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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.
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.
Excellent! I also added fresh sliced mushrooms. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Hey Dee,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it. Have the best week:) xx
Fantastic recipe! 2nd time I added a tablespoon of capers.
Hey John,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best day:) xT
This. Was. Amazing. Highly recommend!!!
I made it exactly as written except I added homemade beef stock that I had in the freezer! So delicious!!
Hey Christina,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend!☀️ xx
Just finished cooking this the second time! The first time I made it, it was a hit with my husband and kids. This time, my son just walked into the kitchen and asked, “What smells so good?” This was my very first Half Baked Harvest recipe & I know we will be eating it regularly. Because my youngest is dairy free, I use coconut milk in place of the heavy cream, and it is still so creamy and delicious!
Hi Emily,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend!☀️ xx
I’ve made this as written and it is so perfect. I didn’t change a thing. Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you for the recipe!
Hey Amy,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
I’ve made this a few times and sub-out the wine for equal parts chicken broth.
It’s amazing! (I obviously don’t know what I’m missing otherwise.) Highly recommend!!
Hi Julie,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xxT
Made this tonight, it was quite easy, straightforward and DELICIOUS! Your recipes are always so reliable, thanks Tieghan!
Hi Rita,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing your review!? xT
Such a great recipe. Will totally be doing this again
Hey Andy,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
So delicious!!!! I can’t Figure out how to make it less oily/greasy (even after reducing the amount of butter…) but otherwise the recipe is very easy yet so tasty!
Hi Donna,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
I’ve made this twice and it is amazing. I used chicken thighs and just cooked the entire package so it was closer to 1.5 lbs but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and it is so good. Thanks for sharing!!
Hey Jen,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Have heard great things about this recipe and plan to make it tonight! Can I use something lighter in place of the heavy cream, and if so what would you recommend?
Hey Alex,
Sure, you can use any milk that you enjoyed. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I halved the recipe becuase I was just cooking for one and followed the instructions exactly, and the orzo just turned out super dry. Not creamy, and basically no moisture left in it at all from the oven after only cooking for 10 minutes. The flavors are great and I wanted this to be good! Any ideas on what could have happened?
did you halve the size of your pan going in the oven too? Less pasta/liquid over a larger surface area means the liquid is going to evaporate faster than the recipe said.
Hi Emma,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear you had issues. Since you halved the recipe, you would also need to cut the cooking time in half. For best results, I would follow the recipe as directed next time:) xTieghan
I cook your meals for my family of 6 every single night and they are always eaten with no complaint! Thank you!
Thank you so much Emily, love to hear this!!
My family’s favourite dinner ever! It’s so delicious: I also make your feta dill and Greek yoghurt sauce and we dollop in top! You are so clever!
Hey Emily,
Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xx
I’ve made this with 2% milk and half and half before and both turned out delicious! The milk one was slightly more watery, which was expected with less fat in there, so I probably could’ve reduced the amount to .75 cup.
Hi Beth,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
I made this tonight. I’ve made this recipe at least 8 times and my family is OBSESSED with it. So good!!
Hi Lynn,
Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xx
Thanks for the recipe! I follow you on TikTok! Only difference was I had no son dried tomatoes so I used cherry tomatoes. Also cooked longer in the oven then recipe.
Hey Candice,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! ☘️xx