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Creamy, hearty one-pot Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo with lemon and garlic! This easy complete dinner recipe involves minimal prep and cleanup for the simplest satisfying meal!
Can you believe this is my very first orzo recipe?
Truth be told, I hadn’t found a gluten-free orzo until recently, which is why it has taken me so long to get on the tiny pasta train.
I’m so happy I discovered a source, because this ultra quick and flavorful sun-dried tomato chicken orzo is my new favorite weeknight meal.
It gives off Italian restaurant vibes yet couldn’t be easier to prepare!
The way I see it, this quick and simple one-pot wonder is ideal for meal prep and is also easy to whip up any night after work. Plus, it is easy to customize with different flavor additions and vegetables!
The best part is this easy one-pan dinner is made with simple ingredients that can be found at any grocery store.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- One-Pot Meal: Everything gets prepared in one pot or skillet, which makes cleanup extra easy!
- Complete Dinner: All the protein and carbohydrates we need are loaded into this recipe. You can also easily add a fiber source in the form of fresh veggies.
- Quick and Easy: Preparing the meal takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish, making it ideal for busy weeknights!
- Versatile: The recipe is delicious and flavorful as is, but you can customize it by adding various ingredients, including fresh vegetables.
Ingredient Notes:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: One of the all-star ingredients, boneless chicken thighs are the protein source. I prefer using thighs over breasts because they have richer flavor and tend to stay moist regardless of the cooking time.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts can be more finicky and turn out stiff or dry when overcooked.
Fresh Garlic: Providing a big backdrop of flavor for this easy dinner recipe, garlic cloves go a long way.
Orzo Pasta: Pick your favorite brand of orzo. I use Jovial Grain-Free Cassava Orzo, which turns out soft and tender and generates a thick sauce.
Chicken Broth: Like any kind of pasta noodle, orzo absorbs liquid. I use chicken stock for the cooking liquid and to serve as part of the sauce.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: A little canned coconut milk goes a long way in adding creaminess to the creamy sauce.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: One of my favorite ingredients to use in weeknight dinners, sun-dried tomatoes add that rustic tangy flavor that is impossible to duplicate.
Lemon Zest: A little citrus twist enhances the whole experience. Add in some fresh lemon juice too if you’d like.
Italian Seasoning and Sea Salt: Some dried herbs give the creamy orzo an herby appeal. Season the meal to taste using salt and black pepper.
Recipe Adaptations:
- Add in any fresh vegetables you’d like 10 minutes before the dish has finished cooking. Zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, baby spinach, green peas, and broccoli are all good options.
- For bigger flavor, add 1 cup of chopped artichoke hearts, 1-2 tablespoons of capers, 2/3 cup feta cheese, and up to ½ cup of chopped kalamata olives for Greek chicken orzo.
- If you do dairy, swap the full-fat canned coconut milk for heavy cream or half & half.
- Stir in ½ cup to 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese at the end of cooking if you’re a cheese lover.
- Add ¼ cup of dry white wine or marsala wine for some intoxicating flavor.
- Use 3 to 4 cups of chopped leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken if you have it on hand!
- Sauté some diced onion with the chicken, or add onion powder for onion flavor.
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Lemon Chicken Orzo:
Heat the avocado oil in a large deep skillet with a lip or thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken thighs and brown for a few minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3-5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to medium heat and cover the skillet with a lid.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times throughout this process to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Remove the lid and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until the orzo is cooked through yet al dente, and much of the liquid has evaporated. Taste the dish for flavor and add more sea salt, lemon zest, or toss in some red pepper flakes to your personal taste.
If you’d like, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese on top of the orzo.
Serve sun-dried tomato chicken orzo in bowls and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
And that’s it! The next time you’re craving Italian food for dinner, whip up this easy one-pot meal!
If you love preparing Italian cuisine at home, also try these gems!
More Italian Recipes:
- Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Mary Me Chicken Pasta
- Salmon Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Gluten-Free Dairy-free Creamy Chicken Pasta
- Mediterranean Shrimp Pasta
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil
- 1 to 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup orzo
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 cup julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large deep skillet with a lip or thick-bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the chopped chicken thighs and brown for a few minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3-5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to medium heat and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times throughout this process to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking, stirring regularly, until the orzo is cooked through yet al dente, and much of the liquid has evaporated. Taste the dish for flavor and add more sea salt, lemon zest, or toss in some red pepper flakes to your personal taste. If you’d like, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese on top of the orzo.
- Serve sun-dried tomato chicken orzo in bowls and enjoy!
Notes
Optional Additions:
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
- 2/3 cup feta cheese crumbles
- 1 Tbsp capers
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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