Caprese Chicken Orzo Recipe

White plate with sliced chicken, basil, orzo and tomatoes.

5 from 2 votes

Caprese Chicken with Orzo is a baked one-pan dinner. Hearty, healthy and utterly delicious, this comfort food meal is just as ideal for a busy weeknight as it is for casual weekend entertaining.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Cooling Time15

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken for family dinner, good weeknight meal

Servings: to 6

Calories: 626kcal

Author: Valentina K. Wein

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups lightly packed basil leaves (about 3-ounces), washed and dried
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
pinch Kosher salt
slightly over-flowing ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
1¼ cups dry orzo pasta
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 cups roughly chopped tomatoes, washed and dried
4 cups packed spinach leaves, washed and dried
½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Make the basil oil. Add the washed and dried basil leaves to a blender with the oil, salt and sugar. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Prepare the chicken. Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, and gently pound their thicker sides so they're the same thickness throughout. In a mixing bowl, coat them with ¼ cup of the basil oil, and let them marinate while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Make the orzo. Bring roughly 1½ quarts of water to a boil, add the orzo, turn the heat to a simmer and cook just until is almost done, about 7 minutes. It should be a bit chewy at this point. Drain and add it into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons of the basil oil to it and mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper and then spread it out evenly. Set aside.
Sauté tomato-spinach mixture. While the orzo is cooking, add the remaining basil oil to a large skillet and add the onion and garlic. Over medium heat, cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and spinach, and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assemble. Add the tomato-spinach mixture on top of the orzo and spread it out evenly. Use a spoon to make 4 indentations for the chicken breasts. They will not be exact. Let this cool for about 15 minutes, so it's no longer hot. Remove the chicken breasts from the bowl and place them in the spaces you made, along with any extra basil oil. Lightly sprinkle the top of the chicken with salt and pepper.
Bake. Bake in the preheated 375°F oven just until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. About halfway through, sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella cheese.

Notes

Nutritional information is only an estimate.

Nutrition