Tender chicken breasts paired with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce and hearty orzo is such a good combination, it’ll make you want to marry the person who made it for you! Introducing my One-Pan “Marry Me” Chicken Orzo, an easy, delicious take on the classic “Marry Me” chicken. This dish is the perfect weeknight dinner: it comes together with just one pan and and in a matter of minutes, making it the perfect cozy and comforting weeknight dinner.
Friends, have you heard of “marry me” chicken? Rumor has it that it began with Ina Garten’s “Engagement Roast Chicken,” but since then, it has been recreated hundreds of times. The lore behind this recipe is that it’s so good, that if you make it for you boyfriend, he will want to marry you. Who knows if that’s actually true, but one thing that is true? This recipe is DELICIOUS!
My take on the classic “marry me” chicken pairs it with one of my favorite ingredients: orzo! Orzo is a thin, rice-like pasta that can be a little easier to digest than traditional pasta. And, when paired with this creamy, sun-dried tomato sauce and chunks of tender chicken, it is truly an unbeatable combination. Talk about comfort food! This recipe is so warm and cozy, and I love making it on a cold night to instantly warm me up!
What You Need to Make This Creamy Chicken Orzo
- Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is the key to making this recipe!
- Olive Oil: To cook the chicken, I like to choose a better-for-you oil such as olive oil.
- Garlic: I always recommend using fresh garlic, whenever possible. The flavor is truly unbeatable!
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Make sure that the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in oil, so that they have the best flavor.
- Seasonings: To perfectly season this chicken, we’ll be using a blend of italian seasoning, paprika, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- Orzo: Orzo is a short-cut pasta that looks like a large grain of rice. It’s a delicious form of pasta to eat when you don’t want to feel super full and sluggish!
- Chicken Broth or Water: While I love using chicken broth to add flavor to the orzo, you can also use water, if you prefer.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream: I prefer to use full-fat coconut milk to keep this recipe dairy-free, but heavy cream also works well, here.
- Fresh Spinach: Spinach is packed with vitamins and minerals and is the perfect way to sneak extra veggies into this recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese: There is nothing better than taking a bite of creamy, cheesy pasta, and freshly grated parmesan cheese is the perfect addition to this recipe!
How to Make This Perfect One-Pan Chicken Dish
To make this recipe, start by preparing the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and slice them into cubes. Set them aside while you prepare the skillet.
Heat a skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges start to cook. Then, add in the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, italian seasoning, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper, and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
Then, add in the orzo and broth and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium, then cover the pan and allow it to cook for 12 minutes. Remove the cover every few minutes and stir, to ensure that the orzo doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Once the orzo is cooked through, add in the coconut milk or heavy cream and spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted. Finally, add in the freshly-grated parmesan cheese and stir one last time.
Once it’s done, remove it from the heat, serve it immediately, and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Gayle McLeod
Ingredients
- 1.5 Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- ¾ Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes , packed in oil and drained
- 2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 Teaspoons Paprika
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Orzo
- 2 ¾ Cups Chicken Broth or Water
- ¾ Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk or Heavy Cream
- 2 Large Handfuls Fresh Spinach
- ¾ Cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- To make this recipe, start by preparing the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and slice them into cubes. Set them aside while you prepare the skillet.
- Heat a skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat, and add in the oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add in the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges start to cook.
- Then, add in the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, italian seasoning, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper, and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- Then, add in the orzo and broth and stir well.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then cover the pan and allow it to cook for 12 minutes. Remove the cover every few minutes and stir, to ensure that the orzo doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the orzo is cooked through, add in the coconut milk or heavy cream and spinach and stir until the spinach is wilted.
- Finally, add in the freshly-grated parmesan cheese and stir one last time.
- Once it's done, remove it from the heat, serve it immediately, and enjoy!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
This has a lot of flavor. For our taste, I added onion and crushed red pepper flakes to it. Comes together quickly once your mise en place is together.
Thank you Paula!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Wish I could’ve followed to the T but I made some errors due to what I had… I only had thighs, and only dehydrated tomato slices n no oil. I accidentally misread orzo for arborio rice so I just added a bit more liquid. Wasn’t as quick to cook as your dish but came out phenomenal. We only had frozen spinach but added fresh parsley and pea shoots too. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Hi Dawn! This makes me so happy — you basically made the whole thing your own and it still turned out phenomenal! The arborio with extra liquid is a smart save (essentially a chicken risotto situation, which sounds incredible). Thanks so much for sharing how it went — this is exactly the kind of creativity I love to see in the kitchen! No need to panic 🙂
I used a shredded rotisserie chicken but otherwise made the recipe exactly as written and it was amazing!
I LOVE shredded rotisserie chicken as a hack/shortcut! Thank you so much!