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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
could I substitute chicken broth for the wine?
Hi Sheri,
Yes, that will work nicely for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Do I need to make any other adjustments if I only want to use 1 cup of orzo pasta?
Hi Carla,
You will probably need to reduce the liquid:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This was fantastic! Great flavour. I switched out the 2c water with chicken broth. Quick and easy! Thanks Teighan
Hey Karryn,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for your comment, love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you giving it a try! x
I want to make this with rice instead of orzo. Would this work or would it require increased cook time for the rice to absorb all liquid?
Hi Mary Beth,
You will probably need to increase the cook time, but it should work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
Dang delicious. I grilled all the meat and vegis and then tossed it in the orzo mix, and topped it all with cubed feta cheese and some lemon zest. Thank you Tieghan.
Hey Debra,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, glad to hear it was enjoyed! x
Hi. Can’t wait to try this looks so good.
Can I skip using mozzarella?
Also I didn’t quite understand how long should I bake it? Can you maybe clarify more about this?
Hey there,
Yes, you can skip the cheese:) You are going to bake for 15 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I usually love your recipes but this tasted bland, maybe chicken stock instead of water? I followed the recipe exactly so was surprised at the lack of seasoning
Hi Ann,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry it was bland for you! Chicken broth would be a great option:) xx
Yes I agree! So bland- chicken broth or bone broth for sure , super bummed the time I took to make and it it’s so bland
When adding the mozzarella, is it best to use freshly shredded or cut into chunks?
Hey Renee,
This recipe calls for fresh mozzarella, so you are going to break that into chunks:) I hope you love this recipe! xT
Just tried this. Made half the recipe. I loved it because almost all of the ingredients I routinely have on hand. Once I had everything prepped, it went very fast. All my favorites: Protein, pasta & vegetable. Flavors were good but may add more next time I split the recipe. Received the husband’s stamp of approval!
Hey Barbara,
Thanks for your comment and trying this recipe! I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great day:)
Just excellent, well seasoned with balanced flavors! I didn’t change anything. My Lodge cast iron covered casserole came in handy.
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Have a great week! xT
I made exactly as recipe, however I did add prosciutto with the mozzarella. (I thought I saw that mentioned somewhere but now can’t find it, or maybe I saw that on another recipe of yours!). The prosciutto got a bit crispy in the oven and was the perfect salty addition which I think really enhanced the other flavors! And yes, I also made the brown butter! Yum!
Hey Stacie,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for your comment, love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you giving it a try! x
I keep coming back to this recipe because I love it so much. I have made this about 3 times already. It is perfect!!! Thank you, Tieghan!!
Thank you for taking the time to try out this recipe! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
Hi Tieghan! What could I use in place of the wine? Rice wine vinegar or ….?
Hi Susan,
You can use chicken broth in place of the wine:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
We loved this! It was a great way to use the last of the zucchini from our garden. Delicious. Will make again!
Thanks so so much for trying out this recipe! Have a lovely day! xT
delicious!!!
Thank you!!
Can you make this ahead? I am excited to try it!
Hi there! Are you just wanting to make it all ahead and reheat? I think that would probably be the best option for this! xT
Where does the mozzarella come in?
Hi there! In step 4 it says to arrange the cheese around the chicken! Hope this helps! xT