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Home / Recipes
45 minutes
4.67 from 39 votes
69 Comments

One Pot Chicken and Orzo

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe
  • 560
by: Joanna Cismaru
04.11.22

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One Pot Chicken and Orzo – a delicious creamy orzo one pot dish with chicken thighs, orzo and sun dried tomatoes. All in one pot, easy, quick and prefect for a weeknight dinner!

one pot chicken and orzo in a skillet

I was so excited with how delicious this dish came out. Yeah sometimes I amaze myself too when I simply throw ingredients together in a pot hoping for some miracle and something totally drool worthy comes out. Lately I’ve been using and abusing orzo because I mean there’s not enough orzo dishes out there in the world!

But in the meantime, this orzo skillet dinner has me drooling just writing about it now, because all I can do is think about going to the kitchen and helping myself to another serving. Pan fried chicken thighs with orzo in a creamy sauce with sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. It really is heavenly.

chicken thighs being cooked in a skillet

Never Cooked With Orzo?

Well then you’re in for quite a treat! Orzo is a small cut pasta that tastes heavenly in creamy, rich entrees just like the one I’m writing out for you all today.

What Are Sun Dried Tomatoes?

Sun dried tomatoes are tomatoes that have lost their moisture due to drying out in the sun, so they’re little dehydrated morsels! They are then stored in super flavorful oil which allows them to be packed full of flavor and easy to incorporate into lots of different meals.

chicken thighs cooked on one side in a skillet

Ingredients

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  • Chicken – Thighs, bone in and with skin.
  • Onion – We want something that cooks down well like white or yellow.
  • Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
  • Orzo – We want this small shaped pasta for our dish, but you could also substitute it with couscous.
  • Liquids – Heavy cream and low sodium chicken broth make up our liquid base.
  • Spices – Seasoning salt and red pepper flakes for some dimension and heat!
  • Sun dried tomatoes – I love to really amp up the flavor of my pasta dishes by combining sun dried tomatoes with a nice creamy sauce – believe me it’s delish.
  • Herbs – Some fresh basil chopped up, you can always substitute this for dried if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Cheese – Parmesan cheese, some of the good stuff grated up fresh.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
  • Butter and olive oil – We want to combine butter and olive oil to brown up our goodies, this will ensure we get all that brown butter flavor without any burnt butter bitterness.
cooking onion and sun dried tomatoes in a skillet

How To Make One Pot Chicken and Orzo

  1. Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with seasoning salt on both sides. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet and fry on both sides until no longer pink inside, about 5 min per side, but each cooktop is different so you’ll have to watch it.
  2. Saute the sauteables: Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Dump the leftover oil from the skillet but do not scrape the brown bits, leave those for the sauce. Add 2 tbsp of butter and melt over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes and cook for about 5 minutes, just until the onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Combine the dish: Add the orzo, heavy cream, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese to the skillet and stir everything together. Bring to a boil, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
  4. Finish the dish: Add the chicken back to the skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and most of the sauce has been evaporated or absorbed by the orzo. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh basil.
cooking a creamy sauce in a skillet

Using Chicken Breast In Place Of Thigh

If you use chicken breasts, cut them in half first so that they cook through, otherwise cook it exactly as you would normally!

What Pairs Well With Chicken and Orzo

This rich, hearty dish pairs beautifully with light and simple sides like salads and roasted veggies. This creamy dreamy orzo is completely satisfying on its own so if you’d rather just curl up on the couch with a big old bowl, I certainly won’t try to stop you!

  • Creamy Cucumber Salad
  • Greek Salad
  • Mediterranean Couscous Salad
  • Kale And Quinoa Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
  • Tabbouleh Salad
  • Italian Roasted Mushrooms And Veggies
cooked chicken thighs in a creamy sauce being cooked with orzo in a skillet

What Else Can I Add

Another great thing about this recipe, besides it being, quick and delicious,  is the fact that it’s quite versatile. Although I give you a basic recipe here, feel free to add what you’d like to bulk it up a bit and maybe even make it a bit healthier!

VeggiesMeatStarches
SpinachBaconCouscous
BroccoliPancettaPasta
AsparagusRice
Peas
Mushrooms
one pot chicken and orzo in a skillet

Storing Leftovers

Fridge

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in for 3 to 5 days.

