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
Do the sun-dried tomatoes add a lot of flavor to the meal? I wanted to use this for a meal train meal, but the kids in the family mdo not like tomatoes.
You can definitely leave out the sun dried tomatoes!
Fantastic recipe – easy, delicious, and beautiful!
I haven’t made it with olive oil, so I can’t make a comparison, but I substituted bacon grease, and it was so good.
I’m so glad it turned out well for you, Thomas! Thank you for your review!
I love this recipe!! I’ve made this meal for myself and my boyfriend 3 times now. He loves this meal and walkways says “I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.” Thanks so much!
Wow, I am so happy to hear that, Ashley! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving such a kind review!
Really great recipe. A hint of spiciness. We added extra spinach and that was a nice touch.
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Sydney! Thank you so much for your review!
There is so much liquid. I’ve been cooking it for 12 minutes, I’m afraid if I keep cooking it down the chicken will be like rubber. I used the right amount of chicken broth. It did seem like a lot when I poured it in. What did I do wrong??
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that, Michele!
Fabulous! Made this again and again and even company worthy! Comes together easily and flavours are spot on! I do cook a little longer than 12 minutes but i double the recipe so we have leftovers!
Thank you for this keeper!
Thank you so much for your review, Lisa!
So delicious! The only reason I did not give it five stars is because it most definitely was not enough for six servings and my family was left hungry lol I will definitely be making again but doubling the recipe!!!
I’m sorry to hear that, Marcela! I definitely would recommend doubling it next time ☻
This is a real crowd pleaser and simple to whip up. I saw another commenter mention too much liquid, I added less broth because my initial chicken cooking produced extra juice. Ended up taking the lid off about 5 minutes early, letting it reduce some before adding the heavy cream. First recipe from this site, Im divin in!
I’m so glad it worked out well for you, Sara! Thank you so much for your review!
This was awesome and super easy to make. Waayy too much cream though! If you want it to be less rich, I would suggest adding 1/4 cup.
You can definitely reduce the cream to suit your palate, Steph!
Loved this recipe! Will definitely be making again. I used 2 cups of broth and 1/2 cup of heavy cream because I had seen some comments saying it was soupy. Mine did not turn out soupy! Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m so glad it turned out well, Abby! Thank you so much for your review!
Made this tonight and while it looks nothing like yours, I did use Chipotle tomatoes instead, it was still very good and delicious. Very easy to make and came together very quickly with minimal fuss including the clean up!
Oh no! It could be the chipotle tomatoes, but I can’t be sure without seeing it. I hope it turned out well regardless, Eric!
Love the flavors. Super easy.. one question. Says heat the skillet to medium and cook chicken then reduce to medium for orzo?