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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!! What a spectacular evening meal, that was so delicious and easy to prepare. We used smoked paprika and grilled the lemon to give a supercharge. Amazing!!!
Hey Breony,
Thank you so much for trying the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This was amazing! I substituted a couple of ingredients. I used fire-roasted peppers in lieu of sun-dried tomatoes and chicken broth in lieu of wine. I have picky family members! They all loved this recipe!
Hey Jenn,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
So flavorful and delicious! A new favorite for sure!!!
Hey Addie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Delicious! Made it with broccoli instead of spinach because that is what I had. I recommend this dish, so easy snd tasty!
Hey Lisa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this on Christmas night and O-M-G it is amazing and sooo so easy! Love love love.
Hey Armida,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this for a non-traditional crazy Covid 2020 quarantine Christmas dinner for my daughter and I. We had an “Italian feast” for supper and this was the main entree. It was soooo good!!! Very indulgent. I made it with boneless skinless chicken thighs. We both loved it. I’ll definitely make it again when I am craving yummy comfort food!
Hey Melanie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Yummy and creamy and lemony and perfect. Made for a crowd and it was a hit!
Hey Sara,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Just made this for dinner and it was amazing!! My husband and stepdaughter (who is picky) both requested this be put in the dinner rotation! 🙂 I followed the recipe as written, except I had 1.5 lbs chicken, added a little salt, and I didn’t measure the spinach, so I probably used more than what was called for. My only thought is, this probably makes more like 4 servings, but that was fine for us. I’d make 1.5x the recipe for a true 6 serving meal. Finishing with the lemon juice at the end totally made the dish! I served it with French bread and it was a hit! Can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for posting this!
Hey Gwen,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad you enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made this and it was AMAZING – I used cherry tomatoes instead of sundried tomatos! Will def be making it again! SO DELISH!
Hey Julie,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made this last night and it is the best recipe I ever made! My whole family loved it and wants me to serve it for Christmas dinner! I didn’t have white wine or sun dried tomatoes so I had to improvise cooking the orzo with water only and using fresh tomatoes instead of sun dried and coconut milk instead of cream. Still turned out amazing!
Hey Rachel,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Delicious!
Thanks so much Nancy! xTieghan
Made this for my mom and I last night. It was so easy and so delicious! Love that the sauce is creamy but not overly thick or goopy. Our store was out of orzo, so we used mini shells instead, great way to hold the sauce!
Hey Cate,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this tonight for dinner. One of the best meals we’ve fixed at home this year! Had some lovely mushrooms that I sliced & added to the skillet after removing the chicken but before softening the shallots. The layering of flavors is delicious in this dish. I’m so glad to have found your blog. Thank you Tieghan for making this empty nester excited to get back in the kitchen again!
Hey Vivian,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Super easy and yummy. Couldn’t get enough!
Hey Asha,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made this tonight 12/22/20 and WOW! It was so easy and delicious. Two things I will do differently next time- turn my heat down when adding the shallots (they cooked quick in my cast iron skillet) and continuously stir, stir, stir! Some of my orzo stuck to the bottom and some didn’t cook properly. Turning down the heat will help slow me down and make sure everything is perfect! I loved this dish soooo much. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Alicia,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan