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A cast iron skillet filled with marry me chicken quinoa bake with fresh basil, shredded parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes on top and a wooden spoon sticking out.

Marry Me Chicken Quinoa Skillet

Author: Erin Jensen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner/Entree
Cuisine: American
Method: Oven, Stove Top
Our Marry Me Chicken Quinoa Skillet recipe is a one skillet dinner that is so simple to make - perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!

Ingredients 

  • 2-3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 sweet yellow onion minced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup pancetta chopped (optional)
  • 1 cup quinoa uncooked
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes julienned
  • 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomato jar
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup half-&-half or unsweetened, unflavored dairy-free creamer
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated & divided
  • 1/2 - 1 cup fresh spinach roughly chopped
  • optional: crushed red pepper flakes
  • garnish: chopped fresh basil extra grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Sauté: Bring a large cast iron skillet to a medium-high heat and melt 2-3 tablespoons butter. Add 1/2 sweet yellow onion, 1 tablespoon garlic, and 1/4 cup pancetta. Move around the pan to soften and reduce for 1-2 minutes.
  • Quinoa + Broth + Seasonings: Add 1 cup quinoa, 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 - 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomato jar, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup half-&-half (or DF creamer), chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes (if using). Mix it all together.
  • Bake: Move the entire skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.
  • Cheese + Spinach: Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and stir. If you feel your quinoa is almost fully cooked, add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and fresh spinach. Stir again and add the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on top. If you feel your quinoa isn't close to being fully cooked - place back in the oven and let cook another 10 minutes. Then remove, stir again and add the cheese as directed above. 
  • Bake Again: Return skillet to the oven to bake for 10 more minutes.
  • Serve: Let cool slightly and then enjoy with some fresh basil on top for garnish!

Notes

  • *Creamer: to keep it dairy-free we highly recommend using NutPods Unsweetened/Unflavored Creamer and if dairy isn't a concern you can use heavy cream or half-&-half.
  • Quinoa + Cook Time: we used Ancient Harvest traditional quinoa for testing this recipe and it took approx. 45 minutes of total bake time to be fully cooked/soft. Quinoa brands and ovens vary, so just use your best judgment and if when you pull out your skillet in Step 5 and you feel like the quinoa is quite fully cooked, feel free to pop it back in for another 10 minutes or so before adding that parmesan cheese! 
  • Storage: leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 1126mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 540IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @thewoodenskillet on Instagram!
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