OH, boy, is this creamy summer corn and tomato chicken and orzo summer on a plate or what? Corn, tomatoes, fresh basil and chives all marry together in this dish and create the perfect bite. This is one of my favorite comfort meals in the summer. It is packed with flavor and it is easy to pull together.
If you have fresh corn, by all means cut it off the cob and add it. If not, thawed frozen corn works just great making this perfect to have all year long. This dish screams for fresh basil so don’t substitute dried basil.
If you love cheese, add more. Love lemon? Add the juice of a lemon. You can really tailor those flavors to your liking. Be sure to taste for salt and pepper along the way and adjust as needed.
You’ll note I use Wondra flour. It is my go-to flour when I’m breading or coating meal with a light dusting to pan fry. It is finely ground and doesn’t clump like regular flour. I like that there is just a light coating. FYI: if you don’t have it, regular all purpose flour works just fine.
To get started, pull all your ingredients together. Then, it is time to prep the chicken.
Season the chicken cutlets with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. Add the Wondra flour into a shallow mixing bowl and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the chicken to the flour and toss well to coat.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and dd 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Work in batches to sear the chicken, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and put to the side.
Chop your garlic and shallots. Then add butter to that same skillet and let melt.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant then stir in the orzo. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer again and cook for about 7-8 minutes until the orzo is al dente. (Taste. The orzo should be slightly firm.)
Add the corn to the orzo and stir in. Let it cook for about a minute to warm through. Add the heavy cream and lemon zest and simmer another minute until warm. Add about two tablespoons of the grated parmesan cheese and stir into the mix.
Slide the chicken back into the orzo and nestle it down into the mix to warm it back up. Sprinkle the cut tomatoes lightly with salt and some fresh ground black pepper. Add them to the skillet with the chicken and orzo. Let everything simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the chives and torn basil leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve on a platter or individual plates topped with more parmesan and chives. Enjoy.
Did you like this recipe? Are you a fan of cooking with chicken breasts? If so, be sure to check out some of my other favorite chicken breast recipes.
Chicken & Asparagus Rolls with Honey Mustard Sauce
Creamy Summer Corn & Tomato Chicken & Orzo
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 Thin chicken cutlets, about 1 1/2 lbs.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ Cup Wondra flour
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 2 Tbsp. Unsalted butter
- 1 Lg. Shallot, thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic clove, minced
- 1 Cup Orzo
- 1 Cup White wine
- 1 ½ Cups Chicken stock
- 1 Cup Corn kernals, thawed if frozen
- 1 Cup Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 Tsp. Lemon zest
- ½ Cup Heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for garnish
- ½ Cup Fresh basil leaves, torn
- 2 Tbsp. Chives, minced
Instructions
- Season the chicken cutlets with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides. Add the Wondra flour into a shallow mixing bowl and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add the chicken to the flour and toss well to coat.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and dd 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Work in batches to sear the chicken, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and put to the side.
- Add the butter to the same skillet and let melt. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant then stir in the orzo. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer again and cook for about 7-8 minutesvuntil the orzo is al dente. (Taste. The orzo should be slightly firm.)
- Add the corn to the orzo and stir in. Let it cook for about a minute to warm through. Add the heavy cream and lemon zest and simmer another minute until warm. Add about two tablespoons of the grated parmesan cheese and stir into the mix.
- Slide the chicken back into the orzo and nestle it down into the mix to warm it back up. Sprinkle the cut tomatoes lightly with salt and some fresh ground black pepper. Add them to the skillet with the chicken and orzo. Let everything simmer for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chives and torn basil leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve on a platter or individual plates topped with more parmesan and chives. Enjoy.
