Baked Chicken and Orzo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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Cheesy baked chicken and orzo with sun-dried tomatoes is a comforting, one-pot meal packed with flavor. Made with budget-friendly bone-in chicken, this Italian-style dish stays moist, turns irresistibly tender, and comes together in about an hour—perfect for busy nights!
Baked Chicken and Orzo Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine: Italian / Mediterranean
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4–6
Why You’ll Love It:
- Easy, one-pan chicken dinner with minimal cleanup
- Juicy, flavorful chicken baked with creamy orzo
- Sun-dried tomatoes and garlic add rich Mediterranean flavor
- Budget-friendly and perfect for busy weeknights
My husband is a pasta lover, and I am all about easy meals that don’t leave a sink full of dishes. This baked chicken orzo has become our go-to weeknight favorite. It’s simple, hearty, and packed with flavor. It is right up there with my one-pan Shrimp and Orzo recipe when I need a comforting dinner that comes together fast.
This chicken and orzo bake all starts with perfectly seasoned chicken, and the flavor builds as the tender orzo soaks up the creamy garlic and sun-dried tomato sauce. Cooked in one pan, the flavors blend into a rich, comforting meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
I love using bone-in skin-on chicken legs for this recipe because they are forgiving, have incredible flavor, and are budget-friendly. It’s proof that simple ingredients can make a truly delicious one-pan chicken dinner.
Serve your chicken and orzo with a simple salad or your favorite vegetable for a complete meal. It’s easy, comforting, and cleanup is a breeze! What more could you ask for?
Baked Chicken and Orzo Ingredients
Chicken Leg Quarters: Separate the thighs and drumsticks. I like the extra flavor of using bone-in skin-on chicken, but you can remove the skin. Boneless skinless chicken thighs also work well in this recipe, but you should adjust your cooking time because they will cook more quickly.
Fresh Garlic: For the best flavor, I recommend using fresh, finely diced, or minced garlic.
Sun-dried tomatoes packed in Oil: Chop or dice the tomatoes into small pieces so that they are evenly distributed throughout the pasta.
Orzo Pasta: Orzo is a small rice-shaped pasta. Its small shape is perfect for this dish. It cooks quickly and absorbs the sauce in the time it takes the chicken to finish cooking.
Chicken Broth: I prefer to use low-sodium chicken broth or stock in this recipe so I can control the dish’s saltiness since I will be adding cheese to the sauce.
Heavy Cream: The heavy cream adds a creamy texture to the pasta.
Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: I use equal parts of both Italian cheeses so that you get the nuttiness of the Parmesan and the saltiness of the Pecorino. If you only have one cheese, that is fine. I recommend using freshly grated cheese so it melts easily into your sauce. Pre-grated cheese may contain additives that keep it from clumping, which also keeps the cheese from melting properly.
Seasonings: Onion powder and garlic powder for the chicken and Italian seasoning for the sauce.
Variations
Here are a few ways I like to change this up a bit. This dish is so versatile that I am sure you can come up with more ideas.
- Swap out the sun-dried tomatoes for cherry tomatoes and add some fresh spinach just before popping it into the oven for a Tuscan version.
- If you want a Greek flavor profile, add a little lemon juice to the sauce, use oregano instead of the Italian seasoning, and add some crumbled Feta cheese in place of the Parmesan and Pecorino.
- To make an all-in-one dinner, add some broccoli florets to the garlic and sundried tomatoes and saute for a minute before adding the orzo.
- Make this spicy by stirring in some red pepper flakes!
Special Equipment and Alternatives
You will need a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven to cook this meal in one pan. If you don’t have a pan that can go into the oven, follow the steps below in a large skillet on the stovetop, and then transfer everything to an oven-safe dish or casserole dish before baking.
I recommend using a meat thermometer to test the temperature of the chicken for the best results. The chicken needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Season and brown the chicken pieces: Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Season both sides and under the skin of the chicken. Brown the chicken in hot oil for about 5 minutes per side in a large skillet set over medium heat. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
2. Prepare the orzo and sauce: Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Stir in the orzo, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and cook for a minute. Add the chicken stock and heavy cream, and cook for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated cheese.
3. Bake the chicken: Return the chicken to the pan and nestle it into the orzo. Place the skillet in a preheated 400 degrees F oven and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
4. Rest the baked chicken and orzo: Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken and orzo rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Cooking Tips
- Dry the chicken pieces with paper towels before seasoning them. This will remove extra moisture from the chicken and keep the oil from splattering when adding the chicken to the hot pan.