Freezer

Transfer the chicken and orzo to an airtight container and freeze up to 2 months.

a serving of chicken and orzo in a green plate

More Delicious Orzo Recipes To Try:

  • One Pot Spicy Pork Ragu with Orzo
  • One Pot Cheesy Taco Orzo
  • Mediterranean Orzo Salad
  • Lemon Orzo with Asparagus
  • One Pot Greek Chicken Orzo
  • Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus

More Delicious Chicken Thigh Recipes To Try

  • Spinach and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken Stroganoff
  • Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
  • Smothered Chicken
  • Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken and Mushrooms in Creamy Dill Sauce
  • Chicken in a Hurry
  • One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice
  • Chicken Adobo

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

creamy chicken orzo with sundried tomatoes in a skillet

One Pot Chicken and Orzo

4.67 from 39 votes
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 45 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 6
Print Pin Rate
One Pot Chicken and Orzo – a delicious creamy orzo one pot dish with chicken thighs, orzo and sun dried tomatoes. All in one pot, easy, quick and prefect for a weeknight dinner!

Equipment

  • 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 chicken thighs with skin and bone in
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup basil chopped

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with seasoning salt on both sides. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet and fry on both sides until no longer pink inside, about 5 min per side, but each cooktop is different so you’ll have to watch it.
  • Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Dump the leftover oil from the skillet but do not scrape the brown bits, leave those for the sauce.
  • Add 2 tbsp of butter and melt over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes and cook for about 5 minutes, just until the onion is soft and translucent.
  • Add the orzo, heavy cream, chicken broth and Parmesan cheese to the skillet and stir everything together. Bring to a boil, taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.
  • Add the chicken back to the skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and most of the sauce has been evaporated or absorbed by the orzo.
  • Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh basil.

Recipe Notes

  1. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in for 3 to 5 days.
  2. Transfer the chicken and orzo to an airtight container and freeze up to 2 months.
  3. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 241gCalories: 582kcal (29%)Carbohydrates: 26g (9%)Protein: 27g (54%)Fat: 42g (65%)Saturated Fat: 18g (113%)Cholesterol: 178mg (59%)Sodium: 596mg (26%)Potassium: 575mg (16%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 938IU (19%)Vitamin C: 4mg (5%)Calcium: 106mg (11%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Course:Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine:American
Keyword:chicken and orzo, one pot, one pot chicken and orzo
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 560

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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Comments

  1. G.E. Lambert says

    March 14, 2021 at 5:26 pm

    5 stars
    My family loves this recipe. We use boneless breasts because he doesn’t like dark meat, but it comes out beautifully every time. I had only used orzo pasta in soups previously and was delighted to find how perfect it was in this recipe. We come back to this again and again. Thanks so much for all your recipes.

    Reply
  2. Haley says

    November 1, 2020 at 3:14 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe!! I used breasts and but them in half as recommended – they turned out great and super tender. All in all took about 30 mins and there was virtually no prep aside from chopping onions which made me love it more!!

    Reply
  3. rachel says

    August 12, 2020 at 10:28 am

    The sun dried tomato, is it the ones in oil or not?

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      August 12, 2020 at 10:33 am

      Yes we used the ones in oil!

      Reply
  4. G.E. says

    July 1, 2020 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    Third time making this for dinner and it’s better every time. Thank you so much for all your great recipes!

    Reply
  5. Sky says

    June 14, 2020 at 9:40 pm

    Made this this for Sunday dinner for my mom and gran. It came out amazing, and they loved it! Thank You!

    However, I wonder if I can add more orzo next time? As one cup was not enough food to feed three people, not sure how it serves six. 🙁

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      June 15, 2020 at 10:00 am

      For sure! Of course it completely depends on portion size. You can hover your mouse cursor over the number or servings in the recipe card to increase the amounts of the ingredients. That way, you can appropriately increase the orzo, broth, and seasonings to get the same flavor. Of course, you don’t have to increase the number of chicken thighs.

      Reply
  6. Amy Berger says

    September 13, 2019 at 11:38 am

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe. Just subbed 1 extra cup of chicken stock for the cream. It’s a great “blank slate” recipe. The process is incredible! I’m sure it’s amazing with cream. Just trying to cut back where I can, you understand! Orzo cooks so fast. Love the one skillet supper. I’ve used olives, artichoke hearts, scallions. After looking at your blog, there are other great recipes to try. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  7. Jennifer says

    August 23, 2019 at 7:36 am

    5 stars
    Yummy Jo!!! I only had left over rotisserie chicken, so it made it even sinchier 🙂 Had this delicious meal last night, and I can hardly wait for lunch leftovers today! The basil on top really put it over – Thank you for another fabulous recipe! 🙂 <3

    Reply
    • jo says

      August 23, 2019 at 11:49 am

      My pleasure, so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  8. Rebecca Becker says

    August 11, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    5 stars
    So good and so easy to make!

    Reply
  9. Wendy says

    March 28, 2019 at 4:43 pm

    Delicious! My husband and I Loved it!!! This is a keeper!!!

    Reply
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Joanna Cismaru

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I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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