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
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What others are saying
We just finished having this recipe for dinner and it was OUTSTANDING! I do not post reviews of recipes but this was so good I had to. It was not soupy as some stated. I think it helps ,as someone mentioned, to remove the lid the last 5 minutes of the 12 minutes. As with anything with cream and Parmesan it needs to thicken for a few minutes after cooking. I used a rotisserie chicken which made it even easier.
I am so thrilled that you loved it, Belinda! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving such a kind review!
Delicious! I used a spicy Italian seasoning that incorporates crushed red pepper and it kicked it up a notch!! Mine was soupy at first, but if you let it stand 10 minutes, it comes out perfect.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Richelle! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
This dish was delicious! It was super easy to prepare, making it a good choice for weeknight meals. I’m making it again tonight.
Aww I am so happy to hear that, Jill! I hope you enjoy!
I’m a huge fan of this recipe. I’ve made it a couple of times and it always turned out great, but tonight I made it with some lemon pepper orzo I got at my farmer’s market and it came out amazing! Thank you!
Lemon pepper orzo sounds like a delicious addition to this recipe, Lauren! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
Ugh this was AMAZING! For a dairy free version I used Country Crock heavy whipping cream and Follow Your Heart Parmesan. It turned out perfect! I read the comments after eating to let it stand for a couple minutes to make it less soupy and will definitely try that. I also used Better than Bullion mixed with water for the broth and it was sooooo good. I also added a bit more salt to taste. Thank you so much for the recipe, I can’t wait to try out more!
Also, I couldn’t find it in the recipe. What time do I add the garlic? With the sun dried tomatoes? I missed it and ended up adding it to the broth simmer stage and it ended up just fine.
Yum! Christina, I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe and found an amazing dairy-free alternative! As for the garlic, it’s noted in step 4: “Then, add in the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, italian seasoning, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper, and cook for 3-4 more minutes.”
My family loved this!
I am so happy to hear that, Julie! Thank you so much for your review!
This is delicious!!!
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Beth! Thank you so much for making it!
This recipe is delicious! Although next time I make it I will be adding only 1/2 tsp of paprika as it was too spicy for my taste. It’s a very cozy meal!
Do you think this recipe would work with dried spaghetti or a different type of pasta instead of Orzo?
Sorry, to be one of “those” people, just trying to use what I have on hand instead of making a trip for just one thing!
Hi Hadley! If you use spaghetti or a different type of pasta, it should work, however just note that it require a longer cook time than the orzo.
Wanted to follow up, it does work with using spaghetti instead of orzo and it’s delicious!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Even my husband who doesn’t really care for tomatoes enjoyed it!
I am so glad it turned out well for you, Hadley! Thank you so much for following up!!
I made this for dinner meal prep this week and OMG it was so good!! It was also my first time making orzo and I’m happy to say I’m a fan! This recipe also already tasted really good without the coconut milk and cheese, but I liked the depth of flavor they added. I added mushrooms to my batch and it was good! I am going to try adding onions next time as well. And also, I used sun-dried cherry tomatoes and the umami was out of this world! Thank you so much for such an easy and delicious recipe!
I am so happy that you enjoyed it, Kayune! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!
Just tried this tonight and it was a hit. Didn’t have Parmesan so I substituted mozzarella and it was delicious. My girls and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Definitely will go into the week night rotation.
I am so happy to hear that, Linda! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for leaving such a kind review!