- Giving the chicken and orzo a few minutes to rest before serving allows the sauce to set and the flavors to come together.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers are even better the next day! However, be sure to store them safely by refrigerating them in an airtight container.
Your creamy chicken and orzo can be reheated in the microwave or covered in a 350-degree F oven for 10-15 minutes.
If you love cozy, one-pan dinners, this baked chicken and orzo is a must-try. The orzo bakes up perfectly creamy while the chicken stays tender and full of flavor. It’s simple enough for a weeknight but satisfying enough for Sunday dinner. Try adding lemon and oregano for a Greek twist, or a handful of spinach and extra Parmesan for a Tuscan-style version. However you make it, this dish delivers comfort, flavor, and easy cleanup every single time.
Baked Chicken and Orzo FAQs
Yes, you can use leftover chicken in place of the raw chicken in this recipe. It will actually cut down the cooking time since you won’t have to brown the chicken before baking it.
Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces. Make the sauce following the instructions above, then add the cooked chicken to the orzo and bake for 20 minutes.
Use the exact liquid amount listed in the recipe and let the dish rest for 5–10 minutes after baking. The orzo will finish absorbing liquid off-heat and turn creamy without becoming soggy
No, the orzo goes in uncooked. As it bakes, it absorbs the broth and creamy sauce, becoming perfectly tender while soaking up all the chicken’s flavor. Pre-cooking would make it mushy.
This dish is a complete meal on its own, but it pairs beautifully with a simple green salad, roasted vegetables, or garlic bread.
I love to get your feedback, so if you try this Baked Chicken and Orzo or any other recipe on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!
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Baked Chicken and Orzo with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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Equipment
- 1 Oven Safe Skillet and/or
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks bone-in and skin-on
- 1½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Garlic minced
- ½ cup Sundried Tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 2 cup Orzo Pasta
- 1½ cup Chicken Stock or broth
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning dried½
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano Cheese grated
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese grated
- ½ tsp Salt Kosher
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Blend the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and trim any excess fat. Rub the seasoning mixture under the skin and all over the outside of the chicken.8 Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks, 1½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Black Pepper, 1 tsp Onion Powder, 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- If your skillet is not oven-safe, brush a 9"x13" oven-safe casserole pan with olive oil or butter and set it aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet set over medium-low heat. Working with a few chicken pieces at a time, brown the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.2 tbsp Olive Oil
- Add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, and orzo to the skillet and cook, stirring often, to lightly brown the orzo, about 1 minute. Stir the chicken stock, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into the orzo.2 tbsp Garlic, ½ cup Sundried Tomatoes, 2 cup Orzo Pasta, 1½ cup Chicken Stock, 1 cup Heavy Cream, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning, ½ tsp Salt, ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmigiano and Romano Cheese. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, nestling it into the orzo mixture, and transfer the pan to the oven. If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, pour the orzo mixture into a prepared casserole dish and nestle the chicken into the orzo.½ cup Pecorino Romano Cheese, ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- Bake the chicken and orzo, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken registers at least 165℉. Remove the chicken and orzo from the oven and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Cooking Tips
- Dry the chicken pieces with paper towels before seasoning them. This will remove extra moisture from the chicken and keep the oil from splattering when adding the chicken to the hot pan.
- Brown the chicken until deep golden brown on each side. You want the chicken to start to cook before going into the oven so it is done at the same time the orzo is cooked.
- Giving the chicken and orzo a few minutes to rest before serving allows the sauce to set and the flavors to come together.
I made this for the family today and everyone loved it. This recipe is definitely going to be a new regular at my house.
Hi Alex! Thank you so much for letting me know that you and your family liked the chicken and orzo!
Thank you for sharing this recipe instead of dried tomatoes can I use cherry tomatoes?
Hi Connie,you can absolutely use cherry tomatoes in this recipe. The flavor will be a little milder since you will not have the robust tang from the sun-dried tomatoes, but it will still be delicious.
This sounds like an amazing easy peasy dish!! I want to make this for my BFFs, but they only do boneless/skinless, preferrable thighs but will eat breasts. Also, what about adding in some sliced mushrooms? Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
Hi Sharon, This dish is very easy and flavorful. Mushrooms would be a great addition. You can absolutely use boneless skinless chicken thighs or breast. Brown the meat until it is gold, set it aside and follow the rest of the directions, but I would bake it at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The lower oven temperature should keep the chicken from drying out. I hope you like it.