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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
My husband has started making this for me every Valentine’s Day, and it is always delicious! He doesn’t even cook that much so the directions are very clear and easy to follow for an inexperienced cook. We’ll definitely make it again!
Hey Lee,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a hit! xT
So much good flavor in this one skillet meal! We used bone-in chicken thighs and it took a little longer to cook so we took it out of the oven and cooked it the rest of the way through in a skillet. I don’t think I’ve ever had orzo pasta, but I’m a fan now! I will definitely make this again!
Hey Carissa,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a hit! xT
What would you recommend subbing the white wine for?
Hi An,
You can use broth in place of the wine:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi!
I love your recipes!! I made this and my family loved it. So easy and yummy!! Thank you for sharing!!
Hey Jainita,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a hit! Thanks so much for your kind message and making so many recipes! xT
WOW. My husband was very impressed when I made this on a random Monday night.. It was a guest-worthy dinner!!! I made it in my dutch oven.. it turned out perfectly. Adding this one to my rotation. Thanks!!! 🙂
Hey Laura,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT
I haven’t been able to find orzo pasta have you ever used any other small pasta or rice?
Hey Mindy,
Arborio rice or another mini pasta should work well for you! Let me know if I can help in any other way, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This was an absolutely AMAZING dinner! You will love it and have it many more times!! I sure will!
Hey Teresa,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! Have a great weekend! 🏈
When using chicken breast do you need to butterfly them or cut into smaller pieces?
Hey Marissa,
If your chicken is super large then yes it might be a good idea to cut them into smaller pieces. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Awesome recipe that comes together very quickly and tastes like you’ve been cooking all day. We loved how creamy and delicious the orzo turned out.
Hey Shari,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Would a pastina work in place of orzo?
Hey Amy,
Sure, I bet that would work well for you:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Hi Tieghan,
Was wanting to make this dish. Was wanting to make it with your chicken meatballs. Do you think this would work?
Thanks Barb
Hey Barb,
Sure, I think that would be a great idea! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xT
I just came back to say I ended up not doubling the orzo and just followed the instructions as is. This came out soooo good my husband and kids loved it. I don’t like chicken (but the fam said it was great!) and threw frozen veggie meatballs in as I was putting the dish in the oven and that was so good too and cooked in time with the rest of the dish. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hey Adrienne,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
This was my first time making this and it was amazing ! Super simple and so creamy and delicious. My boyfriend is so hard to try new recipes on and he loved it ! This will definitely be added to the new rotation. Thanks for the amazing recipes
Hey Merissa,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
This was delicious. I added more Orzo, some chicken stock and sun-dried tomatoes. Definitely a make again recipe! Everyone loved it.
Hey Victoria,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
I’m teaching my daughter how to cook. This was an easy meal to cook with her yesterday and everyone in the family liked it. We made it again today and tried it with noodles. Very versatile recipe and it was a wonderful win again. Love the flavors! Thank you for this recipe
Hey Alecia,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx