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This One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo is the perfect winter dinner…quick, easy, hearty, and delicious! Pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken breasts in a creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach sauce. Cooked together with orzo pasta for a complete dinner made in just ONE skillet. Truly one of those all-in-one dinners that everyone at the table will love. Great for a weeknight, but equally fancy enough to serve up at your next holiday dinner. You can’t go wrong with this warming skillet dinner.
It’s hard to believe that we’re entering the second week of December and are only just two and half weeks out from Christmas…and only three and half weeks from the New Year. Where is the time going!?
As I type this up I’m getting ready to take-off for NYC. By the time you all read this, I will be in the city. I have to say, I’m really excited for this trip, but equally excited to return home on Thursday, and finally be HOME for the remainder of the year. I know many of you travel for work weekly, but as you all know, I’m such a homebody at heart. So I’m excited to have some time to enjoy the remainder of December with my family. Anyone else in the same mindset?
With that in mind, I’m always looking for the easiest recipes this time of year. The days are incredibly short and things are busy between work and holiday prep. Quick and simple dinners that everyone at the dinner table will eat are what I strive to create.
Enter this skillet creamy sun-dried tomato chicken and orzo.
To make this all-in-one dinner…
Start with a skillet. I love using a cast iron skillet, but any oven-safe skillet or even dutch oven works great. You’ll want to season the chicken up with a few dried herbs and spices…oregano, paprika, and just a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Then sear the chicken until it’s golden.
PS. if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, check out the current Staub giveaway we’re hosting on Instagram!
Next up, remove the chicken from the skillet, add a bit of butter, plus some shallots, garlic, and orzo. I love toasting the dry orzo pasta in butter for additional flavor. The butter browns and the orzo takes on a delicious nutty flavor.
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Moving along, add a splash of white wine. Then add pretty much everything else. Cream, a little parmesan cheese, fresh spinach and of course sun-dried tomatoes. Slide the chicken right into the sauce, then transfer the whole skillet right to the oven. Bake for about ten to fifteen minutes…
And then? Dinner is done. Yes, this is that SIMPLE.
So how does it taste?
I know simple skillet dinners can get a bad rap for being boring, but this is anything but boring. The sauce is creamy, hinted with lemon, garlic, and just a touch buttery too. The orzo is perfectly cooked and has a little nutty flavor.
And the chicken has a wonderful herbed flavor with a bit of heat from the crushed red pepper. It’s everything you’d expect out of a multi-step recipe, but made all in one skillet…and all SO GOOD.
What I love most about this recipe is the fact that it’s a complete dinner all-in-one. You have your protein, your carbs, and even your vegetables. I can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it’s equally great for holiday dinners with friends and family. I’ll be remaking this as soon as I get home. My family members are slowly starting to make their way back to Colorado for Christmas, so this is going to be on repeat.
Looking for other one skillet dinner ideas…check out these.
If you make this one skillet creamy sun-dried tomato chicken and 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!
One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 530 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 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or small thighs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained
- juice of 1 lemon
- fresh rosemary, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet set over medium-high heat. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, the oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken. Sear on both sides until golden, about 3-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet.3. To the same skillet, add the butter and shallot, cooking until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and orzo, cooking until lightly golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and de-glaze the pan. Add 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cook 3-5 minutes, then add the cream, mustard, parmesan, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, stirring until the spinach has wilted. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.4. Serve the chicken topped with lemon juice and rosemary, if desired.
This post was originally published on December 9, 2019
Bone in or boneless chicken?
I Use boneless. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was so delicious! I haavd been trying recipe after recipe on other websites on the internet and have always been disappointed but this recipe hit is out of the park. I just ordered the cookbook and am now going to try more recipes. I have a family if 7 and everyone loved this so much!
That is so amazing! Thank you so much for trying this Elisabeth! xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. Subbed fat free half/half to lighten the fat.
Thank you Andrew! I am glad you enjoyed this one! xTieghan
I made the sun dried tomato chicken orzo skillet dish tonight. My husband does not eat dairy so I swapped out the heavy cream for one cup of cashew milk. It was still creamy and no hint of cashew flavor. My husband loved it!
That is so great! Thank you Nancy! xTieghan
What would the timing be to make with rice instead of orzo?
HI! Rice takes about 15 additional minutes and I would add at least 1 cup water. I have not test this with rice, so it’s hard to give exact times and measure, but this is my best guess. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
My family loved this recipe!! It was delicious and came together quickly. I didn’t have white wine so I used chicken stock and I added half the sun-dried tomato with the stock–I was nervous that they wouldn’t be soft enough for my 12 year old. I also used about two pounds of both thighs and white. Super delicious!! Thank you for always sharing your wonderful recipes and making me look good!!!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this Jacque! xTieghan
I just made this for dinner for my husband and myself , we thought it was fabulous! He is very hard to please.Wonderful cold night dinner!
I am so glad you both enjoyed this Vicki! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Made for dinner tonight! Thumbs up!
Thank you Donna! So glad to hear that! xTieghan
Looks so good! Would this be possible in an Instapot (you have converted me to this amazing device)?
HI! I have not tested this for the instant pot, so it is hard to give you any accurate cooking times or methods. It could be great, but I am just not sure. If you try, just follow this recipe and cook for high pressure 8 minutes after adding the liquid. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
This looks amazing! I totally need to try this on our dinner menu next week!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I hope you do! Thank you so much Paige! xTieghan
Looking forward to making this one. I love ?a skillet dinner such as this. Perfect for any night.
Thank you Joyce! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
What would be a good gluten free substitution for the orzo, risotto?
Hi!! Yes, I would recommend using gluten free orzo OR using risotto rice, but be sure to adjust the cooking time as rice will take longer. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi!! This recipe looks amazing, and I have just about all of the ingredients so I’m hoping to make this tonight! Would subbing the heavy cream with full fat canned coconut milk work as a non-dairy alternative? Or would you suggest something else?
Canned coconut will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
This looks so amazing and I have almost all of the ingredients so I may try to make this tonight!! Would subbing heavy cream with full fat canned coconut milk work? Or would the flavor be weird? Thanks!!
HI! Canned coconut milk will delicious. I use it often too! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi There. Just to be sure…..are the chicken breasts/thighs skin on and bone in ??? My kind of recipe.
Thank you so much.
Yvonne Adams
HI! I like to use boneless chicken, but please feel free to use bone in. Just make sure to cook the chicken longer as using bone in chicken will require additional cooking time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan