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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
Broke college sudent here, made this and it was sooo yummy! AND I was able to find a lot of the ingreients already in my pantry! Took very little time to make too so it was purrfect for my busy class schedule (even with classes online they keep us busy?). Definitely will be making/sharing this recipe with my friends. Thanks again for yet another delicious and easy dish, Tieghan. xx
Hey Huda,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I’ve made this recipe a few times and really love it, though I would HIGHLY recommend cutting back to 1/4 cup heavy cream and 3/4 cup whole milk. I do love a good rich sauce but I found 1 cup heavy cream to be way too heavy. Honestly you could sub 1 cup milk and skip the cream altogether if you wanted to!
Hey Hannah,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hi!! I love this recipe, it has become one of our favorites!! Is it in any of you cookbooks? I would love to get one!!
Hey Monique,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed!! Sorry, this recipe is not in either cookbook, the recipes that are in the books are exclusive to the cookbooks. xTieghan
This recipe was delicious! I subbed the heavy cream for plain, unsweetened cashew milk yogurt and omitted the parm (added a little more salt to make up for it)! Super simple and very cozy!
Hey Courtney,
I am so thrilled this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xTieghan
This was delicious. My only problem was that with the different sizes of breast I had in it my sauce ended up breaking in the oven before the chicken was done. It was still very good but next time I might bake the chicken separate after searing. Thanks for the recipe.
Hey Robert,
I am so thrilled this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xTieghan
I have not tried this as my skillet is too small. Could I do in an oven safe dish?
Hey Denise,
Yes, that would work just fine! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
That was absolutely fantastic. Made it for the family tonight and it was a huge hit. Great flavors!! I will definitely make this for guests soon!!
Hey Kathleen,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
Easy and SO delicious. You have changed my cooking. Your recipes are flawless.
Hey Liz,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan
Can I make this ahead of time and throw it in the oven around dinner time? If so how long should I warm it for in the oven?
Hey Coree,
Sure, that would work! I would just reheat for 10-15 minutes on low. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Making this tonight! Can’t wait!!
I hope you love the recipe Trusha! xTieghan
Oh my gosh – this recipe is delicious! I was going to make the lemon chicken skillet orzo dish, but realised I had some sun dried tomatoes to use up and went for this instead. My family absolutely loved it and it was so easy to make. Substituted the wine for chicken stock and worked perfectly. I came across your website a couple of months ago and have a whole new repertoire of dinners for home. Going to try the Grinch cocktail at the weekend as love spicy cocktails. Thank you Tiegan. Recipes are just fab x
Hey Jeanette,
I so appreciate you giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Tried and tested this one and absolutely LOVE it!
Hey Nicolene,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Happy Valentine’s Day❤️ xTieghan
This is such an awesome recipe! It came together super quick and easy, and the taste was everything. I love creamy white wine sauce and the orzo took it to the next level. My family was so impressed with this recipe, and I ate the leftovers for breakfast lol. I used chicken thighs and it worked great!
Hey Lily,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
So, so good! This is one of my go-to recipes now. Make sure you drain some of the chicken fat and really rinse off the sun-dried tomatoes so it’s not overly greasy.
Hey Melissa,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
If I were to double the orzo, do I just double the wine and water?
Hey Emily,
Yes, you will also need to double the liquid, just be sure you have a large enough pan. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan