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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
Made this for dinner last night! Had to leave a review. This was SO. GOOD!! I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes so I just chopped a regular tomato and used chicken broth (didn’t have white wine). Will be making again and again! A huge hit! =)
Thank you so much Jade!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I used twice as much spinach. My family loved it. You are quickly becoming my favorite food blogger. 🙂
Aw that is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you are loving my recipes and I hope you continue to! Thank you Natasha! xTieghan
I want to make this for a dinner party but don’t want to spend time a lot of time in the kitchen when my guests are over. Do you have make ahead tips? For example do everything except the last 10 minute bake before guests get there? Do the whole thing in advance and then reheat in the oven?
Hi Tracey! Yes! I would just do everything up until the last bake, then bake for 20 minutes before serving to warm the dish throughout. That works wonderfully! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I love this recipe! I’ve made it about 4 times now, only thing I added was more garlic. So simple and yet so good, thank you!
Thank you so much Cassandra! xTieghan
Delicious! I skipped the 1st step of browning the chicken since mine was already cooked, although I did sprinkle it with the spices listed. The only other change was using 1/2 & 1/2 instead I’d the heavy cream- so so so good!! Thank you!
Thank you so much Liz! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I’m wondering how asparagus might go in this dish? I don’t have any fresh spinach on hand, but I do have some asparagus that I’ve been wanting to use. I was thinking I could cut it into 2” pieces and add it when the chicken goes in, prior to going in the oven. Any thoughts? This recipe sounds absolutely delicious!
Hi Jennifer! That will be delicious and I love the idea!! I would do exactly as you suggested 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This meal was easy-peasy to prepare and so delicious. I followed the recipe as is and didn’t change a thing. The meal looked beautiful just like the photo and everyone loved it. Definitely a 5 star recipe!
Thank you so much Cezi! I am really glad you enjoyed this! xTieghan
This is my new favorite recipe! I tried it for the first time with company over and everyone raved about it! I made more than a pound of chicken (probably closer to two) and the recipe still worked great (and provides more leftovers). Amazing recipe!
Thank you so much Gracie! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was great! I substituted kale for the spinach. We loved it. A new favorite!
Amazing! Thank you so much for trying this Jerry! xTieghan
What a treat to make a recipe that turns out exactly as described! It was full of flavor, perfectly saucy (I was skeptical), chicken was moist and spinach was not over cooked! WINNER! I made 3 small adjustments; I cut my 3 chicken breasts into 6 pieces, lightly pounded them into ~1” pieces and marinaded them 30 min in 2T EVO, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper, then seared them in the sun dried tomato oil for extra flavor, and subbed chicken stock for water. Oh! And I garnished with pine nuts! YUM! It was gorgeous and delicious!
Hi Michelle! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Amazing! My son who is 9 said, “Something smells good!” He asked to have to it for lunch the next day. I thought it was amazing too. Great recipe!
Wow! That is too cute! I am so glad you both enjoyed this recipe, Jennifer! Thank you! xTieghan
Love this recipe. Made it 3 times already. Was considering trying it with shrimp. Any recommendations on Cook time adjustments.
HI! I am sure that will be great! Just sear the shrimp for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked. Then add to the orzo and skip the oven portion of the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Easy and delicious! My husband was about three bites in when he said “We should definitely add this to he rotation.” Yum!
Wow yes!! So glad you both loved this recipe, Lindy! xTieghan
Made this last night. Insanely delicious! Very simple to make. Have oven preheated, everything chopped, prepped and measured before starting and this dish comes together just like in the video! Really! My husband, who says he dislikes orzo pasta for some strange reason (???) really liked this. He loved that “the flavourful, creamy sauce coated all the little pasta noodles”
I am def going to make this again but maybe try it with Chicken Meatballs seasoned with oregano, lemon zest and capers next time! Thanks for your insipirarion Tieghan!!
Haha that is so great! Thank you so much for trying this recipe, Cher! So glad you both loved it! xTieghan
This was amazing. Restaurant quality meal! Quick and easy. And LOVED that it was in one pan!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Kristen! Thank you so much for trying this! xTieghan