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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.
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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.
I’ve made this recipe twice now….And we love it. Easy to make, and full of flavor
Hey Jodi,
Happy Wednesday! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
We made this two nights ago and it was superb! So much flavor. A loaf of French bread for dunking took this next level. We used boneless skinless breasts, but will definitely try it with a mixture of breasts and thighs next time!
Hey Christy,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
This was so amazing! Easy and so much flavor. I can’t wait to make it again. A baguette for sopping up the broth is key!
Hey Tara,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
This was incredible! My whole family loved it! The flavor was amazing. I loved that it was a one pot dish!
Hey Erica,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit!⛄️ xT
This dish was tasty but I found the chicken breast to be dry. Is there a step missing to sear both sides of the chicken to lock in the juices?
Hey there,
Thanks for giving this dish a try, sorry to hear your chicken was dry! No steps are missing:) Is it possible your chicken was on the smaller side? Next time you could use chicken thighs! xx
Hi, my store never has fresh thyme or sage. Can I just use dried? Thank you
Hey there,
Totally, that will be just fine for you to do! Let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope it’s amazing! xx
I’ve made this for two different dinner parties. Both times I’ve skipped the oven section and continued to cook on the burner. It’s such a great meal and very easy to make.
Hey Rhonda,
Happy Monday!!☃️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was enjoyed! xT
I am writing this review while eating day three of these leftovers. It is truly comfort in a bowl. My only critiques would be to make sure you do have a large over safe skillet to ensure proper room for adding everything and I think the recipe needs more than 1 lb of meat. That’s just picking hairs though. This recipe is so yummy and a nice change from chicken and rice in this household ☺️☺️. Definitely will come back to this!
Hey Jessica,
Happy Friday! ☃️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! Thanks for sharing your feedback! xT
Is there a sub you would recommend for the rind to make it dairy free?
Hey Amberly,
Just skip the rind, no big deal:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Is the garlic chopped or just put the entire head in?
Hey Kimberley,
You’re just going to slice of top off of the head and toss the head in:) I hope this recipe turns out well for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
This was so so good! My 9 month old son gobbled it up 🙂 I would make 2 minor tweaks (for anyone reading this ahead of cooking):
1. Add a bit more orzo as I still had a little bit too much liquid (when using he minimum amount);
2. Remove the chicken thighs before adding orzo to keep from over cooking. Add back in at the end to finish up.
Hey Meredith,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment! xT
Awesome recipe! I accidentally put in apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider so it was a little tangy lol but def will be making it again (correctly) next time!
Hey Natalie,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Happy Tuesday! 🎄
Wow I just did the exact same thing. Glad I saw this comment because I couldn’t figure out what I did wrong
Where do you find boneless breasts with the skin? It is even hard for me to find breasts with bones and skin. Seems like everything is boneless skinless.
Hey Michele,
I would ask your butcher at your local grocery store:) They can usually be a big help! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
Hi! Could I sub the orzo for another grain? Like white rice? Thanks looking forward to making it!
Hey Kate,
Arborio rice would also work well for you here! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it’s delish! xx
Could I make this in the instant pot? How long to cook then?
Hi there,
I would recommend just following the recipe as written for best results:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe it a hit! xx
Where do we find Parmesan rind? And how much?
Hi Briana,
You can find parmesan rinds usually in the cheese section at your local grocery store, just use 1 rind:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
I love this recipe so much! The orzo came out so flavorful with the white wine and lemon juice. The chicken was equally delicious. I’m going to keep this one in the dinner rotation this winter.
Hey Paige,
Happy Sunday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Hi! I can’t seem to find yellow curry powder. Can I use just regular curry powder instead?
Hey Leanne,
Yup, that’s the yellow curry powder:) Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe!! xx