One Pan Tuscan Orzo with Chicken

This One Pan Tuscan Orzo with Chicken recipe has juicy, flavorful chicken breast and tender orzo in a creamy sauce flavored with sun dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan. Easy enough for weeknights but perfect for entertaining!

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients Needed:
2. How to Make Tuscan Orzo with Chicken
3. Tuscan Orzo with Chicken FAQs
4. Tips and Variations
5. Serving Suggestions
6. More Delicious One-Pot Recipes to Try
7. One Pan Tuscan Orzo with Chicken Recipe

This Tuscan Orzo with Chicken is made with pan-seared, tender chicken breasts in a creamy, Italian-inspired sauce — it’s a complete, delicious dinner that only takes 35 minutes to make, and it freezes well, too.

​This creamy Tuscan chicken orzo recipe is super easy to make your own, just add in your favorite veggies, change up the seasonings, or add some heat!

If you love the flavors of this easy Tuscan chicken recipe, check out my One Pan Tuscan Chicken and Potato Skillet, Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts, Crockpot Tuscan Chicken. 

For some more comforting but quick pasta dishes, try this One Pot BBQ Chicken and Pasta, Gnocchi with Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes, my Instant Pot Italian Chicken Pasta, and this Greek Pasta Salad. 

Ingredients Needed:

Chicken

• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would work great, too!
• Oil: Olive oil or canola oil will work well for pan-searing the chicken. 
• Seasonings: season the chicken with a blend of salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and black pepper. You can also use your favorite blend!

Orzo

• Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes are extra juicy and bring bursts of fresh flavor to this dish. 
• Minced Garlic: freshly minced garlic will give you the best flavor here. 
• Chicken Broth: I always choose low-sodium chicken broth and add salt as needed. Feel free to adjust the salt based on your tastes and which broth you have.
• Heavy Cream: full-fat heavy cream will be the base for the cream sauce. If you use a lighter cream or milk, there is a chance that it will curdle while cooking.
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: sun-dried tomatoes will give you a rich, deep tomato flavor in the sauce. 
• Salt and Black Pepper: since the chicken is well seasoned, we just need a little salt and pepper to spice up the cream sauce.
• Orzo: almost any kind of short pasta will work well here if you prefer a different kind. 
• Chopped Spinach: use fresh spinach for this recipe to add color and a ton of nutrients. 
• Parmesan Cheese: freshly shredded parmesan has the best flavor.

How to Make Tuscan Orzo with Chicken

This recipe is quick and easy! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.

1. Pound chicken: Pound the thick ends of the chicken breasts so they are an even thickness. This ensures they cook evenly.
2. Season and sear chicken: Season the chicken and sear it on a pan with oil. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Cook tomatoes and sauce: Cook cherry tomatoes in the skillet until starting to blister. Add the garlic, then stir in chicken broth, cream, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook.
4. Add orzo: Put the orzo in the pan and stir it in.
5. Put chicken back and cook: Add the chicken back in, cover and simmer until orzo is al dente.
6. Add spinach and parmesan and serve: Stir in spinach and Parmesan before serving.

Tuscan Orzo with Chicken FAQs

Tips and Variations

• Meat thermometer. Check that your chicken is fully cooked by inserting an internal meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken breasts. When it reads 165°F or above, it’s done.
• Cream. Heavy cream makes for a very rich and flavorful sauce. A lighter cream or half-and-half will not thicken the same way, so if you do use a lighter cream, you may want to uncover for part of the cook time.
• Veggies. Add in extra veggies like green beans, mushrooms, red peppers, or asparagus. Just give them a light sauté before adding in the liquid for the sauce (cook them in place of the cherry tomatoes, or with the cherry tomatoes). 
• Add some heat. Make this dish a bit spicy by adding some of your favorite hot sauce, some red pepper flakes, or some cayenne pepper to the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

​The beauty of one-pot recipes is that they really are great just on their own. Making a whole dinner in one pot is the dream, right?!

If you want to fill it out to make it go further, or if you want some extra nutrients in your meal you can add some colorful side dishes.

Some delicious recipes I often serve on the side of one-pot meals like this include Air Fryer Broccoli, Air Fryer Green Beans, Roasted Vegetables, Green Beans with Bacon, and even this Easy Broccoli Salad. 

We love having bread on the side as well. Try my Homemade Crescent Rolls, this No Knead Artisan Bread, Cheesy Garlic Bread, or Mom’s Homemade Buns. 

More Delicious One-Pot Recipes to Try

Chicken

• Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to pound the thick ends so they are an even thickness.

• Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the oil.

• Stir together the salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, and pepper and sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.

• Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown. Remove and keep warm.

Orzo pasta

• To the same skillet, add the tomatoes and cook 3-4 minutes until they start to blister.

• Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

• Stir in chicken broth, cream, sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

• Stir in the orzo, and add the chicken back on top of the orzo. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente.

• Stir in spinach and Parmesan before serving. *Note that it may look quite thin right after you finish cooking but it will thicken considerably in the first 10 minutes as it sits off the heat.

Ingredients and Substitutions:
chicken: you can easily swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs and continue with the recipe as written! Italian sausage, smoked sausage, or almost any other protein can also be subbed in here — just make sure it is browned before continuing with the recipe. White beans are a great vegetarian protein!
tomatoes: I love blistered cherry tomatoes and the do add some tomato-y flavor to the sauce. If you don’t enjoy tomatoes you can leave them out, or you can add in extra vegetables and just give them a saute before adding the liquid.
chicken broth: I always choose low sodium chicken broth and add salt as needed. Feel free to adjust the salt based on your tastes and which broth you have.
cream: heavy creamy makes for a very rich and flavorful sauce. A lighter cream will not thicken the same way, so if you do use a lighter cream I recommend reducing the broth by ¼ cup.
orzo: almost any short pasta will work here!
Storage:

• Store: Store this dish cooked and cooled in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in portions in the microwave, or cover an oven-safe dish with foil and reheat in the oven until piping hot.
• Freeze: Store in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm with a splash of broth in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Serving: 421grams | Calories: 518cal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 896mg | Potassium: 1098mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1744IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 3mg

Keywords tuscan orzo

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