Vic’s Tricks To…One Pan Enchilada Chicken & Orzo

If there’s two things I’m obsessed with, it’s chicken enchiladas…and minimal clean-up!

Like does it get any better than that?!

Well, if you’ve ever made chicken enchiladas, you know they are quite the project.

Even my Vic’s Tricks To…Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas takes a few steps. (But it’s also suuuuper healthy!)

So, I tried to take the flavors of chicken enchiladas, but serve them in a super simple less-than-30-minute one-pan version!

Take it for what you will, but my goodness is this dish delicious. Totally a weeknight staple!

This recipe is incredibly simple – which if you know me by now, is totally my style.

All we need is chicken, bell pepper, chile pepper, onion, diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and orzo.

For this recipe, I’m using boneless skinless chicken breasts, but this is totally BOMB with skin-on, bone-in thighs or breasts too. Just alter the cooking times – cooking on the bone takes longer.

Season your chicken breasts on all sides with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

Set a large pan (I used my 12 inch cast iron) over high heat and once hot, add a tbsp or so of oil. Sear the chicken (skin side down first if using skin-on) over high heat for about 4-5 minutes.

Flip the chicken and let sear on the other side for another 2-3 minutes.

Dice up the peppers and onion and add to the pan. Cook over the high heat for another 2 minutes.

Vic Trick: I used green bell pepper, poblano, and red chiles. But, honestly, it’s totally up to you what/how much you want to add. Literally almost anything works here!

Add in a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, a 10 oz can of enchilada sauce, and a cup of orzo. Add enough chicken broth to cover the orzo.

Vic Trick: The smaller the pan you use, the less chicken broth you’ll need. I made this with two chicken breasts in a smaller pan and the tomatoes & enchilada sauce was enough!

Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°.

Top the whole skillet with cheese and place under the broiler until nice and bubbly.

And BOOM! THAT’S IT!

All the delicious flavors of chicken enchiladas but in a super quick and easy weeknight-friendly way.

Leave a comment/rating and let me know what you think!

Happy Eating!