-safe skillet. Sear the chicken on either side until it’s lightly golden. Then, remove everything from the large skillet.
Step 2: the orzo
When the chicken is out of the skillet, add the butter and orzo. Then add the garlic and fresh herbs. I like to cook the orzo in the butter until it’s lightly toasted.
Pour in some wine and water.
Step 3: finish the dish
Next, add the chicken right back to the skillet. Then take some mozzarella and arrange it around the chicken.
Alrighty – and now you bake. This will take about 10-15 minutes in the oven.
Step 4: the garlic butter (optional – uses one more skillet, but worth it!)
While the chicken cooks, add butter to a skillet with additional Italian seasoning and thyme. If you want, add some extra garlic here too.
Let the butter sauté and get to a light golden color.
Serve the orzo and chicken with garlic butter and I love topping with fresh basil. YUM.
This simple skillet dinner is such a crowd-pleaser. It comes out of the oven looking pretty but smelling and tasting even more delicious. I’m pretty sure you all will love this summer meal!
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken Souvlaki and Potatoes
Browned Garlic Butter Creamed Corn Cheese Ravioli
One Skillet Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Orzo Bake
One Skillet Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce
Lastly, if you make this Skillet Garlic Butter Chicken and Zucchini Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Skillet Garlic Butter Chicken and Zucchini Orzo
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 695 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 2 zucchini, thinly sliced
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 400° F.2. In a bowl, mix the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, honey, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes. Remove everything from the skillet.4. To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons butter, the orzo, shallots, garlic, and 2 tablespoons thyme. Mix in the zucchini slices. Cook until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Arrange the cheese around the chicken. Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.5. Meanwhile, lightly brown 4 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. 6. Serve the chicken and orzo topped with garlic butter and fresh herbs.
This post was originally published on July 17, 2023
I usually like to try these one skillet meals, and this one on paper sounded great, but unfortunately, it was a bit underwhelming considering the amount of herbs and ingredients it took. I did a preemptive strike after noticing the water listed, and subbed it with low sodium chicken broth. Even then, it lacked real complexity or flavor, and after the stated time in the oven, there was still a lot of liquid not absorbed. I didn’t quite get the thought behind adding even MORE herbs and butter, when the original amount of liquid was already too much. I used chicken thighs and that was great, and I liked the zucchini and the mozzarella addition, but overall, it was just “ok” and I would not make again. Made exactly as written with the exception of the chicken broth stock. Charred lemon may have added what I felt was missing. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Britt,
Happy Monday and thanks for trying this recipe! I’m so sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed! If there is anything I can fix or help with please let me know! xx
There is no zucchini in your ingredients list. It also isn’t mentioned in the blog part as well for the addition of the zucchini.
Hi Sue,
The ingredient list calls for 2 zucchini thinly sliced which are added in step 4. Sorry if you missed that! xx
I made this it was ok the flavor is not there I think a chicken or veggie stock instead of water would have helped. The flavor just didn’t build and I usually marinate my chicken before sautéing I think a couple of hours would have helped that too.
Hi Lori,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Would this be good with red wine instead of white?
Definitely not.
Hi Anna,
I would not recommend red wine for this recipe…I would stick with white wine or chicken broth:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I made this early this week. It was delicious! Used chicken thighs. Great use of zucchini ! Thank you! Definitely a repeat.
Hi Nancy,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, thanks so much for making it:)
This recipe is wonderful! I had to make some alterations due to lack of ingredients. I used 1/2 a red onion instead of shallots and topped it with Parmesan cheese instead of adding the 8 oz. mozzarella and it came out nicely. It tastes so rich and buttery. I think the extra butter on top of the dish is a bit much but a great flare to those who adore the richness.
Hi Celine,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, thanks so much for making it:)
Super good! I am vegetarian, my family is not! I cooked the chicken on the bbq and the orzo on the stovetop and it turned out fantastic! Added a heel of Parmesan rind for some extra goodness!
Hi Amanda,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, thanks so much for making it:)
Delicious as always….BUT…it does NOT take 20 minutes to prepare!
(*Tieghan, you are affectionately referred to in our household as ” Miss 20 minutes or less”*)
If you have a prep chef…and I did have my husband help me with some chopping… and you have all your ingredients in front of you (* already measured*) , then MAYBE it would take 1/2 hour to 45 mins to make. I was at this for at least an hour.
Another tip is: be sure to use an extra large oven proof skillet! This makes a LOT! My standard size cast iron skillet was too small and this overflowed quite a bit.
Other than that…excellent flavor and we will have great leftovers!
Hi Linda,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear it was enjoyed:) Sorry about the cook time! Hope you are having a great weekend! xx
I make a whole lot of HBH recipes and this was not her best sadly. Just lacking flavor or seasoning somewhere.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
My first Half-Baked Harvest recipe (I know, where have I been?) and it was out of this world! My family loved it! Meal planning from this site this week.
Hi Jennifer,
Happy Friday!!🫐🍓 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for your comment and making it! xT
Made this last night and it was wonderful!! Very simple to make. Thanks❤️
Hi Cheryl,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
Very good! Love the combination of herbs and butter. Gots lots of attention from the family while making this dish because it smelled so good.
Thank you!
Hi Laura,
Happy Thursday!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT
Fantastic! I used chicken broth because I had no white wine in the house but still delicious! Lots of leftovers too!
Hi Rolanda,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this dish was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
Super easy and delicious! My husband saw me pull it out of the oven and said,”You gotta take a picture of that and send it to your friends!” I split the wine with chicken broth and it still had a great wine taste! It’s on the repeat list now!
Lol thanks so much Amy!! Love to hear that this dish was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
The recipe was amazing! It would also be good with Parmesan cheese.
Hi Benita,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx