Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo is a creamy, flavor-packed one-skillet dinner that’s pure comfort food magic! With juicy seared chicken, toasted orzo, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and a luscious Parmesan cream sauce, this recipe comes together in just one pan and finishes beautifully in the oven.

Love More Chicken Orzo Recipes? Try My Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Orzo or this Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Orzo next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The orzo gets toasted right in the skillet, which gives it this incredible nutty flavor before it simmers in the creamy sauce. Those sun-dried tomatoes add bursts of concentrated tomato goodness, while fresh spinach brings color and nutrition. Plus, finishing it in the oven means you can walk away for 15 minutes instead of hovering over the stove.

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Ingredient List

For the Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or small thighs)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the Orzo & Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or grated)
• 1 cup dry orzo pasta
• ⅓ cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach
• ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (drained)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Fresh rosemary or other herbs for serving (optional)

Why These Ingredients Work

So olive oil doesn’t burn at high heat which is why you use it for searing, but butter makes absolutely everything taste better when you’re cooking onions and garlic. That’s why you use both and honestly it’s kind of brilliant. The oregano and paprika give you this warm Mediterranean-ish vibe without being too in your face Italian about it.

Toasting the orzo before you add any liquid completely transforms it. I thought my mom was being extra when she first made me do it but the flavor difference is insane. It gets nutty and toasty and almost like popcorn instead of just tasting like plain pasta. When you pour the wine in and scrape all those crusty brown bits off the bottom of the pan that’s where literally all your flavor is hiding. My mom used to call it “liquid gold” and get super dramatic while she was scraping but she wasn’t wrong.

The heavy cream and Parmesan obviously make it rich and indulgent but the Dijon is what keeps it from being heavy heavy. Just adds this subtle tang that cuts through everything. Sun-dried tomatoes are basically regular tomatoes but better—all that flavor is concentrated down so every bite has this punch. The spinach wilts right into the sauce which makes me feel slightly less guilty about eating a cup of heavy cream for dinner. And squeezing fresh lemon over the top at the very end? Not optional. It brightens everything up and keeps the whole thing from just sitting in your stomach like a rock.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large oven-safe skillet around 10-12 inches—my cast iron lives on my stove but any stainless steel pan with a metal handle works perfectly
• Tongs for flipping chicken around without stabbing it
• Wooden spoon for all the scraping up of delicious brown bits
• Meat thermometer because I got so sick of cutting into chicken to check if it was done
• Grater for fresh Parmesan because we already covered this
• Cutting board and knife just normal prep stuff

How To Make Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo

1. Preheat Your Oven and Season the Chicken

Get your oven heating to 400°F before you do anything else. While that’s going pat your chicken really dry with paper towels—I know this seems picky and unnecessary but wet chicken will not brown properly, it’ll just sort of steam and stay pale. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil all over it and rub your seasonings in. All the oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes, and be generous with salt and pepper. Like more than you think. Chicken needs a lot of seasoning or it’s bland.

2. Sear That Chicken to Golden Perfection

Heat your skillet over medium-high until it’s really hot and add the rest of your olive oil. When it starts moving around the pan easily and shimmering, add your chicken. Now comes the hardest part of this entire recipe—leave it completely alone for 3-5 minutes. Do not poke it. Do not check it. Do not flip it early. Just walk away. That’s how you get that gorgeous golden brown crust instead of pale sad steamed chicken. Flip it one time and give it another 3-5 minutes on the other side. It’s not gonna be cooked all the way through yet and that’s completely on purpose. Take it out and put it on a plate.

3. Sauté the Aromatics and Toast the Orzo

Whatever you do don’t wipe out that skillet! All the flavor from the chicken is stuck to the bottom and you need it. Drop your butter in there along with the chopped shallot and cook for a few minutes until it smells so good you start getting actually hungry. Add your garlic and orzo and keep stirring pretty much constantly for 2-3 minutes. The orzo should turn golden brown and start smelling nutty. This is the magic step that makes this recipe different from every other pasta dish.

