Marry Me Chicken Orzo is a one pan dish featuring tender pieces of chicken simmered with orzo in a creamy sundried tomato sauce. This dish is perfect for a family meal and fancy enough for an at home date night. A bonus- it only takes 30 minutes to make!
Have you heard of marry me chicken before? It's a cute name for a dish isn't it? The idea is that this chicken is so delicious, that whoever you serve it to will be ready to marry you just to enjoy the meal again!
Now, I'm not promising any marriage proposals, but this marry me chicken orzo is really quite something. The original dish has tender chicken breasts in a cream sauce with sundried tomatoes and garlic. This version reimagines that dish into a full meal with pasta and veggies included.
Marry Me chicken Orzo is family friendly, simple to make, and filling!
Want to make a version of marry me chicken in the slow cooker? Try Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken!
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: My preferred chicken cut for its juiciness and flavor. Chicken breasts and chicken tenderloins are also great options.
- Oil: Olive oil works great.
- Garlic: Lots of fresh minced garlic adds delicious flavor to this dish.
- Spinach: The spinach will look like a lot at the beginning but it cooks down so much and gets wonderfully silky.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil for best taste.
- Heavy cream: This is certainly a rich dish! The heavy cream adds such a decadent richness to the sauce. If you need a dairy free option, coconut cream.
- Parmesan cheese: Fresh grated if you can.
- Chicken stock: This is necessary to help the orzo pasta cook in this one pan dish.
- Basil: Tear it up with your hands to release it's fragrance, but there's no need to chop it small.
How to make one pan marry me chicken orzo
Step 1. Begin by preparing your chicken. Cut it into bite-sized pieces (about 1 inch). Season liberally with salt and pepper and set to the side.
Step 2. In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces and brown for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through for even cooking. Reduce heat to medium.
Step 3. To the same pan, add chopped sundried tomatoes, italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Step 4. Add dry orzo pasta and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. (This helps give a hint of nuttiness to the pasta, it's a delicious layer of flavor!)
Step 5. Add stock and stir.
Step 6. Simmer on low until the pasta is cooked through but not mushy, and all of the broth is absorbed.
Step 7. Add heavy cream, chopped spinach, and torn basil leaves and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, until the greens are just wilted and a sauce has formed.
Step 8. As a finishing touch, add grated parmesan cheese and stir to melt into the dish. Enjoy!
Recipe tips
- Keep the stove on a medium to low heat rather than high heat so that the orzo has a chance to soak up all of the delicious sauce without burning on the bottom or the liquid evaporating too quickly.
- If the liquid evaporates before the pasta cooks, you can add ¼-1/2 cup of broth to finish off the cooking.
- If you need a recipe to use up the remaining sundried tomatoes in your jar, try Olive Garden Ravioli di Portobello or One Pan Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi.
More date night chicken recipes
- Spicy Chicken Pasta
- Olive Garden Steak Gorgonzola
- Chicken Parmesan with Rao's Marinara Sauce
- Creamy Boursin Chicken
Did you enjoy this Marry Me Chicken Orzo Recipe? I would love for you to let me know by leaving a comment and star rating. I can't wait to hear from you!
Marry Me Chicken Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. chicken thighs
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tbsp. italian seasoning
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups baby spinach fresh
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Begin by preparing your chicken. Cut it into bite-sized pieces (about 1 inch). Season liberally with salt and pepper and set to the side.
- In a large deep skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces and brown for 5 minutes, flipping halfway through for even cooking. Reduce heat to medium.
- To the same pan, add chopped sundried tomatoes, italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Stir and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add dry orzo pasta and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. (This helps give a hint of nuttiness to the pasta, it's a delicious layer of flavor!)
- Add stock and stir. Simmer on low until the pasta is cooked through but not mushy, and all of the broth is absorbed.
- Add heavy cream, chopped spinach, and torn basil leaves and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, until the greens are just wilted and a sauce has formed.
- As a finishing touch, add grated parmesan cheese and stir to melt into the dish. Enjoy!
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