Creamy Tuscan Chicken and Orzo Skillet
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This creamy Tuscan chicken and orzo skillet is simple, cozy, and only uses one pan! It has creamy Parmesan orzo, kale, sun-dried tomatoes, and seasoned chicken thighs for a super flavorful, satisfying dinner. You definitely need to add this one to your dinner rotation!
“This recipe was amazing! I loved everything about it…I had a small dinner party and my guests went back for seconds. So easy to make and yet seemed so complex and elegant.” – Janine
January is cold and soggy and doesn’t have any of the sparkly joy of Christmas, blah, blah, blah we all know about it. So I won’t go on even though I’m pouting. But, if we all must do the January thing, we should at least get some cozy, one-skillet dinners about it. I’m talking carbs. I’m talking cheese! Let’s hear it for crispy chicken skin, one of life’s most decadent pleasures.
This is the kind of meal that sticks to your bones and gives you the warm-and-fuzzies. Like Dutch oven chicken and dumplings or creamy marry me chicken pasta, it’s an ‘eat on the couch, watch the snow out the window, chat with friends over wine’ kind of dinner.
And ok, truth be told, there’s nothing in this recipe that necessarily makes it ‘Tuscan’. But it does have Tuscan-inspired ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, greens, Parmesan, lemon, and garlic. Unbelievably delicious for parties and special get-togethers!
I’m even sharing my secrets for super crispy chicken skin that I learned when I was in culinary school, so you know it’s gonna be good. Let’s make it!
Tuscan-inspired ingredients
Like I said, this recipe uses Tuscan-inspired flavors like sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, kale, garlic, and Parmesan. You will also need bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, shallots, orzo, dry white wine, chicken broth, heavy cream, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, sage, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, olive oil, Morton’s Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper.
Season & sear the chicken
Here’s how I learned how to get perfectly crisp chicken skin in culinary school! Place the chicken skin-side down in super hot, shimmering oil – don’t move it! Once the chicken easily releases from the pan, it’s ready to go. If it’s still sticking to the pan, keep cooking.
Make the dish
Other cuts of chicken
I like chicken thighs best but the recipe would definitely work with other cuts! If you still want to use dark meat, I would use drumsticks in place of the chicken thighs. If you like white meat, use chicken breasts instead. Depending on your tastes, you can use boneless, skinless or bone-in, skin-on breasts in this recipe.
Just keep in mind that, depending on the size, drumsticks and breasts may cook quicker than thighs. Use a meat thermometer to keep from overcooking the chicken. It’s ready when the chicken reaches 165°F. If necessary, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest while the orzo continues cooking.
Serving tips
While this skillet is a meal in itself, sometimes I like to add a simple side dish to round out the meal. For veggies, I like lemony green beans, charred broccoli, or a simple green salad with sherry shallot dressing. It’s also amazing with garlic butter dinner rolls or cheesy pesto stuffed garlic bread!
Refrigerating & reheating
Pop any leftovers in an airtight container. Then, refrigerate for up for 3 days. To reheat the leftovers, they can be microwaved for 1-2 minutes until hot throughout. Keep in mind, the skin won’t be as crispy!
Personally, I like to reheat leftovers in the oven so the skin crisps up. Place the leftovers in a baking dish and add a splash of chicken broth to the orzo to keep it from drying out. Next, bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken and Orzo Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 pound)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large shallot, diced
- 1 1/4 cups orzo pasta
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less, to taste)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 2 cups kale, julienned
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, halved
- Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 12-inch cast-iron pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and sage. Pat the chicken thighs dry and then sprinkle evenly with the spice mix, a generous amount of Kosher salt, and freshly-ground black pepper. Using clean hands, pat the rub into the chicken thighs.
- Next, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook 4-6 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden brown. The skin is ready when it easily releases from the pan. Flip and cook another 2-3 minutes to sear the other side. Place the chicken thighs on a plate to rest while you make the orzo.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallot and cook until it’s soft, about 1 minute. Add the orzo and cook until it’s golden, another 2-3 minutes. Next, stir in the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce by half. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Boil until the orzo is halfway cooked, about 4-5 minutes. Then, pour in the heavy cream, Parmesan, kale, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir well until the kale starts to wilt.
- Nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up on top of the orzo. Pop the skillet in the oven and cook until the pasta is cooked through and the chicken reaches 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh, about 12-15 minutes.
- Garnish the chicken and orzo with extra Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice. Enjoy!
Excellent dish fit for company!
I used fresh spinach instead of kale and I used 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs. I have made it twice so far and it will be in the regular rotation.
Thank You
Thanks so much, Mary! I’m so glad you like this recipe. 🙂 Definitely going to try it with spinach next time!
This recipe was amazing! I loved everything about it. Only thing I altered was the red pepper flakes (I didn’t have any on hand, so I omitted it). I had a small dinner party and my guests went back for seconds.
So easy to make and yet seemed so complex and elegant.
Oh yay, I’m so glad you and your guests loved it, Janine! Thanks so much for trying this recipe. 🙂