One-Pan Fall Chicken and Orzo with Sage Brown Butter
We love a cozy fall one-pan dinner, don’t we? 🍂 I was craving butternut squash and wanted to find a way to elevate the classic formula: sear the protein, build flavor with aromatics, then let your starch cook right in the same pan.
Enter sage brown butter. It adds a nutty, decadent layer of flavor that makes this dish feel extra special without adding much effort. That said, you don’t have to do the brown butter. If you want to simplify, just sauté everything in olive oil instead. It’ll still be delicious- just a little lighter. In that case, I’d suggest adding an extra squeeze of lemon juice and a bit more parmesan at the end to brighten it up.
The dish turned out fantastic as-is, but if I were being super nitpicky (hi, it’s meeee), I’d want the butternut squash to be a little more caramelized instead of just “cooked.” Not at all necessary, but here’s how you could take it up a notch:
Two Ways to Boost the Squash Flavor
Roast Method (more hands-off): Roast the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper at 425°F for about 15 minutes, tossing once halfway through. Add it back into the pan while the orzo cooks.
Pan Caramelization (all-in-one): After searing the chicken, crank up the heat and caramelize the squash cubes right in the same skillet with a drizzle of olive or avocado oil (about 7–8 minutes until golden). Remove, then make the brown butter in the same pan. Add the squash back in once the orzo and broth are simmering. (the recipe below reflects this method).
Either way, the squash gets that extra golden, caramelized flavor that makes each bite of this dish even cozier.
K now to the fun part!
Sage Brown Butter Orzo w/ Butternut Squash & Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs (w/ skin/bones or boneless works!)
1 cup orzo
About 3 cups (15 oz) butternut squash, diced into ½ inch cubes
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 to 4 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup parmesan, grated (plus more for serving)
1/2 lemon, juice
8 fresh sage leaves (~6 for frying, ~2 minced to stir in)
2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp leaves / 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
Salt and pepper, season everything as you build it!
Instructions
Sear the chicken: Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sear 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown and almost cook. Remove and set aside.
Caramelize the squash: Add a drizzle of olive oil if the pan looks dry. Increase the heat and cook squash cubes for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden around the edges. Remove and set aside.
Make the sage brown butter: Lower heat slightly. Add butter and cook until it foams, then turns golden with brown specks and smells nutty (about 2 to 3 minutes). Drop in ~6 sage leaves and fry until crispy, about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove sage leaves for garnish, leaving butter in the pan.
Build flavor: Add shallot and garlic to the brown butter. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir in orzo to coat and toast lightly, about 1 minute.
Simmer with broth: Pour in 3 cups broth, scraping up browned bits. Nestle chicken thighs and squash back into the pan. Add some fresh (or dried) minced thyme and sage, about 1tsp each as well as some salt & pepper. Cover and simmer for about ~12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is tender, chicken is cooked through, and squash is soft. Add extra broth if needed.
Finish: Remove chicken briefly to slice or serve whole. Stir parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice into the orzo until creamy. Taste and add more salt if needed. Return chicken to the pan.
Serve: Garnish with crispy sage leaves, extra parmesan, and cracked black pepper.
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