Harvest Orzo & Chicken Skillet
on Nov 14, 2025
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One-pan Harvest Orzo & Chicken Skillet! Flavorful boneless chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli simmered in autumn sauce with orzo.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
Are you looking for a quick, comforting, and incredibly flavorful dinner that screams autumn? Look no further! This One-Pan Harvest Orzo and Chicken Skillet is the ultimate weeknight winner. It combines tender chicken, sweet, earthy vegetables, and creamy orzo, all simmered in a rich, seasonal sauce. Best of all, it only requires one pan for minimal cleanup!
This recipe is perfect for busy families, students, or anyone who loves the hearty flavors of fall without spending hours in the kitchen.
Ingredient List
- Chicken Thighs– Dark meat stays juicy and flavorful in a skillet meal
- Sweet Potato– Adds natural sweetness and texture
- Broccoli– For color, crunch, and essential nutrients.
- Olive Oil
- Orzo Pasta– The perfect rice-shaped pasta for absorbing the sauce
- Harvest Pasta Sauce– I found mine at Trader Joe’s but most stores should have a jar
- Vegetable Broth– you can also use chicken broth
- Salt & Pepper
- Parmesan Cheese– be sure and use that parmesan cheese liberally
Step By Step
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and your choice of dried herbs.
- Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.
- Place the chicken thighs in the hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they are a deep golden brown. Since there’s no bone or skin, they will cook faster and may not get as dark. The goal here is to sear and build flavor, not to cook them all the way through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced sweet potatoes to the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and get some color.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced sweet potatoes to the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and get some color.
- Add the broccoli to the skillet with the sweet potatoes. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes, until the broccoli is slightly tender. Season the vegetables with a little salt and pepper.
- Add the dry orzo to the skillet with the vegetables and stir to combine, toasting the pasta for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce. Stir well.
- Pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups of chicken or vegetable broth. Stir again, making sure to scrape any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan to add flavor.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, nestle the browned chicken thighs back into the skillet on top of the orzo and vegetables.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid or foil, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente and the liquid has been mostly absorbed. Boneless chicken thighs will cook much more quickly than bone-in, so check for doneness after 10 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Uncover the skillet and let the dish rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta if desired.
Pro Tip
- The orzo acts like rice, soaking up all the delicious broth and sauce. Make sure you check on it a couple of times and add a little extra broth if it starts to look too thick too early.
- It’s a complete meal with protein (chicken), complex carbs (orzo), and fiber-rich vegetables.
Skillet Dinners for the Winter Months
Be sure to Pin this Harvest Orzo and Chicken Skillet for a chilly fall dinner soon.
Harvest Orzo & Chicken Skillet
One-pan Harvest Orzo & Chicken Skillet! Flavorful boneless chicken, sweet potato, and broccoli simmered in autumn sauce with orzo.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 1 pound broccoli, in small florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1 jar, 25 oz Trader Joe’s Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce
- 1 to 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta, optional, for serving
Instructions
Prepare and Brown the Chicken
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and season generously on both sides with salt, pepper, and your choice of dried herbs.
- Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil.
- Place the chicken thighs in the hot skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they are a deep golden brown. Since there’s no bone or skin, they will cook faster and may not get as dark. The goal here is to sear and build flavor, not to cook them all the way through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.
Sauté the Vegetables
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced sweet potatoes to the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and get some color.
- Add the broccoli to the skillet with the sweet potatoes. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes, until the broccoli is slightly tender. Season the vegetables with a little salt and pepper.
Add the Orzo and Liquids
- Add the dry orzo to the skillet with the vegetables and stir to combine, toasting the pasta for about 1 minute.
- Pour in the Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce. Stir well.
- Pour in 1 to 1 ½ cups of chicken or vegetable broth. Stir again, making sure to scrape any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan to add flavor.
Simmer and Finish
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, nestle the browned chicken thighs back into the skillet on top of the orzo and vegetables.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid or foil, and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente and the liquid has been mostly absorbed. Boneless chicken thighs will cook much more quickly than bone-in, so check for doneness after 10 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Uncover the skillet and let the dish rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta if desired.
Notes
- If you don’t want to make the pasta sauce from scratch you can use the Trader Joe’s Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce!
- You can sub the broccoli for green beans!
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