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This one-skillet Roasted Herb Butter Chicken and Orzo is the perfect cozy dinner. Pan-seared seasoned chicken in an herb butter gravy-like sauce. Cook the chicken together with orzo pasta for a complete dinner made in just ONE skillet. The secret here, a touch of curry powder. It adds a really nice rich flavor to this chicken and orzo dinner. 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. Oh, and be sure to add crusty bread for mopping up all the extra sauce.
And I’m back with another chicken and orzo dinner. I hope you’re not over these types of recipes that we here clearly find so delicious.
But this is a special one. It’s inspired by my mom and her love of soup, chicken, and noodles. I wanted to create an all-in-one dinner similar to the dishes we would make when I was growing up in Cleveland.
This time of year always makes me think back to those days. When I was in 2nd and 3rd grade I would get out of school almost 2 hours earlier than my brothers, at 2:45 pm. These were my greatest school days. I LOVED getting out early and having that special time with my mom.
In the late fall and winter, a lot of times my mom would cook me the Lipton noodle dishes that came in a pouch. They were noodles in a creamy chicken broth. We both used to eat them huddled by the fire, loving every bite.
We don’t cook those anymore, but I’ve always wanted to recreate the flavors.
And I finally did! Look, I’ve made a ton of skillet chicken and orzo dishes. But I’m telling you, this one might just be my favorite of the bunch. And it’s so easy.
The details
I love a one-skillet dinner, so that was key for this recipe.
Start off by cooking the onion, then add a mix of chicken breasts and thighs. I always use skinless chicken, because my family is weird and they will not eat skin-on chicken. Use whatever type of chicken you and you’re family love!
The next ingredient is what makes this dish. A small amount of curry powder. I know that sounds really odd, but the curry powder adds a bright color and subtle warm flavors that are just right. It’s almost like a golden butter chicken soup, but not quite a soup. Either way, it’s completely delicious and sets this dish apart.
Now toss in the butter, add some celery and carrots, some thyme and sage, and then pour over the apple cider and broth. Add a whole head of garlic and a parmesan rind, then place the entire skillet in the oven to finish cooking.
During the last 10 minutes is when I add in the orzo. If you want this to be brothy, you can add additional broth. We like it brothy, but still thicker than soup.
For serving
I usually add a little fresh parsley or thyme and some black pepper and sea salt. and again, crusty bread on the side is a must.
It’s a little different twist on chicken and pasta, but so, so good. And who couldn’t love how easy this is? It’s fancy, but then it’s not. Great for this time of year!
Looking for other simple? Here are a few ideas:
Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Orzo
One Pot Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo
Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
Lastly, if you make this Roasted Herb Butter 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 Roasted herb Butter Chicken and Orzo
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 560 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1/3 cup white wine or apple cider
- 4-5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 shallots, halved
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 head garlic
- 3/4 cup dry orzo
- 1 parmesan rind
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. Cook the olive oil and onion in a large oven-safe skillet with sides, over medium heat, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Push the onions to the side. Add the chicken and sprinkle with the curry powder. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter, shallots, celery, carrots, thyme, and sage. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes. 2. Pour in the apple cider, 2-3 cups broth, and lemon juice. Add the garlic and parmesan rind. Transfer to the oven and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. 3. Pull the skillet out, add 1/2 cup of broth and the orzo. Return to the oven and cook 10-12 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. If you want more broth, add the remaining 1-2 1/2 cups.4. Serve the chicken over the orzo and broth. Top with parmesan (if desired), plus thyme or parsley.
This recipe was a hit! The curry really makes it! I used 3 1/2 cups of broth and doubled the orzo which resulted in more of the gravy consistency I was looking for. I didn’t have a oven safe skillet but my dutch oven did the job just fine. Another yummy dish to keep on rotation. Thank you, T!
Hey Jaine,
Happy Wednesday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxT
This was AMAZING! I, too, added extra Orzo so it was more stew than soup. Also, I’m not very good at cutting the top of a garlic bulb. Mine fell apart so I took the peel off each clove and threw them all in… GREAT choice, especially during cold and flu season. I think Chicken thighs are the best choice for this dish. Thanks, Tieghan!!
