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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
Another great one! I added some lemon zest and spinach and it turned out great. Can’t wait for the leftovers. Thanks for sharing all of your incredible recipes!
Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for giving it a try! xT
Made this tonight and it was outstanding! I used chicken broth instead of water, added cherry tomatoes and torn basil as a finish at the end with the brown butter. Delicious 😋
Hey Carol! Thank you so much! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! xT
My family loved this! Thank you for another easy but delicious and healthy dinner recipe!
Hey Quinn! Thanks for trying out the recipe! So glad you loved it! xT
If I were to cut out the orzo, should I still add the water and wine?
HI there! I would add a little bit of wine still but you can omit the water if you’re not going to use the orzo! xT
Hello, I have a gluten allergy, will the recipe work if I use rice instead of orzo? Can’t wait to make this dish.
Hey! Yes, I think rice should work fine! xT
Easy, healthy, delicious, and enough for leftovers!
Thanks sooo much! xT
This was perfect for a larger group! I upped the portions and subbed chicken broth for water – delicious crowd pleaser!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I hope you loved it! xT
Wow! I used those tiny mozzarella balls and they were like little mouth explosions. Subbed chicken broth for the water and added torn fresh basil leaves before serving. I’ll definitely make it again.
Awesome!! Thanks so much Lauren! xT
Delicious. My entire family enjoyed it.
Hi Jane!! Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! I’m so glad you loved it! xT
This is delicious! Made it twice now and always turns out perfect! My husband usually only likes breaded chicken but he loved this! I was curious, if I wanted to make a smaller vegetarian option for a non-meat eater, would you suggest just adding extra squash? Anything else vegetarian that would go?
Hi Melanie! Thanks so much! Yes, you could definitely add some more zucchini and maybe some spinach in it as well? Honestly whatever your fave veggies are would totally work! xT
Loved this! delicious. I ordered orzo off of amazon so i could try some of these recipes, yum!!
Hi Anna,
Happy Monday!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your review:)
I made this a few nights ago. I didn’t have orzo so I did everything but the orzo and made risotto to go with it. Loved it! My husband was upset he didn’t get any of the leftovers.
Thanks so much Jennie!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you making it! xT
I loved this dish! The recipe is easy to follow and I liked how I had nearly all the ingredients already. Adding this to my “favorites” folder for easy dinners!
Hey Kayla,
Happy Sunday!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Absolutely delicious! Made as directed except I added a handful of cherry tomatoes when I put it in the oven. Needed to use the tomatoes and they added a nice little burst of flavor. Thanks!
Hi Beth,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was such a hit! Thanks so much for giving it a try!😎☀️ xT
This was good! I pretty much followed the recipe except for using chicken broth instead of water and dried thyme instead of fresh. I wasn’t really convinced the orzo would get done in the oven, but it did, with just the right amount of liquid. I used Bel Gioso sliced mozzarella, which was the perfect finishing touch. Definitely one I’ll be making again!
Hi Helen,
Perfect!! So glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xT