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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
I love most of your recipes but this one is absolute FIRE! It’s easy to make and follow but also so flavorful. I doubled the recipe and brought some to family and it was a major hit! My only edit was that I added the lemon zest because I love the acidity and it was great. Also this recipe freezes so well so it will be my go to make ahead recipe.
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while now after it caught my eye a few months ago! Finally tried it tonight and I will be definitely adding it to our meal rotation! It is so good! I would not describe myself as a master chef either but this recipe was so easy to follow and I even learned something!
This was AWESOME!! I do second the reviews who said it didn’t make enough, haha: we all loved it and wanted more!! I’ll probably at least 1.5 this or double it next time.
Other minor tweaks: I used chicken broth in place of water and almond milk in place of the cream (both go-to’s for me). I also dice the chicken so the final product can be a scoop-and-eat situation (we’re bowl people). Turned out incredible, definitely will be making on repeat!
Thank you Sam! xT
Love this recipe so much and am making for a dinner party tomorrow. Wondering if it can be made ahead? Maybe just don’t bake until ready to serve? Please let me know! Thank you
Hi there! I haven’t ever made this ahead before so I can’t say for sure! xT
Absolutely freaking delish. We all loved it! Swapped the water and wine for all chicken broth. Says it serves 6 (small family of 4) but felt like it was more like 4. There were hardly any leftovers which we always love. Wish this served 8 haha
Hey! Thank you so so much! Love to hear that you’re enjoying this recipe 🙂 xT
Really excellent recipe! We just had chicken so I swapped in boneless pork chops and it worked very well.
Thank you so much! Sooo happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂 xT
Just finished dinner and already can’t wait to do it all over again! Easy and delicious. This is one of my favorites.
Thank you Melissa!
Very good. Husband liked too. I used 1/2 the sun dried tomato & lemon so their flavor didn’t take over the dish. Looking forward to making another of her one pot meals soon!
Thanks sooo much! Love to hear that this recipe was a success! xT
Made this tonight with the intention of having leftovers – but it was such a hit my boys and husband all went back for seconds and polished it off!! Dinner got rave reviews!
Thanks sooo much! Love to hear that this recipe was a success! xT
This was delicious! Everything I thought it would be, and I love a one-pot meal! 🙂
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a great week! xT
This meal was Delic! Wow, so easy and full of flavor.
Thank you so much Christine! xT
This was super simple to make and very flavorful! Definitely keeping this one in the rotation for quick weeknight meals. Another tasty recipe, as always!
Hey Katie,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it:) xT
Wow T, great recipe. I don’t usually make orzo but I really enjoyed this. I was worried the one cup cream would be overkill but it wasn’t. I made a few small tweaks adding more garlic, shallots and fresh sage and thyme with while omitting the red pepper flake, rosemary and lemon. I used three chicken breasts and they needed 15 minutes in the oven. I flipped and stirred everything when I temped it at 10 minutes which helped it not stick to the pan. I used a 5 quart dutch oven braiser which is very easy to stir and cook in. I’m a big fans of greens so I could have added 3-4 cups instead of 2 it cooks down a lot. I had a mix of baby spinach, baby kale and Swiss chard which worked well.
Hey Kelly,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it:) xT
OMG! We made this for dinner tonight. It was Fabulous! I saw it on Instagram this morning. Thank you so much! I had my husband help me and we did it without a disagreement. That’s an accomplishment. We’re retired and learning how to do everything together. Thank you, thank you for this recipe!!❤️
Hi Faye,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
Been making this dish for the past year, at least once a week. It’s my absolute favorite!!
Hey Betty,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe always turns out well for you, thanks for making it so often:) xT
Made this tonight. It was a hit. Kids loved it. Will make again for sure.
Hey Ashley,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and your feedback! xT
Hi!! Could you do an adapted version of this for an Instant Pot ?!
🙂
Hi Stacey,
So sorry, I have never tested this recipe in the instant pot, I am not sure what the results would be! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
My wife and I love this recipe. The first time I made it I couldn’t find orzo, so substituted with orecchiette and it turned out great!
Hey Ann,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and your review, so glad it was delish! xT