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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
Hi! I don’t have orzo-could I sub quinoa, rice or another pasta?
Hey Tennille,
I would use rice or another short cut pasta! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
My husband and I are in a dinner rut and although I rarely eat meat this recipe talked me into eating some chicken. So yummy!!! I made it just like your recipe and wouldn’t change a thing about it. I roasted some broccoli as a side dish and ended up just mixing everything together on my plate because the sauce was so good. This is definitely finding a spot on our dinner rotation!
Hey Sarah,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Oh my gosh another HUGE winner for us!! This recipe is everything!! I live on the east coast and we just got hit with a nice snow, this was a perfect comfort food dinner, so flavorful and filling!! I swear every time I make one of your recipes I say it’s my favorite one!! Followed the recipe pretty much exactly except I chopped the sun dried tomatoes up a bit since the once I bought were pretty large, and everything came together perfectly.
Hey Jessica,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This recipe is absolutely amazing! Plate licking good!! I sent this to my sister and she surprised me with it for dinner. This is becoming a permanent staple in my house.
Hey Megan,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Loved the one skillet recipes! This recipe turned out amazing and is now a family favorite. I added some sliced baby bella mushrooms. I love mushrooms in everything. They were a great addition. Spot on recipe Tieghan!!!
Hey Jodie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit. My only thing was the orzo really stick to the pan. Any way to keep that from happening again?
Hey Andrea,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, my guess is the orzo was cooked for a little too long if it stuck to the pan. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made this last night, and it was DELICIOUS! Everyone enjoyed it, and got the seal of approval to make it again. I’m really enjoying your one skillet meals. This was pretty easy and just a great meal. Thank you so much for your delicious recipes!
Hey Nadia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Another amazing and delicious recipe! Needed a little more than a pound of chicken to feed my family. Thank you!
Thanks so much Emily! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made it tonight with boneless chicken thighs and it was amazing! I made it a little lighter by swapping in 1/4 c half and half + 3/4 c chicken broth for the heavy cream and it was still very creamy! Thanks for this amazing recipe as always Tieghan.
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Turned out amazing! Would definitely make again. I would say more realistically serves 3, than 6.
Hey Vivek,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I LOVE this dish, but my chicken came out really tough and chewy. The breasts were quite large. Do ai need to bribe them first, cook them slower? Suggestions? I plan to make again, but hoping for more tender chicken.
Hey Nancy,
Thanks for trying the recipe, I am sorry your chicken was chewy. I never brine my chicken so I would not recommend that, I would maybe try a different brand of chicken. I like to get mine from Whole Foods. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Yummy recipe! Used apple cider instead of wine.
Thanks so much for trying the recipe!! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was amazing!! Perfect dinner for a snowy night. It was so simple, minimal prep and easy clean up! Definitely will be putting this recipe in the regular rotation!
Hey Joelle,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This is the best recipe I’ve ever made and you have a lot of good ones!! I used arugula instead and angel hair pasta Bc that’s what I had on hand on this snowy night! I will be making this many times over!
Hey Julie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
So fantastic!! One of my favorites so far. Subbed tomato paste instead of sun dried tomatoes. Used milked too. Came out fantastic!! The lemon topping is the GAME CHANGER. So yummy!! Thank you for this 🙂
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed the dish! Happy Holidays! xTieghan