4. Deglaze with Wine

Pour the wine right in and immediately start scraping the bottom of the pan with your wooden spoon. See all those brown crusty bits coming up? That’s not burnt food or something you did wrong—that’s concentrated chicken flavor and it’s about to make your sauce incredible. Let it bubble away for about a minute while you keep scraping.

5. Build Your Creamy Sauce

Dump in your cream, Dijon, freshly grated Parmesan, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes all at once. Stir it all together until the spinach wilts down and the cheese melts into the cream. It’s gonna look thin and liquidy right now. Like really liquidy. Don’t freak out. The orzo absorbs a ton of liquid while it bakes and it thickens up beautifully.

6. Nestle the Chicken Back In

Take your seared chicken and nestle it right back into the skillet, pushing it down into the orzo mixture. Spoon some of that creamy sauce over the top so it doesn’t dry out while it’s baking. I usually make sure each piece is at least partially covered.

7. Finish in the Oven

Stick the entire skillet in the oven without any lid or foil or anything for 10-15 minutes. Your chicken needs to hit 165°F on a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part and the sauce should be bubbling around the edges. If your chicken breasts are really thick like those massive ones from Costco they might need an extra few minutes.

8. Add the Finishing Touches

Pull it out of the oven using potholders on both hands because that handle will absolutely destroy your palm if you forget. I’ve done this probably five times and still occasionally grab it without thinking. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the entire thing and toss on some herbs if you have them. If you don’t have herbs skip it, still delicious.

You Must Know

Before you even start cooking check your skillet handle! If there’s any plastic or rubber anywhere on it, it cannot go in the oven. I melted a silicone handle off a pan once and my entire house smelled like burning plastic for two days. If your skillet isn’t oven-safe just transfer everything to a regular baking dish after step 5. And I’m gonna sound like a broken record here but you have to grate fresh Parmesan. The pre-shredded kind has anti-caking powder coating every piece and it will not melt smoothly. Your sauce ends up grainy and separated instead of silky smooth.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Don’t crowd your chicken pieces when you’re searing them or they’ll steam each other instead of browning. If your skillet isn’t big enough to fit all the chicken with space between pieces just do two batches. Takes an extra five minutes but worth it. Watch that orzo super carefully when you’re toasting it because it goes from perfect to burnt in approximately thirty seconds. I’ve definitely burnt it before and had to dump it out and start over which sucked. If your sauce is too thick after baking stir in some chicken broth or even the pasta water if you saved any. Too thin? Just wait five minutes because the orzo keeps absorbing liquid even after you take it out.

Pat those sun-dried tomatoes really dry with paper towels before they go in! They’re packed in so much oil that if you dump them in straight from the jar your sauce gets greasy and separated instead of creamy. I learned this the hard way my first attempt. If you’re using thighs instead of breasts add about five more minutes to the baking time because they’ve got more fat and take longer to cook through.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

I throw sliced mushrooms in pretty regularly when I’m cooking the shallot. Adds this earthy meaty depth that’s really really good. My sister Jen always puts bell peppers in hers and swears it’s better that way. Zucchini works great too—just add it when you add the spinach so it doesn’t turn to complete mush. Want something lighter? Use half-and-half instead of heavy cream but just know your sauce won’t be nearly as thick or rich. I’ve crumbled feta cheese on top right before serving and it was honestly incredible.

Fresh basil on this is amazing. Better than rosemary in my opinion but both work. Or skip herbs completely, it’s still delicious either way. My friend Dave who puts hot sauce on everything doubles the red pepper flakes and sometimes adds cayenne. My coworker Maria adds artichoke hearts with the sun-dried tomatoes and says it’s life-changing.

Make-Ahead Options

This is really best straight out of the oven all hot and bubbling. But you can definitely prep ahead if you’re more organized than I am which is basically everyone. Season your chicken in the morning and leave it covered in the fridge. Chop your shallot and garlic early. Measure out all your ingredients so when you’re actually cooking you can just dump and stir without thinking.

