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This simple Skillet White Pesto Chicken and Orzo is the perfect winter dinner. Quick, easy, and so delicious! Pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Cooked together with orzo pasta for a quick dinner made in one skillet. Everyone at the dinner table loves this dish. It’s great for a weeknight but fancy enough to serve up at your next holiday dinner. It’s a hit all around!
Ingredients
- Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- Boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Italian seasoning
- Salted butter
- Garlic
- Dry orzo pasta
- Chili flakes
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Basil pesto
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh thyme
December is always the craziest month. It’s my favorite month of the year but also the busiest. And this December has been a lot. But I’m so thankful for it and loving every second of the chaos!
On top of multiple work trips and my day-to-day schedule, there’s been holiday fun, and most of my brothers are now in town. My parent’s house is once again full! Per usual, this means they’re all looking for dinner. I always try to have simple recipes like this skillet chicken on rotation this time of year! Easy dinners are key to keeping everyone happy and well-fed!
Lately, everyone has requested the recipe I shared for Smothered Chicken a few months ago. They love that dish, especially the creamy sauce.
When I set out to make this, I used that recipe as my base. But then I turned it into a quick-cooking spicy Italian dinner with lots of delicious basil pesto in the mix!
Here are the details
Step 1: the sun-dried tomatoes
Start with the sun-dried tomatoes. I love using a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Not only are the tomatoes delicious, but I also use the oil from the jar to cook the chicken. The oil is always seasoned, so it adds even more flavor. Just make sure it’s extra virgin olive oil.
Most people will discard the oil, but you must use it! It adds a lot of flavor to recipes.
Step 2: season and sear the chicken.
Sear the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, take each piece and dip it through some flour. The flour gives the chicken a coating for the yummy sauce to stick to. Additionally, the flour on the chicken will help to thicken the sauce.
Pan-sear the chicken in the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. Then, just before pulling the chicken out of the skillet, sprinkle each piece with Italian seasoning.
It’s a delicious mix and makes the chicken very flavorful.
Step 3: the orzo
When you pull the chicken out, add the orzo and some garlic. Then toss in some butter too. Let the butter toast around the dry 0rzo and add the chicken broth and cream.
Then mix in the pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and the chicken.
Step 4: bake
Next, add the parmesan cheese and take the whole skillet and put it in the oven to finish baking.
It’s going to smell wonderful as you pull the skillet out of the oven. Like your favorite Italian restaurant!
This dish is everything you’d expect out of a multi-step recipe, but made in way less than an hour. Plus, everything is made in one pot. Simple, simple – and we love that.
You can serve this up on busy weeknights, but I think it’s equally great for holiday dinners with friends and family. I’m sure I’ll be remaking this over the holidays; we’re having a very special Christmas this year.
Looking for winter pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Pesto Tortellini Zuppa Toscana
Creamy Roasted Garlic Butternut Squash Pasta
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto
Basil Parmesan Pasta with Crispy Chicken, Prosciutto, and Arugula
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Skillet White Pesto 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!
Skillet White Pesto Chicken and Orzo
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 437 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
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, oil drained
- 6 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- chili flakes
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Drain 3 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomato jar into a large skillet with sides. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the flour to a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken through the flour and toss to coat.3. Set the skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes per side. Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate.4. To the same skillet, add the butter, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, garlic, orzo, and season with chili flakes. Cook until lightly golden, 2 minutes. Add the broth. Bring to a boil, cook for 3-5 minutes, then add the cream, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes. Slide the chicken and any juices left on the plate back into the skillet. Sprinkle over the parmesan. Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the chicken.5. Serve the chicken, orzo, and sauce topped with thyme. YUM.
Notes
Italian Seasoning: Mix 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1 teaspoon dried sage. Store in a sealed container.
This post was originally published on December 14, 2023
We love this recipe..so yummy! I used roasted red peppers instead of sun-dried tomatoes due to allergy. Great flavor!!
Thank you Theresa! Glad to hear you enjoyed this chicken and orzo! xT
I have made this meal twice now and it’s become a favorite in our home. Pretty easy and quick to make, without a bunch to clean up after. I did decide to add a squeeze of lemon juice to the liquid and find it added a bit of “tangy freshness” to the deliciousness. Per my husband, “This is a keeper!”
Thank you SO much Jill! Love to hear that! 🙂 xT
Very good flavor, but also taking a star off because orzo was way undercooked, good thing i caught it before putting in the oven. I just added water and cooked on top of stove until orzo was soft.
Thank you SO much Hilary! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! xT
This was fantastic! Delicious and not too complicated. I used chicken thighs and served with roasted broccoli.
I’m taking off one star because the orzo was a little undercooked and burned to the bottom of the pan.
Hi! Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xT
I made this dish tonight. The only changes I made were to increase the orzo, chicken stock, pesto, tomatoes, parm and cream by 50%, and I added a bag of chopped baby spinach at the end. Because my chicken breasts were so large, I had to cook it longer than 10 minutes, so I reduced the oven temp to 325 and cooked it for about 30 minutes. It came out perfectly, and looked exactly like the recipe photo.
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Loveee to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
Cut thin or hammer down breast if you use them.
I should have read this before making this dish. Next time, I will use thinner chicken breasts or cut into cubes.
We had our first snow today and this was the perfect cozy & warming meal to pair it with! I didn’t have any cream, so I used half ‘n half and it still worked out beautifully. I just adore your recipes – thank you for all the hard work you do to bring them to us!
Thank you Cat! Hope you’re having a cozy snow day! xT
My family really enjoyed this recipe. Great flavor and simple enough for a weeknight meal. I’d love to have more orzo with the chicken. Any suggestions for how I could alter the recipe to add more orzo? Thank you!
Hi there! You could add a bit more liquid if you’re wanting to add more orzo! xT
So flavorful and delicious! Added some zucchini shallots and white beans. Yummy!!!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and leaving a comment! Have a wonderful week! xT
A delicious meal! I didn’t have heavy cream so used sour cream instead. Also added chopped broccoli that I blanched first to the pan before the cheese went on top. There may have been more than 1/2 cup of cheese but I knew you wouldn’t mind!
Thanks so so much! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
I followed the instructions and my chicken came out RAW! Ten minutes is not enough time. Ugh, so disappointed.
Hi there! Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Did you sear the chicken on both sides before baking it with the orzo in the oven? So sorry again! xT
I am so excited to make this for dinner tomorrow, but I pulled out bone in, skin on chicken thighs. How should I adjust the cooking time?
Made this dish tonight, January 9th, a cold, windy, rainy night in NJ. It was the perfect dish for the weather. Easy to make and very flavorful. Will definitely be making this again!
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! So glad you enjoyed it! xT
Love this! How would you adjust the recipe of cooking with boneless chicken thighs?
i am wondering the same thing. Wish we would get a reply with the info.
Ade it according to recipe exactly with boneless skinless thighs. It was perfect!
I have made twice and only used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Did not adjust anything, just floured and browned on both sides for 3-5 mins and then coked in oven as directions state. Hope that helps
I used boneless & skinless thighs when I made. Just followed given directions and had no issues.
The flavor of the dish was amazing and the chicken stayed very moist. Only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because the orzo was a bit undercooked. Next time I will check it before I put it in the oven.
Hey Judy! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! So glad you enjoyed it! xT