Hey Amanda,
Happy Wednesday! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxT
I made this thinking I’d have some leftovers LOL too good we ate it all. Thanks T❤️
Hey Jill,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
Hi, What size / weight parmesan rind? Thank you!
Hi Robin,
So sorry, I really don’t know the size or weight, whatever you have on hand will work:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hey Tieghan,
Happy Thanksgiving! I hope its a great one for you and your whole family. I am certain it will be with how great your food and cooking is 100 percent!! This was a great recipe thanks for sharing. The chicken was tender and I just love the cider as part of the broth that it simmers into cook. I made three chicken breasts and ate one that night one a couple days later and have one left over. Here is something I noticed with chicken when I warm it in the microwave again it’s not nearly as tender. Would you maybe use the oven to reheat it up vs the microwave should it make any difference?? This is a problem I have anytime I reheat chicken its just never as good the second and third time. That definitely doesn’t take away from how amazing this recipe was thanks again!!
Hey Mike,
Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I don’t love to use the microwave when reheating chicken, I would cover with foil and reheat on low:) xx
I’ve noticed that if you pound the chicken a bit before cooking, it is more tender when reheated. Reheating binds the proteins more tightly. Pounding first mitigates some of that
Can this be made without Orzo? Would you just use less stock? Or just skip step 3? I want to use this recipe in place of turkey for thanksgiving and serve with mashed potatoes instead. 🙂
Also would you still do curry or can you use a different spice like herbs de Provence to make it feel more like a thanksgiving dish? Any suggestions on what spice or should I stick with the curry!? Thanks for your help.
I would stick with the curry and add any additional fresh herbs that you enjoy:)
Hey Jessica,
I would just skip step 3:) I hope this recipe turns out well for you! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Delicious! The curry makes it great. I cut up cooked chicken and served it like a soup.
Hi Kay,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Made this tonight and it was very good! I did take the advice of other commenters and doubled the orzo. I’m glad I did. It was still enough liquid but wasn’t soupy. Enjoyed the flavors. The curry powder just made it.
Hey Kristy,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Made this tonight and while the flavors are there, there was so much liquid that I ended up with boiled chicken. I used 1/3 cup white wine and only cups broth before putting it in the oven. It was still liquid rather than gravy at the end of the day. Will try again with adjustments!
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you had so much liquid. Let me know if you give the recipe another try and what works well for you! xx
This was a huge hit!! I will be adding this to our rotating favourites!! Followed exactly with the more broth option & used thighs. DEELISH!
Hey Danielle,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃
Hi
Can i do this in a crockpot
Hi Juliana,
I would stick with the stove top for this recipe:) Please let me know if you give the dish a try, I hope you love it! xx
This was not a hit with my family. I think it might have been better with double the orzo, as it just had too much liquid. I did the maximum broth you suggested, so maybe the minimum amount would have worked better, I just didn’t want it to be too dry.
I didn’t realize it was more of a soup, than a casserole dish.
Hi Linda,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
DELICIOUS and easy Sunday dinner! Hubby requested “like a chicken stew thing, with you know, cream of mushroom soup and rice, or something like that…” I’m so happy I found this recipe, we both loved it!
Hey Elaine,
So glad to hear you have been enjoying this recipe, thanks so much for making it and sharing your feedback! xT
This was a delicious easy weeknight meal that comes together in less than an hour. I used 2 1/2 cups broth and would have liked more so next time will add 3 1/2 . I dramatically decreased the butter to 1 TBLS. This helps avoid a layer of grease sitting on top of the broth on your plate. I added several garlic cloves because I did not have a head. There really is not clear directions on what to do with the garlic at the end of the recipe. The recipe also should be clearer on what to do with the chicken when you add the Orzo. I left my chicken in the pan while the orzo cooked
Hey Jackie,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
I have made so many of your recipes and I am never disappointed! This dish we made tonight- my toddler loved it! It was absolutely delicious. The flavor combination was amazing and a one pot dish for moms is really so helpful! Thank you for being so amazing, sharing your talent!
Hey Melony,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