If you want to make the entire thing ahead do everything through building the sauce, let it cool down completely, and stick it in the fridge for up to a day. When you’re ready to actually eat bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes or so then nestle the chicken in and bake. You’ll probably need an extra five minutes since everything’s starting cold.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Baking time varies so much depending on how thick your chicken is. Those thin cutlets might only need 8 minutes while really thick breasts could take closer to 20. That’s exactly why a meat thermometer is worth every single penny. Just stick it in the thickest part and when it hits 165°F you’re done. The orzo keeps soaking up sauce even after you remove it from the oven so if you’re not eating immediately you’ll definitely need to stir in more cream or broth when you reheat.

Don’t skip the wine deglaze even if you think it’s an unnecessary extra step! Those brown bits stuck to the pan are literally pure concentrated chicken flavor. If you don’t want alcohol or don’t have wine just use chicken broth but throw in a splash of vinegar or extra lemon juice so you still get that bright acidic pop that makes everything taste balanced and fresh.

Serving Suggestions

This is honestly already a complete meal in one pan. You’ve got protein and carbs and vegetables all together. But if you want sides I usually throw together the simplest possible green salad with whatever lettuce I have and some vinaigrette to cut through all that richness. And crusty bread is basically mandatory at our house because soaking up the sauce is legitimately everyone’s favorite part. My kids argue over who gets the last piece of bread. Sometimes I make garlic bread if I’m feeling ambitious or if we have company coming.

Roasted green beans or asparagus on the side are great if you want more vegetables to feel virtuous. Pour yourself a glass of whatever wine you cooked with. I’ve served this to company multiple times and people always ask for the recipe and act shocked when I tell them how easy it is. But it’s also easy enough that I make it on random Tuesday nights when everyone’s exhausted and cranky and I just need dinner done.

How to Store Your Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo

Put any leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge for 3-4 days. The orzo’s gonna soak up even more sauce overnight so the next day it’s thicker and almost risotto-like which is honestly still delicious. Just add a good splash of chicken broth or cream when you’re reheating to loosen everything back up.

To reheat: Microwave individual portions for a minute or two and stir it around halfway through so it heats evenly. Or heat the whole batch in a covered skillet on medium-low with some extra liquid added, stirring occasionally until it’s hot all the way through.

Freezing: I’m gonna be completely honest with you, cream-based sauces get weird and grainy when you freeze them. The dairy separates and it’s just not great when you thaw it. But if you absolutely have to you can freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat really slowly on the stovetop, stirring in extra cream to try to bring the sauce back together.

Allergy Information

This recipe has dairy (butter, cream, Parmesan), gluten (orzo pasta), and sulfites from the wine.

For dairy-free you could try coconut cream instead of heavy cream and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan. It won’t taste exactly the same obviously but it’s still pretty good. Use dairy-free butter or just extra olive oil. For gluten-free grab gluten-free orzo or use another small gluten-free pasta shape, just watch the cooking time because literally every brand is completely different.

No alcohol? Replace the wine with the same amount of chicken broth plus a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice to get that acidic brightness. This is naturally nut-free so you’re good there.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My sauce is too thin after baking. What do I do?

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes after you pull it out of the oven. The orzo continues absorbing liquid while everything cools down slightly and your sauce will thicken up on its own. Still too watery? Put it back on the stovetop without the chicken and let it simmer for a few minutes to cook off some liquid.

What if I don’t have an oven-safe skillet?

No problem! After you build your sauce in step 5 just dump everything including the chicken into a greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover it with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes then take the foil off for the last 5 minutes so it can thicken up.

The orzo is still crunchy after baking. Help!

That usually means there wasn’t enough liquid before it went into the oven. Make absolutely sure you’re using a full cup of cream and not accidentally reducing it too much while it’s simmering on the stovetop. If this happens stir in half a cup of chicken broth, cover the pan with foil, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the orzo’s tender.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear how your Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo turned out and any fun variations you tried!