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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
Incredible recipe
Thank you Court! xTieghan
I am planning on serving this to 5 people tonight so have 3 breasts (about 1.5 lbs) For serving I was thinking of slicing the chicken breasts in diagonal strips and placing them back in the orzo. Do you have a better suggestion?
Hey Regina! I think that is a great idea and I imagine it should work well! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This recipe was fantastic! We made it dairy-free with a can of coconut milk and it tasted great.
Thank you so much Danny! xTieghan
This was amazing! I added in some broccolini and we all loved it!! Thank you!!
Love that! Thank you Ali! xTieghan
This was the first recipe of yours I’ve made and now I may make every one of them. The best one pot recipe I’ve made and I can’t think of anything else I’ve made that’s this easy, fast and delicious.
Thank you so much Erica! I am so glad you enjoyed this! I hope you love all of the others you try as well! xTieghan
This is probably my favorite of your recipes! It’s so simple to make and the flavors are wonderful. Hearty and perfect for the cold. Can’t wait to make it again 🙂
Wow that is so great to hear! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I made this for a board game night and a friend made Zuppa Toscana. The paring was excellent. I chose a combo of white and dark meat; that was perfect for picky eaters. I found a lactose free heavy cream that worked fantastic. I wasn’t too keen on the coconut cream as I felt the flavor would not be true to what you originally had in mind. Nobody noticed the difference! I chose chicken stock instead of water to not compromise the existing chicken flavor. Thanks for the recipe! I would totally recommend and make this again!
Thank you so much for trying this Steven! So glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Made this twice and my family and I are obsessed. Thank you so much for this one!
Thank you for trying this Michaela! xTieghan
flavorful, easy to make
Thank you Karin! xTieghan
This was delicious! I had chicken stock on hand so I used it instead of the water and I chopped up some rosemary and added it with the cream and Dijon instead of adding at the end. I loved this one pot meal!!
Thank you so much Corrina! xTieghan
I made it today , it came out as described delicious !
Thank you Dina! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I made this for dinner last night and it was AMAZING. I made it exactly as the recipe said except I used red onions instead of shallots. I used chardonnay because it is what I had on hand. SO delicious and perfect for our -15 degrees Alaska evening. I will make this again and again!
Oh wow!! Yes, I hope this warmed you up! Thank you so much for trying this Erin! xTieghan
Wow!! I just made this and it’s amazing!!Thank you for all the wonderful recipes.
Thank you for trying them Paula! xTieghan
This is my new favorite recipe! I made it Christmas Eve for family, for a dinner party with great friends, for my nephew and his new girlfriend and this week I’m making it for an old high school friend who’s visiting. It’s been photographed, the recipe’s been requested, you have a new follower because of it and most importantly…simple to make and enjoyed by all! Thanks for helping me look like a great cook!?
I am so glad you are loving this recipe!! Thank you so much for trying it Amy! xTieghan
Tieghan!! Your recipes are literal perfection. When my boyfriend and I don’t have anything in mind for dinner (or lunch the next day) we immediately come to HBH. Every recipe we’ve made is to die for! They are all so good. Made this on Thursday – ate it all – and are already making it again today (Saturday!!!). The only thing we did is subbed sundried tomatoes for burst cherry tomatoes because I’m not a huge fan of sundried. But seriously, perfection.
Wow that is so great to hear! I am so glad you and your boyfriend have been loving my recipes!! I hope you continue to! Thank you! Hayley! xTieghan