balsamic chicken skillet

This Chicken and Orzo recipe is a complete dinner in a single skillet, with savory orzo smothered in a creamy cheese sauce with juicy chicken and delicious bites of broccoli.

Chicken and Orzo

chicken broth

half and half

hot sauce

mustard powder

EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, parsley

paprika

olive oil

chicken breast

Salt/Pepper

Italian seasoning

broccoli florets

dry white wine (see notes)

garlic (minced)

butter

flour

orzo

cheddar cheese

Parmesan cheese

Note: You may choose to make 1 lb. of orzo for this recipe, but I only use ¾ lb. as the orzo absorbs a lot of sauce once it’s added to it. The pictures shown here are what ¾ lb. ends up looking like.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.

Cover the chicken with saran wrap and use a meat mallet to tenderize each side. Cut it into strips and pat it dry. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside.

As you continue with the following steps, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once a boil is reached, stir in some salt. (I use ½ tablespoon Kosher salt.)

Meanwhile, add the wine to the same skillet used to cook the chicken and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce. Simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the butter and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.

Add the sauce mixture (from step 1) in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover partially while you cook the pasta.

Cook the orzo 1 minute less then what&#39;s noted on the package instructions. Add the broccoli to the boiling pasta water during the last 3 minutes. Drain once cooked.

Gradually sprinkle in the cheddar and Parmesan cheese into the sauce until combined.

Add the broccoli and the cooked orzo. (It will seem like a LOT of sauce, fear not!) Stir to combine and heat through for 1-2 minutes. The orzo will continue to absorb more and more sauce. Slide a silicone spatula along the bottom of the skillet to lift any that may settle at the bottom.

Continue to cook until the sauce is reduced and the orzo is cooked through. Add the chicken and cover to heat through, then serve!

My family loved this!  Picky husband commented twice on how good it was, and my also picky son declared it to be awesome.  And it is! Now on the list of regulars to make for dinner. I'm glad I followed your directions and used the 12 oz. of orzo, because by the time I served it, the delicious sauce was completely absorbed.  Next to make......the one pot sausage and rice dish!

I love this recipe! One of my favorite texture pleasing recipes. Everything was creamy and flavorful! The broccoli bigots in my family didn’t care for the boiled broccoli so I may roast it next time, but I loved everything! Thank you!

I made this last night and we are really pleased with the results. The sauce is the star of this recipe. It is delicious!  I am already considering some variations—substituting sautéed portabella mushroom strips for the chicken, or  a shrimp and linguine version. As always, you’ve hit it out of the park!

I am soooo happy I found your website!! Great recipes!!! NomNomNom !!!

This was delicious. I added the broccoli to the orzo a little sooner and followed your tip about 3/4 lb. It was delicious and addictive!

This was delicious! And once everything is prepped it's a simple recipe. We are looking forward to the leftovers!  Thank you for sharing your recipes, I've yet to make one we didn't enjoy.

Outstanding recipe!  I already have requests to make it again ASAP. My husband and kids LOVED it and ate it all. It was an easy dishes night for me and everyone went to bed full and happy. I wish I had some leftovers for today because I'm craving it already. But...I'll make it again this weekend I think. Thank you so much.

Tried this recipe last night!  It was a hit with my family and the directions made it easy to make a delicious sauce and dish!  I have loved every recipe I’ve ever made from the cozy cook!  👩🏻‍🍳 👍🏻 💜 

This Jalapeño Popper Chicken has seasoned chicken smothered in a creamy Jalapeño Popper sauce with bacon and green onions. It&#039;s an easy skillet recipe and a fun dinner idea!

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

chicken bouillon cube

EACH: oregano, mustard powder, parsley, onion powder

garlic powder

chicken breasts

Salt/pepper (to taste)

butter (or bacon drippings)

Jalapenos

cream cheese

sour cream

bacon (roughly chopped)

green onions (sliced)

Pro Tip: Cook the bacon low and slow in a separate skillet until crispy on each side while you measure out the ingredients/prepare the dish. Consider reserving 2 tbsp. drippings to use instead of butter in the recipe. Roughly chopped once cooled.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.

Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½ inch thick.

Season each side of the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside.

Turn the heat off and let the pan cool. Add the butter and set the heat to medium. Add the diced jalapenos and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously.

Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is gone.

Add the sauce mixture from step 2 in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let the sauce cool for 1 minute.

Stir in the cream cheese and the sour cream. Once melted and combined, sprinkle in the cheddar cheese, stirring continuously.

Add the chicken back and spoon the sauce on top. Allow it to heat through for 2-3 minutes.

Top with chopped bacon and green onions. Serving options include rice, black beans, coleslaw, roasted potatoes, garlic bread, tortilla chips, corn salad, and roasted vegetables.

I made a slight variation of this recipe.  I added rice and additional chicken stock and cooked it all in one pan.  I also slightly changed the amounts of the herbs and spices based on personal preferences.  It was a hit.

Stephanie,
I have to say, I have not been steered wrong with any of your recipes! 

Thank you again!

This recipe was amazing! I did sprinkle ranch seasoning on the chicken before I cooked it…one of the best recipes I have made to date! Paired it with white rice….thank you!

This is right up my alley!  The sauce is crazy good.  To establish a “heat baseline” on my first attempt, I discarded the jalapeño membranes and seeds. Next time I will include them to make it even spicier to suit my personal taste. This sauce would be delicious served on its own as a warm dip with tortilla chips, or one could add some browned and seasoned ground beef, ground turkey, chorizo, or black beans to make it heartier. I like the sauce so much that I am tempted to eat it with a spoon!  

WOW!! This was so good. Tastes EXACTLY like a jalapeno popper! Will be making this again. Thanks for another great recipe!

This recipe was Bad A$$. I made it for me and my wife’s anniversary this past Monday night and I knocked it out of the park. I’ve made a ton of the recipes on the cozy cook and I must say the sauce in this one is amazing.. do yourself a favor. If you are reading this go to the grocery store and get the ingredients.! 

Chuck 

Wow wow wow…….My daughter made this and it was so good. 

https://videos.scriptwrapper.com/9728/u71oqfyed3adr65swjrj/original/video.mp4

The Cozy Cook

This Jalapeño Popper Chicken has seasoned chicken smothered in a creamy Jalapeño Popper sauce with bacon and green onions. It’s an easy skillet recipe and a fun dinner idea!

Top 2 balsamic chicken skillet recipes from across the web

The most viewed balsamic chicken skillet recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Chicken and Orzo

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

Top 2 balsamic chicken skillet recipes from across the web

The most viewed balsamic chicken skillet recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chicken and Orzo

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

The most viewed balsamic chicken skillet recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine