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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.
Can I use coconut milk instead of cream?
Hi Erin,
Totally, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This is SO GOOD! Made it last night and probably ate a little too much but it was worth it. I didn’t have enough heavy cream so used 1/2 cream, 1/2 milk. Added a little extra parmesan after scooping onto plates because, well, parmesan 🙂
Love your recipes. Happy New Year!
Hey Carolyn,
Happy New Year!!🎆 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review! xT
I made this tonight for the 3rd time this month! My husband requested it for his birthday dinner. I didn’t have Orzo so I used Arborio Rice. If you’re a Risotto fan I suggest you try it…delicious!
Either way I make it, hands down a new family favorite!
LOVE your recipes ❣️
Hey Lisa,
Happy New Year!!🎆 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review! xT
This was so good! It’s definitely going into my meal rotation. I subbed the orzo for risotto (I’m gluten-free) and increased the liquid amounts(5 cups in total). I cooked it at 350 for 30minutes ,used 1 1/2 cups of risotto and 2cups of chicken stock (1cup for the cooking and stirred in 1 cup when I took it out of the oven).
Hey Allie,
Happy New Year!!🎆 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review! xT
Absolutely delicious! This one is a definite keeper!
Hey Kristin,
Happy New Year!!🎆 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review! xT
This recipe is delicious. Next time, I may add more orzo pasta as I felt there was more chicken than pasta for my liking. I opted to finish cooking the chicken in the skillet on the stove instead of putting the pan in the oven. I also used a combination of 2oz cream cheese and a little milk (maybe 1/3 cup) instead of heavy cream (did not have any). This was added at the end of cooking in addition to the spinach.
Hey Kim,
Happy New Year!!🎆 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review! xT
This is one of our favorite HBH recipes. Actually we have so many favorites, it’s always hard to pick one!! This comes together quickly and is full of flavor. A great mid-week dish with easy clean up. Tieghan is just so creative and her recipes are easy to follow and always turn out great. May not look as beautiful as her photos, but still taste good.
Hey Cindi,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear this was enjoyed! xT
I make this atleast once a month, we LOVE it! I usually add a little more orzo than it calls for bc my husband loves pasta. But other than that it is perfect for our go to dinner!
Hey Diane,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
OMG- LOVE this dish! It’s a winner 🏆
Hey Debra,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
Made this for dinner and it was very good. A hit with the hubs! I substituted boneless pork chops for chicken because that is what I had on hand. It worked out perfectly!
Hey Angie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Thanks for your comment! xx
Once the ingredients were gathered and measured this dish was really quick and easy. The flavors were wonderful. Way to go Tieghan, no disappointment with this one!
Hey Joy,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Made this for dinner tonight..followed recipe exactly..not a drop leftover..absolutely delicious..thank you 😊
Wow. Literal *chefs kiss*. My husband cooked this for me after I sent him the recipe. Excellent.
Hey Sydney,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Hey Donna,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
This was super delish and easy to make! The whole family loved it!
Hey Laura,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Really delicious! Next time I am going to try getting some grill marks on my chicken and then putting them in the skillet.
Hey Elysia,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
This was our Christmas dinner tonight and we enjoyed it! I did tweak it a little to our tastes (we really don’t like mustard, so I left that out — I notice it’s in a lot of your recipes), but not much. I appreciate nice, easy recipes, so thanks!
Hey Tina,
Happy Holidays!!☃️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT