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 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 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 was delicious! It was easy to make and I love the combination or chicken and orzo! We devoured it!
Im so happy to hear that, Ann! Thank you so much for your review!
This recipe was so easy and delicious! I’m going to try subbing the orzo for protein orzo next batch, just to see if it works alright. Do you have the nutrition facts on this?
Thanks for sharing this great dish!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Marina! Unfortunately I do not include nutritional information for my recipes, and you can read more about why, here: https://kalejunkie.com/why-i-decided-not-to-include-nutrition-information-on-my-blog/
How many people does this recipe serve? Looks amazing and I’m planning on making it tonight!
Another Kale Junkie win! My husband of almost 35 years said he’d marry me all over again after that delicious dish! Thank you Nicole!
WOW! I love hearing that, Jackie! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving a review!
Made this and left it uncovered for the last 5 minutes of cooking. It was perfect! I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream and I ended up using a little more salt as well. Definitely saving this recipe!
I am so happy it turned out well for you, Cari! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving a review!
Made this tonight – it was so easy and delicious!! Will definitely be adding this to our dinner recipe rotation. We used store bought grated parm instead of freshly grated and it still turned out fantastic.
I am so glad it turned out well for you, Emma! Thank you so much for your review!
Hi, so excited to make this recipe. Can you please tell me how many people this serves?
Hi Marley, this serves 6!
After googling for a chicken & orzo recipe, I found yours! Super simple and I love only using one pot! My spinach didn’t look appealing so I omitted it and subbed some dairy free blue cheese crumbles for the cream/coconut milk. I loved it! Will check out more of your recipes!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jackie! Thank you so much for your review!
I just bought your recipe book and saved many of your recipes online. I’m so excited to make this! Have you ever made your one-pan dishes with rice instead of orzo? Thank you!
Hi Angeliki, I have not tried it with rice!
Ok.. first time. Man..
This is SPICY..I looked at the reviews after I made it. Not 1 comment talking about the spice. Not sure where the heat came from. I looked to make sure my paprika wasn’t the issue. My sun dried tomato’s didn’t have xtra heat. Did anyone else find this tooo spicy? May have to reduce paprika?
I’m sorry to hear that, Bonnie!
I made this with cauliflower rice instead of orzo. To do this, I reduced the broth to about 1/3 to 1/2 cup and cooked the mixture with the lid off. Everyone came out well – great recipe!
I am so happy to hear that, Jen! Thank you so much for your review!
I have made this recipe twice and will keep it on my rotation. It’s awesome and SO easy!! Like the hardest part is to shred the Parmesan cheese. Thank you Nicole!!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Sylvia! Thank you for your review!