Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
View this post on Instagram
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
Can I double just the amount of orzo without doubling everything else? Everything in the recipe was enough for my family, except the orzo..or would I need to double the water, cream, etc.?
Hi Dina,
Thanks for trying this recipe! If you double the orzo you would also need to double the liquid:) I hope this helps! xT
Could you do it in a slow cooker? Sear chicken first … Maybe add orzo in the last hour?
I have never tested that with this recipe, but you could certainly give it a try! xT
This a perfect! It’s on regular rotation. So yum!!!
Thanks so much Holly!! Love to hear that this recipe is always enjoyed, I appreciate you making it so often! xT
This recipe is very good but if only using a pound of chicken and a cup of orzo, I would say 6 servings may be a bit of a stretch. More like 4? Especially if you’re looking for a one pan meal with no side, I don’t think you would get 6 adult size meals out of this. Flavors are great though and we have made several times!
Hi Kelly,
I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your feedback on the serving size! So glad to hear it turned out well:) xT
I doubled the orzo and the liquid for bigger serving sizes. The original recipe barely fed my family of two adults and 3 kids. They kept asking for more! 🙂
This has become part of our normal rotation of meals, we love it so much! The first time I made it for my significant other he declared it a keeper haha. It never fails, thank you!
Love to hear this, Hunter!! So glad you have been enjoying this recipe so often:) Have a great week! xT
Flavor was delicious and it turned out great, even using GF orzo (which I have never used before). I did use a little less water as I was worried about the GF orzo turning into mush. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as is. My only feedback was that for me it turned out a little oily – maybe I didn’t drain the sun dried tomatoes enough? Otherwise, it was great!
Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback!! Next time, you could pat your sun-dried tomatoes a little with paper towel so they aren’t so oily. I hope this helps! xT
Hi! SO excited to make this and wondering if I could use bone in chicken thighs – Would I need to cook for longer?? Thanks so much!
Hi Erin,
Yes, that will work well for you, I would increase your cook time by 10-15 minutes. I hope you love this dish! xT
Have you ever made this ahead of time? I’d like to make this a day ahead before having a girls night with kids over and would like to cut down the actual cooking day of. Would I just skip the baking part until we’re ready to eat?
Hey there,
Sure, that would work well for you, you could also fully make the recipe and then just cover and reheat on low in the oven to warm through. Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xT
A friend recommended this recipe to me so I made it for a greek-themed dinner (close enough) and everyone loved it. Definitely a keeper.
Hey Melissa,
So glad to hear this! Thanks for making this dish and your comment! Have a great Thursday! xT
This is one of mine and my family’s favorites. It is so delicious. Thanks Tieghan for all your yummy recipes. You are the sweetest.
Thanks so much Maggie:) Love to hear your family has been enjoying this recipe! Have a great weekend! xT
Making this for the second time tonight in as many weeks!! My other half declared that it needed to be on our regular rotation after the first time. Amazing flavors and very simple. I did sub chicken stock for the water and used a good amount of Meyer lemon juice as we have a ton from our tree right now. SO good!!
Thank you for trying out the recipe! I’m so so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
How would you go about saving this and reheating it?
Hi there! I would just reheat in the microwave, because cooking in the oven or on the stove would probably result in overcooked orzo! xT
This was fantastic! I did use unsalted chicken broth instead of water, and probably a smidge more than 1/3 cup wine 😉 but overall, WOW! I normally am not impressed with one skillet orzo meals but this one is a keeper. Quick to whip together too. Perfectly creamy and full of flavor.
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Loveee to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
I’ve had this recipe saved for a while and finally made it. So delicious!
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Loveee to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
Just made this recipe! Delicious. Next time I will probably add mushrooms, and either a chicken bouillon or mushroom bouillon just for that extra flavor! Will definitely make again! Thank you for this recipe
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Loveee to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
This was delicious on a cold and windy night. I got a new Staub skillet for Christmas and this was a perfect inaugural dish! The lemon juice at the end gives a brightness to the whole recipe. I used GF orzo and it was a beautifully seasoned dish. Yum!
Thank you SO much! I always love reading comments and seeing that the recipe was a success! Have a great day! 🙂 xT