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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
This was really easy to make and super yummy!! Will make again for sure! Thanks for the recipe. ☺️
Hi Lisa,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was such a hit! Thanks so much for giving it a try!😎☀️ xT
Delicious! This one reminded me of your Chicken Marsala with orzo, but its like a lighter, herby, summery version. So delicious and loved the use of zucchini. I don’t have many go-to meals that include zucchini so I’m excited find this one
Hi Kelly,
Amazing!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
I love all your orzo skillets and just tried this one for the first time. I skipped the additional butter after bake, and it was still delicious! Thanks for another good one 🙂
Hi Lindsay,
Amazing!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xx
I just made this tonight and we loved it.
I used Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggi Italian cheese blend instead of mozzarella, because I had it on hand & a little less of the herbs. Delicious! Will make it again.
Mine was watery. I halved the recipe but it still says 2 cups of water so that must be the issue.
Hi Margaret,
Sorry to hear that your turned out watery! Unfortunately, you needed to also cut the water in half when halving this dish. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Yes, I realize this but was just pointing out that when you adjust the number of servings and therefore the measurements change, the measurements in the body of the recipe does not change, i.e., the amount of water. I realized this after I made the dish.
DELICIOUS! Full of flavor & quick. I accidentally bought cucumber instead of zucchini, don’t ask, it was a long day! All I had on hand was sone delicata that I bought at the farmer’s market a few days ago. SO, I sliced that up & roasted it separately while the rest was in the oven. I mixed it in after everything else was done. Still really good. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks so much for your kind message and making this dish! I am so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you! xx
A real crowd pleaser! My entire family absolutely 💯 LOVED this dish! One of my son’s said it is the best meal I have ever served!
Thank you for sharing your awesome recipes!
Hi Stacey,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Oh my gosh!!!! This was so, so good!!!! Very easy one pan meal and very delish!
Hi Meg,
Happy Wednesday!!🫐🍒🍓 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
This was so delish and easy to make, ty for such easy yet flavorful recipes. I meal prep on Sunday and decide my menu for the week thanks to you T! hugs from Texas xoxoxo
Hi Rupy,
Happy Wednesday!!🫐🍒🍓 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
We loved this recipe! Very easy to make and delicious. My son, who doesn’t really like chicken absolutely loved this! As he would say “winner, winner, chicken dinner”. Thanks for another fabulous recipe.
Hi Mary Ann,
Happy Tuesday!! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it:)
Wonderful quick and easy summer recipe! absolutely loved the brown butter at the end! I will be adding this to our go to list of recipes !!!
Hi Toni,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it:)
We skipped the butter topping and this was still amazing! Don’t know why people are commenting about a lack of flavor because it was delicious.
Having it for leftover dinner tomorrow because it made a ton 🙂 how would you suggest reheating?
Thanks so much Courtney! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you:) I would reheat in the microwave or on low on the stove top! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
What could you use instead of the wine?
Chicken broth would work great! xT
I’d love to make this but my husband is Gluten free and I’ve not found a GF orzo yet. Is there a different size if pasta you’d recommend? Thank you!
Hi Bekah,
Sure, any other mini pasta like stars or mini macaroni would also work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xT
My husband loved all the flavors in this dish! This recipe is just as delicious when served as leftovers according to him. The orzo seems to absorb all the different ingredients beautifully. I used grainy dijon because that’s what was on hand, as well as dried thyme. Still tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Janis,
Happy Tuesday!! I love to hear that this dish was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your review:) xx
This was a super tasty and quick meal! Love how the flavors all came together and goes without saying, the one skillet is key. Keep them coming!
Thanks so much Barbara! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it and your feedback! xT
Made this for dinner tonight!! So yummy and easy! If you prepare your ingredients before you start cooking it’s extremely quick & easy – definitely in an hour or under❤️
Thanks so much Rhonda!! Love to hear that this dish was enjoyed and I appreciate you making it:) xx
Made this for dinner tonight and the husband loved it! I did tweak a little based on comments. I used chicken broth instead of water, added mushrooms, and mixed parmesan with the mozzarella. Another amazing meal Tieghan! ❤️
Hi Deb,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it:) Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xx