One skillet Parmesan chicken and orzo. A perfect dinner that’s quick, easy and super flavorful. Pan seared chicken breasts and orzo cooked together with spinach and Parmesan for a complete dinner. Truly one of those all-in-one-dinners that just about everyone will love.
Why You’ll Love this Parmesan Chicken Orzo Recipe
A chicken dinner that’s comforting and hearty, thanks to Parmesan cheese, tender spinach and smooth orzo, but also with a touch of acidity from the white wine and a splash of lemon juice that finishes it all off.
This one skillet dinner feels both satisfying and special, which makes this a meal that ticks all the boxes as a fast dish on a weeknight but also a wholesome meal for family dinners in the weekends…. yet can be fancy enough to impress friends on a dinner party.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
Helpful Tips
- If you want to keep the dish extra healthy, swap the orzo for quinoa or farro, both should have similar cooking times.
- Not a fan of spinach? Use broccoli or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
More delicious chicken recipes
Cooking Video: How to Make One-Pot Parmesan Chicken and Orzo
One Skillet Parmesan Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients
- ½ cup orzo pasta
- 2 chicken fillets
- 3.5 ounces spinach
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 shallot thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced (more if you love garlic)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth more if needed
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Transfer to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.
- Reduce heat to low, add shallot and garlic. Cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat, add white wine, simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the orzo. Add chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, while stirring constantly. Turn down the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes or until the orzo is soft.
- Add the parmesan cheese and spinach, stir until the spinach is wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add more broth if needed, the orzo should be sticky and creamy, not dry. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Serve. Enjoy!
Just made this tonight and wow!! It’s one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. Thank you for this recipe! It was really simple and I made it without the wine (subbed extra chicken broth) because I didn’t have any but it is excellent. I like that it’s all one pot too.
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for giving it a try!
I also enjoyed this dish because simple dinners really is where it’s at . Absolutely 💯 fabulous.
Love hearing this! Thank you so much for giving it a try!
A “keeper” for sure! I substituted chicken broth for the white wine because I didn’t have any wine in the house. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. Simple AND delicious!
That’s so nice to hear! Thank you for giving it a try!
Could you please clarify the amount of chicken broth? 1/5 cup isn’t equal to 350 ml. Thanks!
hi! thank you for noticing. The recipe is fixed, I’m sorry for the confusion. Hope you love this one!
This was easy, fast, and delicious!!
Just got done making this & how easy was that! It is just a tad too salty for me so I’ll have to find a way to cut back on that. It’s to be expected with the cheese. Maybe next time unsalted butter & low sodium broth. Great recipe.
Fantastic ! I’m so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try!
Can I omit the parm? I have a dairy allergy and can’t have it, do you think it would still taste decent without it?
Hi, you can omit the parmesan. hope you love it!
Absolutely delicious 🥰😋. Made a few tweaks. Had kale instead of spinach.
Delicious but in the ingredients you don’t say how much orzo. I estimated and did not put enough. Probably a typo but just letting you know.
Hi, it’s the first item on the ingredient list. Happy cooking!
This was really good , 16 year old who can sometimes be picky loved it ! I’m a wimp with spice but the kick was good !
This dish was wonderful! super easy to make and great for a week night meal- delicious
I tripled the recipe for 4 people and there was enough left over for 1 more meal. I cut the cayenne to 1/3 of the recipe which made it nice without overwhelming. Everyone loved it!
This is just delicious. Easy to make and the flavor was sooo good!
Hi there! Rest recipe. If making this for 5 people, how much time would you add on?
Hi! The cooking time for the orzo remains the same. For the chicken fillets, you can cook them in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet. This might extend your prep time by approximately 5 minutes. Enjoy the recipe!