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A simple, one-skillet chicken and orzo made with golden-seared chicken, fresh herbs, sweet Sun Gold tomatoes, and creamy orzo—all cooked in one pan. Finished with crispy prosciutto and served straight from the skillet, it’s an effortless dinner that still feels special. Perfect for any night of the week, but just as great for entertaining. I always recommend adding a big salad on the side – one you’ll make on repeat.
One of my favorite things about being in a bigger city is exploring new grocery stores and markets. I haven’t had a Trader Joe’s nearby since we lived in Cleveland, sixteen years ago, when I was just a kid.
Now that I’m in Florida, we have a Trader Joe’s within walking distance, and I’ve been having so much fun wandering the aisles and finding new inspiration as I shop.
Last week, I spotted buckets of sweet, tiny Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. They can be hard to find, so anytime I see them, I always grab a few.
Once I had the tomatoes, I picked up some chicken, orzo, and prosciutto, then walked home ready to cook. I grabbed fresh herbs from the pots outside, and before long, this dish was in the oven—just in time for a typical 9:30 p.m. dinner.
No complaints from anyone—this one was a total hit all around!
The Details
Ingredients
- boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- all-purpose or gluten-free flour
- prosciutto
- salted butter
- shallots
- garlic
- thyme
- sage leaves
- orzo pasta
- cherry or Sungold tomatoes
- chili flakes
- dry white wine
- heavy cream or whole milk
- parmesan cheese
- lots of fresh basil
Special Tools
All you need is an oven-safe skillet. I love using an 11 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet.
The Steps
Step 1: Season the chicken
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, then lightly toss with flour. This helps create a golden crust and lightly thickens the sauce as it cooks.
Step 2: Crisp the prosciutto
Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp. Remove from the skillet and set aside—you’ll use it later for topping.
Step 3: Sear the chicken
In the same skillet, add the butter, then the chicken, shallots, garlic, and thyme. Sear until the chicken is golden on both sides. This builds the base flavor for the entire dish.
Step 4: Add the orzo
Once the chicken is seared, stir in the dry orzo, chili flakes, and sage. Let the orzo toast lightly for a minute or two. If the pan feels dry, add a little extra butter.
Pour in the wine and water, then stir in the cream and parmesan. Everything should come together into a light, creamy sauce.
Step 5: Bake
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is cooked through.
Remove from the oven and finish with the crispy prosciutto, plus extra fresh thyme and plenty of basil.
Summary
This dish has all the flavor of something more involved, but comes together in under an hour—and all in one skillet. Simple and so good. Just the way we love it!
Looking for other dinner recipes?? Here are my favorites:
30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs
Simple Baked Cheesy Italian Chicken Meatballs
Weeknight 30 Minute Coconut Curry Chicken Meatballs
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Sun Gold Tomato Chicken and Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to 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 Sun Gold Tomato Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon all purpose or gluten free flour
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 6 fresh sage leaves
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- chili flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- fresh basil
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then lightly coat with flour.3. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the prosciutto until crisp, then remove and set aside.4. In the same skillet, add 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the chicken, shallots, garlic, and thyme. Sear the chicken until golden, about 3–5 minutes per side.5. Add 1 tablespoon butter, the sage, orzo, 1 1/2 cups of tomatoes, and season with chili flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, until the orzo is lightly toasted.6. Pour in the wine and 2 cups of water or broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 3–5 minutes. Stir in the cream and parmesan. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the chicken is cooked through. Serve topped with 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, basil, thyme, and the crispy prosciutto.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
There is so much liquid that mine never cooked off and was more like soup than what is pictured and described in this recipe! I would use half the water/stock amount.
Thanks for trying this dish Daedra! Sorry to hear you had too much liquid, my guess is your heat needed to be turned up a bit
This recipe was ok, honestly it was just kind of boring tasting. It was easy to make and the kids ate it so that’s a win, but it isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off. There was too much liquid when the orzo was done cooking, it was very soupy.
Hi Paige,
Thanks for trying this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear your family didn’t love it!
Made this last week, and it was totally divine. Definitely don’t skip on the fresh tomatoes and basil to top, it totally brightens this dish and adds that fresh little bite. Mine had a little more sauce than I would have liked, and i’ll likely add a little extra orzo to soak some of that up next time, but i otherwise wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you, Tieghan!
Hey Lauren,
Amazing! Thanks for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out!
Have a nice week!
Yum! Loved this recipe. It worked great even with skipping the proscuitto and substituting with a pasta that I had on hand.
Hey Heidi,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad it turned out well!
Have a great Sunday!
My chicken thighs were about 80% frozen when I came home from work, so I had no hope that this would work. But I was already committed to making this recipe since I bought all the ingredients for it. And it actually turned out absolutely perfect! The chicken was golden but still moist! Your recipes never disappoint!
Thanks so much, Kendra! I’m so glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it!
I hope to try this recipe soon! Would you ever sub a different cheese for parm? If so, what kinds?! Just because I’m not the biggest parmesan fan, I’m curious if you have an idea on that. 🙂
Hey Sarah,
Sure, mozzarella would also be yummy in this dish! Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love this recipe!
Making this now. What do you think about feta cheese?
Sure!
Easy and delicious! My pan was also to the brim. I had to remove some water. Otherwise, excellent dish!
Hey Jennifer,
Happy Friday! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
We made this last night and it was fabulous! The only thing I struggled with is fitting it all in the pan. Curious what size pan you used? I will definitely make it again. The flavor profile was to die for. And now I have an excuse to buy a hug cast iron skillet lol.
Hey Debbie,
Thanks so much for trying this dish! I am so glad to hear it turned out for you! I like to use a 12 inch skillet for this recipe. I hope this helps for next time!
how much wine and heavy cream do I add? It just says 1/2. Confusing
Hi Allison,
So sorry, for any confusion, it’s 1/2 cup of wine and 1/2 cup of heavy cream.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I noticed you left the stems on the tomatoes – do the stems cook down? Would love to skip destemming if I can!
Totally up to you! I don’t mind the stems, but you can also pull them off:) I hope you love this dish!
What does 1/2 wine, 1/2 heavy cream mean?
Hi Elizabeth,
Sorry about that, it’s 1/2 cup wine and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I’m a little surprised that you were making dinner for your family so late since you said for years that that is one of the things that drove you nuts about your upbringing! I am ready for bed at 9:30 haha but kudos to you girl!!
Hey Carol,
Lol funny how things end up isn’t it?! Let me know if you end up trying this recipe!
Just made this but used a combination of fresh cherry and jarred yellow datterino tomatoes. Because the jarred tomatoes had sauce I did not have to use the chicken broth and the cream
This was delicious! Thank you
Hey Alexis,
Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well for you!
Looks and sounds delicious….am going to try tonight!
Thanks so much, Carol! I hope you love this dish!
Sounds delicious! Thoughts on freezing it? Before or after baking? Thank you!
Hey Beth!
I would bake the dish in a 9×13 inch pan. Then freeze and add fresh herbs to serve! I think that could work well.
Hope you love the dish!!