Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomato Chicken with Farro

Updated on 9/30/2023 :: A wonderful one-pan dinner, this Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomato Skillet Chicken with Farro explodes with flavors and puts a single jar of sun-dried tomatoes to very good use, utilizing both the tomatoes themselves as well as the oil in which they are packed to conjure up as much deliciousness in this single-pan meal as possible (a true MKL hack). I serve this with a crunchy, tangy Greek(ish) salad on the side – chopped romaine, tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, feta, red onion, red wine vinaigrette – and it makes for the perfect, well-balanced meal. My husband LOVES this.

Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Tip and Tricks  

Not only do I fill up this pan with the sun dried tomatoes (which were, incidentally, just about the most popular food item of the nineties, but that I still love completely. Till death do us part. I also still love Alanis.)

I also utilize the deeply flavorful cooking oil in which the tomatoes are packed. Most sun-dried tomatoes, which you can find at any supermarket or grocery store, come packed in oil that is so totally flavorful, that it would be a crying shame to waste it. As such, in true waste not/want not fashion, I use the oil to create a spiced flavor paste that coats the chicken thighs and then I toast up the farro in the oil as well, infusing some seriously delicious flavor into each and every grain. 

What is Farro? 

Good question! I actually cook with farro fairly often, as I enjoy the chewy texture and nutty goodness that it adds to so many dishes, like this one. But when asked by someone what it was, I realized – almost ashamedly – that I wasn’t completely sure. But, dear reader, I am unsure no longer. Here’s the 4-1-1 on this delicious ancient grain:

This whole grain, protein and fiber-rich as it is, is a great addition to your pantry, as it is both a convenient and healthy choice. Farro is one of the oldest cultivated grains on earth, initially discovered in the fertile crescent of the Middle East, “grano farro” being the original grain from which other grains are derived. Farro is commonly grown in Italy now, specifically in the regions of Lazio, Umbria, Umbria, Tuscany, and the Marches.

Shaped like jumbo-sized rice with a tawny brown hue, farro has a wonderfully nutty flavor and a chewy texture after it has been cooked. I personally enjoy how simple farro is to prepare/cook, and how versatile it is – it pairs with a wide variety of meals, from soups and salads to hearty mains and even as a sweet or porridge of sorts for breakfast.

What you’ll need to make this Sun Dried Tomato Chicken with Farro

It’s the particular combination of ingredients that we’re using here that really makes this dish amazing. Sun dried tomatoes have a pizza vibe that is never not welcome in my kitchen. Makes me happy, what can I say? Furthermore, the use of smoked paprika is so clutch in this recipe, because the smokiness totally balances out the acidity and sweetness from the tomatoes and vinegar.

You’ll notice that I’ve called for halloumi cheese here, and that I’ve named it as an “optional” item. Halloumi is a sheep’s milk cheese from Cyprus, and is just about my favorite thing ever. It’s salty and sliceable and AMAZING. That said, it is a little pricey, so just use it if you want to. A sprinkling of feta is a wonderful choice here, instead (or in addition to! Yay salt!)

Anyway, here’s what you need:

INGREDIENTS

• One 8.5-ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (we’ll use this oil)
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (regular paprika will work)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• One tablespoon olive oil
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• ½ large red onion diced
• 1 cup farro
• 2.5 cups chicken stock, divided
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup pitted olives (you choose the kind)
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced or grated
• 1/8”-thick slices of halloumi cheese (optional, but incredibly delicious)
• Crumbled feta for serving (also optional)

How to make this Mediterranean Skillet Chicken

This is a one-pan recipe – everything comes together right in a single skillet. Goodness gracious do we ever love this over here. We’ll start by creating a flavorful paste/rub for the chicken thighs. They get a toss on a combo of sun dried tomato oil (the oil from the jar), smoked paprika (the hero ingredient here), and balsamic vinegar. The acid from that vinegar lifts the dish up, balancing it nicely. It also lends a very fetching, burgundy color to things, incidentally.

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 TBSP of the sun-dried tomato oil, with the smoked paprika, some salt and pepper to taste (about 1 tsp of each), and the vinegar. Stir to combine and add the chicken thighs, moving them around to get them nicely coated. Don’t think you’ve got enough rub going on? Go ahead and add more of the rub ingredients, and/or some olive oil, until your chicken is nicely coated in the flavorful paste (this isn’t an exact science).
3. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until you get a nice brown color on each side. Transfer the chicken to a platter/baking sheet to rest.
4. Keeping the drippings and bits from the chicken in the pan, add 1 Tbsp of the sun-dried tomato oil to the pan, followed by the onion and farro. Season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes to allow the farro to toast.
5. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and stir to scrape up any bits. Add the spinach, drained sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and garlic. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if it needs it. Stir to mix. Add the remaining two cups of stock and then slide the chicken thighs into the pan, along with their juices.
6. If using, arrange the slices of halloumi on top and then bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the chicken is totally done and the farro has cooked through. Top with some crumbled feta, if desired. NOTE: the farro will continue to absorb the pan juices/sauce as the dish sits. 

Why should I use Chicken Thighs?

I was all set to make some ridiculous thigh-master joke, but will instead spare you that awful pun and jump right into my testimony for the humble chicken thigh. Chicken thighs, as you will see time and time again here on My Kitchen Little, are not only more affordable than their breastly counterparts (significantly so), but they are also packed with a deeper, more delicious flavor as well. If you will excuse the utter silliness of the description – they are simply more, um, chicken-y. 

Lastly, so as to not go on ad nauseum here, chicken thighs are also quite a bit more forgiving than chicken breasts, from a cooking standpoint. You can simmer and sear them for some time and they will maintain their juiciness, tenderness, and moisture level. That is the most lovable quality to me personally, as I just love it when I can walk away from my cooking – get full-throttle/space cadet-level distracted with all of the other goings on in life – and then, when it finally dawns on me to check the chicken, it’s still perfectly happy and cozy in its cooking vessel, none the worse for my myriad distractions.

If you like the looks of this Mediterranean Sun Dried Tomato Skillet Chicken, you might also enjoy:

Tuscan Garlic Butter Chicken

Chicken Basquaise

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta

Lighter Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

Firecracker Chicken

Print