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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
Wow! Really yummy. I didn’t have spinach so I used asparagus, worked great! Thank you.
Thank you Nancy! xTieghan
If I want to do twice as much rice, do I add twice as much water and wine?
Hi Rioko,
I am afraid if you double this recipe it will not fit into the skillet!
Do you think this recipe would work with other types of pasta? It’s almost impossible to find orzo or rice at my grocery store right now.
Thank you!
Hi Erika,
Yes another super short cut noodle would be great!
This recipe was delicious and so easy to make! My whole family was really impressed with me! The flavours were so warm and comforting. I used chicken thighs and they were extremely juicy. Will definitely be cooking this meal again soon.
Love to hear that! Thank you for trying this Hannah! I hope you love other recipes of mine! xTieghan
My family’s measuring stick for new recipes is “Would we make this for company?” The first thing my husband said after digging into this was “We could totally make this for a dinner party.” It was incredible! So many flavors, but not competing or cancelling each other. Totally complementing each other. I was leery of boneless chicken breasts and worried they would dry out in the oven, but they remained tender and juicy. The orzo was creamy and saucy. Fancy dinner in less than an hour! Don’t skip the lemon squeeze at the end! We will definitely make this again. Thank you, Tieghan!
Amazing!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Will be making this all the time! So easy, creamy and filling and is the whole dinner all in ONE SKILLET! The best suggestion was to pair with crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Perfection!
Thank you so much Anna! I am so happy to hear that this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Fabulous. That’s it. I would trust this woman with my life.
Haha you are too kind!! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and others! Thank you Debbe! xTieghan
SO dang GOOD! Made this for the first time last week, it was a hit with the family and will be making again soon (maybe tonight.) Perfect rainy day, stuck inside meal that’s easy, but tastes special.
Ooo love that! Thank you so much for trying this Deb! I hope you love it just as much the second time! xTieghan
Winner! Have recently discovered your site, and excited to continue trying your recipes.This one has wonderful blend of flavors, and so easy. Husband who is not a fan of orzo or sun dried tomatoes, gave this one a thumbs up. High praise! Thank you!
Thank you Jan! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I’ve made this several times- so easy and everyone likes it. Made it tonight during quarantine /social distancing and only thing I didn’t have was cream do subbed a little milk & a little cream cheese. Delicious. We love all your recipes!
Thank you so much Jill! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Seriously my new favorite recipe. Easy to follow, easy to make, and the flavors are AMAZING. I added extra garlic and roasted some broccoli for a side and had food to feed 5 people. If you are looking for a new chicken recipe, THIS IS IT.
Yes!! I am so glad you are loving this recipe Angela! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Ding ding ding! This recipe is phenomenal. We just finished walking this off and all we could talk about was how delicious dinner was! The only amendments I made were: chopped up the sun dried tomatoes, added more spinach and more paprika, used a combination of white and dark meat chicken. This dish was savory, acidic and absolutely perfect! I chose an Italian Pinot Grigio to use as our dry white wine and we drank the rest of the bottle with dinner. My husband says this is a Must Repeat! Thank you!!!
Hi Jennifer! I ma so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
I have made this a few times now. I love it! I added sliced mushrooms when cooking the shallots the last time i made it. Yumm! I love all of your recipes that i have tried so far. They are always easy and delicious! Thank you!
Thank you Mary! I am so happy to hear that this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This recipe looks amazing! Unfortunately my husband hates orzo pasta. And rice too! Something about the texture. Do you recommend another pasta that would work for this? Or I can always try a two dish meal and make a different kind of pasta separately and stir it in. Thanks!! 🙂
Hey Sarah! Any short cut pasta will work well here. I would recommend a small pasta shell! Also, quinoa would work too. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Amazing, I made it last weekend and was so good I made it again this weekend ?
Love that!! Thank you so much for trying this Tina! xTieghan