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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
This is so, so flavorful and so easy once the prep work is done. I used chicken breast, as I don’t like dark meat and it came out great. Perfect for a weekday night dinner and the whole family ate it which is a miracle. I love that it’s all in one skillet! The orzo was so creamy and yummy.
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Ice in here in Arkansas and this hit the spot
Such an easy recipe and very delicious!
Hey Kimberly,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Could I substitute Arborio rice instead of orzo? I have someone in the household that has celiac disorder.
Hey Ryan,
Sure, that should work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xx
This was amazing as our dinner tonight!!! Yummy!
Hey Patricia,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was tasty and thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Yum! Another winner and bonus points for how easy it is to make. We did not add the lemon and rosemary at the end. We don’t love sun-dried tomatoes so we substituted with tomato paste. In your words “so delicious!”. Made it twice this week and doubled the orzo the second time to try and have leftovers for the next day.
Hey Mona,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was tasty and thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Wife just made this and it was amazing. Any woman looking to sink their claws into a reluctant man…just make this and he is yours!
Hey Dan,
Happy Sunday!😃 Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, I am so glad it turned out well for you! xx
Delicious!! It was so good and family loved it! I didn’t even use the lemon or rosemary. Will definitely be on dinner rotation!
Hey Christy,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
My daughter made this for dinner tonight and it was good! This recipe is a keeper! I wonder if this could be made ahead of time and then just finished off in the oven?
Hey Rachel,
So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed! Sure, that would be fine for you to do! Happy Friday! xx
This was so good and so easy! Thanks again! Love your recipes. My daughter loved it as well. Definitely making it again.
Hey Crystal,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This is so so good. I added a little more chicken, subbed chicken stock for the wine, and added a lot more garlic. Even with the extra chicken, it wasn’t quite enough for my family of 5. Everything came together easily and it looked beautiful. I will definitely make it again, but 1.5 or double the recipe!
Hey Krista,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Made the recipe yesterday and it turned out great! Decided to add some canned mushrooms as well and skipped the parmesan/lemon. I’ll be making it again!
Hey Nadia,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was tasty and thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
We loved this! Was as easy as it looks and will definitely make again. The orzo was a nice touch for the dish and the chicken was so moist and well seasoned. We followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing!
Hey Dara,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Wow! This was soooooo good!
Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
I have a dairy allergy so I replaced the cream with oat milk
It turn out really good!!!
Hey Marie,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This recipe was so good and fairly simple in terms of prep and execution. I accidentally used Chardonnay wine and it was still delicious. Also subbed the spinach for arugula, would not do that in the future. Overall great recipe and 100% will make again.
Hey Allison,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This was such an easy and delicious recipe. The whole family loved it. Will definitely make this again.
Super easy one pot dinner. My only substitute was whole milk for heavy cream just to save a few calories. It was amazing! Would post photo if I knew how!
Hey Sheila,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Hey Iris,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Made this for dinner last night and it was incredible! Flavors were delicious and the recipe was easy to follow. It took about 45 minutes for me to pull together from start to finish. I loved that it used mostly ingredients I always have on hand. I’ll definitely make this again!
Hey Erin,
Happy Wednesday!! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT