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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 with chicken thighs and was SO yummy!!! Used half & half instead of cream and it was still plenty creamy. I don’t even love sundried tomatoes but I didn’t find them to be over powering at all. Will DEFINITELY be making again
Hey Allison,
I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Currently eating this right now. I don’t own a cast iron skillet so I just cooked everything a bit longer on the stovetop. IT.IS.DELICIOUS! Will be adding to my monthly rotation!
Can’t wait to try some other recipes.
Hey Carla,
I am thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I made this recipe yesterday. It is delicious. I made a few changes: cut the chicken into smaller pieces, chopped the sun dried tomatoes, instead of 1 1/2 c. water used 1 c. chicken broth and 1/2 c. water, instead of 1 1/2 c. heavy cream used 3/4 c. heavy cream and 3/4 c. 2% milk.
Hey Linda,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Loved this one! Will make for company this weekend! Two questions, I wanted to add more orzo too, if I add an extra half cup of orzo, how much water would I use. And adding the lemon at the end, do I squeeze a whole lemon worth of juice over the whole thing and not stir?
Hi there! I would add 1 cup additional water. For the lemon, start by adding 1/2 a lemon, then use more to taste. I like to stir it in! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Making this a second time!!!!! My whole family LOVED it!!!!! Easy to make, easy clean up ~ highly recommend
Hey Lori,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious! I shared a picture of my finished product after making it for the first time and had over 100 likes and several requests for the recipe.
So good! Definitely a keeper recipe.
Hey Silvana,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Can I double this recipe using a Dutch oven so it all fits? Or does that mess with how long to cook the orzo etc?
Hey Rachel,
As long as you have a large enough pan, I think this would be fine to double. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I’ve made this recipe multiple times, always comes out delicious! My family and I have recently become vegetarian though, so what can I add instead of chicken(not asking for meat substitutes)? Chickpeas? More veggies? Thank you! We are loving your selection of vegetarian recipes this January btw. So much yum!!!!
Hey Nicole,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! I think more veggies in place of the chicken would be great. Have a great week:) xTieghan
I really enjoyed the dish, however I think it wold have been better with added salt, I thought that it wold have plenty of flavor from the herbs and spices but the orzo really soaks it up and it needed more salt.
Hey Laura,
I am so so glad that you liked the recipe, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
My oven is broken 🙁 can i just keep this on the stove for longer? If so, for how long would you recommend?
Hey Toni,
Yes, that should work just fine, I would do 15-20 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Amazing! This is so delicious and creamy. Preparation and stove top effort in light. This is just one more HBH recipe going into the rotation. Tieghan…you are a culinary goddess and someday soon there will be folks written about you…
Hey Darren,
I am so thrilled that you have enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for making it:) xTieghan
I love this recipe and have made it twice now but I’m lactose intolerant, do you think I could sub the heavy cream for coconut mink?
Hey Margo,
Yes, coconut milk would work just fine here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan. I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was incredibly delicious! Thank you for sharing this and all your recipes.
Hey Judy,
Thanks for making the recipe, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Did you cut the chicken in half lengthways?
Hey Jess,
I did not cut my chicken in half, but if you have extra large pieces of chicken you can certainly cut them so they are smaller. I hope you love the recipe. Let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Hi! I am trying this tonight with bone-in, skin-on thighs. I know I should cook them longer – should I sear them longer in the beginning? Or leave the entire dish in the oven for longer? So excited to try!
Hey Alison,
I would just cook the dish 10-15 minutes longer. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan