Italian Chicken, Farro and Vegetable Skillet is a perfectly well-rounded meal: this dish is packed with protein from ground chicken breast, hearty and satisfying vegetables, and whole grains from farro. It’s even topped with delicious, melty cheese. I mean, there’s really not much to dislike here, and this dish couldn’t be easier to make. Packed with flavor and nutrients, this dish makes eating healthy also delicious.
All about this Italian skillet; ideal for meal prep
This Italian Chicken, Farro and Vegetable Skillet is ideal for meal prep because it is easy to prepare, and reheats really well. It is packed with protein and nutrients, from the lean ground chicken breast, to the cups and cups of filling veggies, to the nutrient-dense farro. Each layer of this dish is seasoned and packed with flavor. Topped with melted mozzarella cheese and fresh herbs, this dish is simple but with elevated flavors.
What is farro?
Farro is more than just a grain. It is high-fiber, high-protein, and whole grain. Farro is similar to barley, so if you can’t find farro in your store, barley is a great substitute. It is naturally nutrient-rich, low in fat, and low in cholesterol. Based on all of these factors, farro is really a great base for a delicious grain bowl or grain-based salad. Because of the properties of farro, this farro salad is not filled with empty calories, and will not leave you feeling hungry. You see, eating protein and fiber-rich foods is a great way to stay fuller longer and really fuel your body. This is a meal you can feel really good about eating. The ingredients are clean, nutritious, and most of all, delicious.
What other ingredients will I need for this recipe?
- zucchini
- red bell pepper
- shallots
- ground chicken breast
- uncooked farro
- chicken broth
- kosher salt
- garlic powder
- paprika
- Italian seasoning
- onion powder
- oregano
- canned diced tomatoes
- fresh basil
- fresh parsley
- reduced fat mozzarella
How to make Italian Chicken, Farro and Vegetable Skillet
Cooking the farro
This part takes the longest for this recipe, so let’s talk about that first. Cooking farro is so easy, you can leave it alone to do it’s thing. First, rinse the farro under cold water in a strainer. Then, add it to a small saucepan with the chicken broth (the ratio of farro to liquid is 1:2). Bring the pot to a boil, and then reduce to simmer, and cover with the lid. Cook the farro for 20-25 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed, and the farro is tender.
Cooking the vegetables and chicken
To cook the vegetables and chicken, start out by chopping and slicing the vegetables. Prepare the spice mixture, which will be used for both the vegetables and chicken. Add the chopped vegetables to a large frying pan sprayed with olive oil. Add 2 teaspoons of the spice blend, and cook the vegetables for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the vegetables from the pan and add them to a bowl. Next, add the chicken to the same pan with more olive oil spray. Break the chicken up with a wooden spoon, and add 3 teaspoons of the spice mixture. Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink. Then, add the diced tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer; cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cooked farro and vegetables, followed by the herbs. Next, top with the mozzarella cheese and cover the pan for the cheese to melt.

Italian Chicken, Farro and Vegetable Skillet
Equipment
- large skillet or frying pan
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini, chopped, about 2 small zucchini or 1 large
- 1.5 cups red bell pepper, chopped, about 1 pepper
- 1.5 cups shallots, sliced, about 3 large shallots
- olive oil spray
- 1 lb fat free ground chicken breast
- 1 cup farro, dry, uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, canned
- 1/4 cup basil, fresh
- 1/4 cup parsley, fresh
- 3 oz light mozzarella
Spice Mix
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
Instructions
- Combine all of the spices together to form the spice mixture.
- Rinse the farro in a colander or strainer. Add the farro to a small saucepan with the chicken broth.
- Bring this mixture to a boil, and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 25 minutes or until the farro is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- While the farro cooks, chop the zucchini and the pepper, and slice the shallots.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Spray olive oil spray, and then add the zucchini, pepper, and onion.
- Season with 2 teaspoons of the spice blend.
- Cook the vegetables over medium high heat for 10 minutes, tossing frequently.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan and place them in a bowl to the side.
- In the same skillet, add more olive oil spray and the ground chicken.
- Add 3 teaspoons of the spice mixture to the chicken meat, and break the meat apart with a wooden spoon.
- Cook the chicken until it is no longer pink, then add the diced tomatoes with their juices.
- Simmer this mixture for about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked farro and cooked reserved vegetables to the pot and stir to combine.
- Stir in the chopped herbs.
- Taste for seasoning, add the remaining seasoning mix if desired. Otherwise, save the reserved seasoning mix for another recipe.
- Top with the mozzarella, and cover with a lid to melt the cheese.
Weight Watchers
Notes
- 1 WW point (purple plan)
- 4 WW points (blue plan)
- 6 WW points (green plan)
Nutrition
If you like this recipe, you will also enjoy Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet. For another farro recipe, check out this Grilled Vegetable Farro Salad and Chicken.
Can’t wait to try this! Thank you for including a WW link! You are the best
This recipe and all your recipes have been a game changer for me. You are a vital part of my weight loss success. I cook multiple recipes from your site every week. My family loves them. I’m a WW girl. Thank you for all your time and effort adding the link to your recipes. Your amazing at what your do.
Very easy and flavorful! I dont normally e joy ground chicken but this recipe is very tasty.
Very flavorful- will make again.
So tasty Steph. I substituted lentils for the farro because that’s what I had in the pantry. So easy and delicious . Thanks 😊
Delicious and so easy to make. I am looking forward to lunch his week.
Thank you
Absolutely delicious!
I just meal prepped this and it is so delicious!! I can’t wait to eat lunch again tomorrow. It’s flavorful and filling. Ground chicken finally isn’t boring!
Just prepped this for lunches for the week. Thank you so much for not only creating and sharing delicious and healthy recipes but for coming up with a way to share the link!! THANK YOU!!!
Another winner! Full of flavor and easy to make.
Absolutely delicious. Flavorful and filling. Easy to make also. Perfect for a fall meal and leftovers for lunch. Thanks Steph for another great recipe. Appreciate it
So pleasantly surprised by how delicious this is. Was a little nervous about cooking with Farro for the first time but SO glad I did!
Love all your recipes, but you knocked it out of the park with this one!
This was delicious! Highly recommend!
This was absolutely delicious, I substituted mushrooms for the zucchini as I am not a fan of zucchini, this is truly filling and satisfying, thank you Steph for all your hard work making these delicious recipes.
Steph, This is DE-LI-CIOUS! I made it with brown rice because I’m not a fan of Farro. OMG! And so easy! Thanks for all the great recipes. Keep them coming!
Thank you for making the instructions SO simple to follow for someone new to both shallots and farro! So delicious!
Delicious! We ate it tonight; it warmed up well and was enjoyed by everyone! Definitely a keeper recipe!
Made this tonight. Delicious. Comes together quickly and I have more servings for a couple of nights.
Made this for my meal preps. It’s so easy to come together and huge portions for lunch.
I made this for dinner tonight, came together quickly, so flavorful – YUMMY!
Made this tonight for dinner. It was so good and there was plenty leftovers for lunches too.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so good. I have plenty of leftovers for lunch too. Will make again . Thanks!
Make this! So much flavor! And this is a very big, very filling portion. This will be on repeat, even my husband loved it.
Delicious recipe. I love your recipes because they taste so good and are filling. Use a lot of them on WW.
Very good! Easy and great for leftovers.
This is amazing! I used all the spice and it was just perfect. My husband likes things spicy so I also added a little crushed red pepper and it was a great addition. Super easy to make and a very satisfying meal.
Absolutely wonderful, made a vegetarian version for my daughter using soy curls and she loved it as well! This is keeper! I looked forward to lunch all week and it froze beautifully as well!
Delicious and it makes a huge amount. Farro is not kind to my digestive system so I wonder what other non-gluten grain could be subbed.
Couldn’t find Farro in my yes supermarket. Used quinoa instead. So tasty. Five lunches ready for this week. After Thanksgiving got to get back to program so I don’t stray too far. Love taking your meals for work lunches. No thought and less stress. Thank you for helping me loose this weight. More to go. Happy tree hunting today🎄
I didn’t plan on making this recipe. At first glance, it didn’t look like my kind of recipe. But after seeing so many people make it on Facebook, I decided I really wanted to try it. How wrong I initially was!! This recipe is absolutely delicious and was relatively easy to make. My husband absolutely loved it and I really liked how the flavors came together. Very filling and very tasty. Can’t wait to make it again! I think this would be an excellent meal prep for during the week!
This was BEYOND good! I could have eaten the whole skillet myself, in one sitting, lol. Yum yum yummmmmm! So easy to make and HUGE portions too! Also, I’d never even heard of farro before this recipe, but wow! Loved everything about it! Adding this to my dinner rotation! Thanks, Steph. You have the best recipes!
Great weeknight meal! Will definitely make again!
This is AMAZING! My first time buying farro too. Love love love
Delicious! Tons of flavor and easy to put together. I had to use barley instead of farro but it was still great!
This was amazing. The flavor in this dish is indescribable and I will be making this again for sure.
This is an incredibly good and healthy recipe. I’m not a big ground chicken person but do not let that deter you from making this because the flavors are great. My husband loved it and requested I make it again the following week. I love Steph’s recipes because she uses accesible yet complex spice combinations to boost flavor which makes a huge difference in cooking. Thank you Steph for all of the time you put in to your recipes and this site! It is so greatly appreciated!
Delicious! I never cook with farro before but Steph makes it look super easy, and it was. Delicious recipe and great for meal prep!
This meal is amazing. So flavorful and the portions are HUGE. I made this for meal prep this week and I can’t wait for lunch tmr. Steph is always putting out great recipes. Make this!
Perfection!! Loved all of the flavors together!!
This recipe is sooooo gooood!! Everyone needs to try it! I love all the skillets! I want more! Lol
Could you use chicken breast cut up in place of ground chicken?
I just did and it turned out perfectly!
This was delicious! I’ve been looking for recipes with farro and this one is definitely a winner. I’m excited to have found a healthy and tasty recipe that both my husband and I enjoy. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delicious! It’s immediately a favorite dish and my husband said it’s the best “diet” meal he’s ever had!
This was amazing!! So flavorful and has become a favorite!!
My family loved this! Super easy and very tasty.
Awesome lunch for the week!
This was really good! Couldn’t find ground chicken so had to use ground Turkey. And I used a can of diced tomatoes with basil garlic and oregano rather than the fresh herbs because I’m lazy. It came out great! Very flavorful.
So many reasons to rave about this one!
A) quick and easy to prepare
B) bonus veggies points!
C) super delicious and flavorful!
D) has that comfort feel!
E) leaves you feeling full AND satisfied!
This chicken, veggie and farro skillet is top notch. It is so flavorful and filling! This is the first time I’ve cooked with farro and the recipe is perfect. It’s on repeat at my house! You are such a good cook!!
Thanks for including the link to WW too. So helpful.
Susan Trevisano
St. Louis Mo
Another creative, delicious recipe from Steph. I would have never thought to put this together but it’s super yummy. I thought the leftovers were even more flavorful, perfect for meal prep.
Have made this for my husband’s work lunches several times and he loves it. The farro is such a great addition and alternative to rice.
Hello Steph
Can you freeze this? I expect no. Do you think I could prepare all the ingredients, place them in the refrigerator and cook it the next day?
I really like your recipes.
Thanks.
LOVE this! Second time I’ve made it but this time with fresh basil and WOW! Also used yellow onion instead of shallots due to crazy high prices and it was great! Thank you Steph!!!
This recipe was better then I could ever have expected! It will absolutely be my go to meal prep meal!
This was great. First time making farro and I thought the whole dish had a ton of flavor, is simple to do, and really very very healthy!
So easy and freakin delicious! Highly recommend.
Loved this recipe! So flavorful and filling. I want to make it for my mom, but I can’t use farro. Can I use rice as a substitute?
absolutely!
Made this for meal prep this week and absolutely love it! I served it with steam vegetables and was able to make 6 lunches.
This was also my first time having Farro and I absolutely love it! I am hoping Steph makes more Farro recipes soon!
This is so easy to make and very yummy. I like it because it’s a great meal prep for the week also. And one that my husband likes!
Thanks for the recipe.
http://food.co.rw
Made for dinner tonight so quick and easy! This is so good and will take some for lunch tomorrow! Didn’t have farro so put in frozen brown rice.
Thanks again for a great and healthy recipe!❤️
Delicious and large portions!
This is delicious! My husband loved it too. It’s so filling and the recipe makes a lot. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
This was beyond good! My mother-in-law came home and even though she ate dinner out, she tried a bit and couldn’t stop going in for more. This is definitely a keeper! Thank you!
AMAZING!! SO FLAVORFUL. IVE NEVER USED FARRO BEFORE BUT I LOVE IT! My husband was raving about this dinner! Will definitely be making again. Thank you
Could I substitute ground turkey foe the ground chicken? I have ground turkey in the freezer and need to use it!
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious. My husband does not like zucchini so I just did 2 red peppers. It was so good. I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you so much for this delicious, easy healthy recipe.
Love these skillet bakes. This one is full of flavor and one of my favorite.
Really good and filling! I used fat free ground Turkey and TJ’s 10 Minute Farro and it turned out great! Great for lunch meal prep. Thank you!!
This is such a fabulously delicious dinner, thank you for sharing!!!!!
We eat this at least once a week. I end up 1.5x the seasoning and add some chili powder for a little kick. Favorite recipe on this site!
I have made this dish many times and it’s delicious! Thank you. I love all your recipes.
I’ve been making Steph’s recipes for years and this is one of my ALL-TIME favorites for meal prepping! It’s easy and versatile to mix up with whatever veggies I have on hand. Sometimes I add riced cauliflower, extra bell peppers, or asparagus and it always turns out delicious.
Made for dinner tonight and it was a hit. I will definitely be adding this to the rotation. It was easy, quick and very tasty. We enjoyed it in a bowl with a crusty roll, that was it! It was very flavorful.
Made this last Week . It was so good . Loved the flavors and the farro !
Super easy and fantastic flavor. Used lean ground turkey and added mushrooms, and chopped whole garlic and then finished in a cast iron skillet under the broiler.
Incredibly delicious!!!
Love this recipe. Great for meal prep. Have made it numerous times and it’s always a hit. My MIL asked me for the recipe. Thanks so much for helping all of us WW people on our journey.
I loved this!! The only thing I changed was to add a can of chopped mushrooms in place of the zucchini. I thought it was perfect the way it was, hubby thought it was missing something, and suggested I add okra next time!! (Random, but I will give it a go!)
Thank you for this great recipe!
Any suggestions for a vegetarian version?
I was a little nervous about trying this because I have never tried farro! It is absolutely delicious! My husband and I just loved it! Another great Steph recipe!
I made this recipe and my adult son and I loved it only problem was I had leftovers for days. That’s not a bad thing but I should have tried freezing part of it but I didn’t ask if that’s possible. Next time I’ll make half, but definitely a next time. Thank you!
Second week in a row I’m making this recipe for my son’s lunch. He is a construction worker and has to eat on the go and he loves this. I make it vegetarian because he cannot refrigerate his lunch so it’s just perfect!
Thank you
Donna G
Delicious!!!!!!
ABSOLUTELY DELISH! Love the texture of the farro in this. Everything about this dish is YUM.
This is a keeper! Very flavorful and easy to make. The only thing I changed was I used cubed chicken instead of ground. My husband and I loved it! Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious! It’s really hard to get a ‘yum’ comment from my husband. This did the trick!
Thanks so much. Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
This recipe is delicious! I will make it again.