Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken and Orzo
This creamy tomato basil chicken and orzo is the perfect comfort meal for any day of the week.
This blog post is sponsored by Pomi. All opinions are my own.
Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken and Orzo
This meal is the perfect one pan meal for a weeknight dinner. It’s also a super comforting meal. Whenever I cook I’m always looking for shortcuts to make cooking easier. But shortcuts do not mean that you have to sacrifice quality. I frequently choose to cook with Pomi tomatoes because they taste amazing. They are also available in cans and boxes as well. They’re the perfect addition to this recipe.
What are the Ingredients for Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken and Orzo?
Boneless chicken breast
Onions
Garlic
Pomi Tomatoes
Red Pepper Flakes
Orzo
Spinach
Fresh Basil
Chicken Broth
Heavy Cream
Substitutions
If you can’t boneless chicken breast you could use boneless chicken thighs or bone in chicken thighs. Bone in chicken thighs may take a little longer to brown than boneless chicken breast. Drumsticks could work as well.
You can substitute water or vegetable broth for chicken broth.
You can substitute canned coconut milk for heavy cream.
You can substitute dried basil for fresh basil.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken and Orzo
First brown the chicken on both sides in some olive oil over medium heat. Then remove it from the pan. Add the butter into the pan. Once its melted add in the onions and garlic cloves. Saute until they are slightly browned and fragrant. Then stir in the orzo and red pepper flakes. Saute for another minute or so. Add in the Pomi tomatoes, spinach and and basil. Stir until the spinach is wilted.
Add in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then add the chicken breast back into the pan. Bake on 350F for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken and Orzo
Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- ½ sweet onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup orzo (uncooked)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 cup Pomi finely chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
How to cook Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken and Orzo
- Preheat oven to 350F. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or oven safe pan over medium/high heat. Place the chicken in the pan and brown on both sides. The chicken should cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter into the pan. Once it’s melted, add the onion, and garlic cloves. Saute until they are a little brown and fragrant. Then stir in the orzo and red pepper flakes. Saute for another minute or so. Add in the chopped tomatoes and spinach, and basil and stir until the spinach is wilted.
- Add in the chicken broth and heavy cream and then bring the mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and then add the chicken breast back into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165F. Enjoy with freshly grated parmesan and basil.
If you make this, don’t forget to tag me @livelymeals on Instagram!